Quality assurance specialist Jobs in St Louis, MO

Senior Director, Quality Assurance

Nidec is the world's leading manufacturer of electric motors, drives, and controls, powering nearly everything that spins and moves, from smartphones and household appliances to electric vehicles, factories, data centers, aircraft, and critical infrastructure. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Nidec operates more than 300 group companies across 40+ countries, with over 100,000 employees worldwide. Rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and continuous improvement, we combine global capability with local expertise to solve complex challenges and keep the world moving.

We are seeking a Senior Director, Quality Assurance to lead quality governance and assurance across our Motion & Energy (MOEN) business unit. This role is responsible for defining, governing, and assuring Quality Management Systems (QMS), standards, policies, and practices across a global, multi-segment industrial organization.

This role provides independent oversight and advisory leadership to strengthen quality rigor, consistency, and risk management across critical functionsincluding engineering, new product development, sourcing, and manufacturing engineeringwhile ensuring protection of both Nidec and its customers.

Operating at the business unit level, this role focuses on QMS governance, quality assessments and audits, standards creation, training and advisory support, monitoring, and continuous improvement, while remaining intentionally removed from day-to-day execution.

This role is empowered to shape MOEN-wide quality standards and provide independent visibility into quality risk to executive leadership.

Lead Quality Governance & QMS

• Define, establish, and maintain MOEN-wide Quality Management Systems (QMS) aligned with Nidec corporate and regulatory standards
• Align core quality principles with the unique operational needs of each business segment
• Establish consistent quality expectations across engineering, new product development, sourcing, and manufacturing interfaces
• Partner closely with MOEN Technology and Operations leadership to embed quality rigor across the lifecycle

Drive Quality Assurance & Risk Visibility

• Lead cross-segment quality assessments, audits, and maturity reviews
• Evaluate engineering and product quality rigor, including design controls, change management, and root cause effectiveness
• Identify systemic risks, trends, and recurring issues impacting product integrity and customer outcomes
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented and validated to prevent recurrence

Strengthen Engineering & Product Quality

• Provide expert guidance on complex engineering quality challenges, failure modes, and prevention strategies
• Influence engineering and operational decisions through data, governance frameworks, and technical credibility
• Improve quality outcomes across the full product lifecyclefrom concept through production

Build Capability & Enable Adoption

• Define MOEN-wide QMS and quality training strategies based on capability gaps and audit findings
• Promote consistent application and adoption of quality practices across business segments
• Drive knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and continuous improvement of quality capabilities

Monitor Performance & Drive Continuous Improvement

• Define quality KPIs, dashboards, and review cadences across MOEN
• Analyze performance trends and identify early risk indicators
• Drive MOEN-wide continuous improvement initiatives informed by QMS performance and audit outcomes

Partner & Influence Across the Organization

• Partner with executive leadership, platform leaders, and segment teams to embed quality as a business priority
• Coordinate with Nidec Corporation Japan (NCJ) and peer Quality leaders across Nidec business units
• Support executive decision-making by translating quality performance and risk into clear, actionable insight

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or similar required); advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in engineering, quality, or technical leadership roles within industrial, manufacturing, or engineering-driven organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site or multi-business quality assessments, audits, or transformation efforts
• Deep expertise in Quality Management Systems (QMS) and engineering quality disciplines across the product lifecycle
• Strong knowledge of design controls, change management, and root cause methodologies (e.g., DFMEA, PFMEA, 4M, Six Sigma)
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority
• Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed, global organizations
• Ability to translate quality data and risk into clear, executive-level insights and decisions
• Strong analytical, communication, and leadership presence
• Ability to work across diverse cultures and geographies
• Fluency in English required

Work Environment & Travel

• This role requires up to 50% travel and involves a combination of factory-based engagement and corporate collaboration. While some work can be performed virtually, success in this role will depend on building strong, in-person relationships across manufacturing sites, engineering teams, and leadership groups.

Why This Role Matters

• Ensuring consistent and effective QMS implementation
• Driving alignment with corporate quality expectations
• Identifying and mitigating systemic risks early
• Elevating long-term product, engineering, and operational quality performance