Quality Assurance Manager

Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Cleveland, OH, USA Salary: US$140-160K plus bonus and excellent benefits package

Our client is a leading provider of high-performance paints and coating products designed to meet the rigorous demands of the global automotive industry.

They are now seeking a Quality Assurance Manager to lead site quality standards, strengthen QMS compliance, improve customer quality outcomes, and support a proactive quality culture across a highly regulated manufacturing environment.

This is a key leadership role, acting as the main quality liaison between Operations, Process Engineering, Technical, Account Management, customer-facing teams, and R&D on quality-related enquiries, investigations, audits, and improvement initiatives.

As Quality Assurance Manager, you will take ownership of site quality standards, compliance, audits, quality systems, and continuous improvement activity. Your responsibilities will include:

• Maintaining and improving the site Quality Management System, certifications, processes, and documentation
• Ensuring QMS requirements are embedded within the product realization process
• Integrating customer-specific requirements, supplier quality manuals, and quality standards into the QMS
• Measuring, reporting, and communicating site quality performance
• Leading internal and external quality investigations, including customer complaints, SCARs, non-conforming product issues, and corrective actions
• Ensuring corrective actions are implemented effectively and issues are resolved in a sustainable way
• Driving data-led quality improvement programs to improve yield, productivity, customer complaints, and cost of non-conformance
• Owning the site internal audit program and document control system
• Facilitating customer and supplier quality visits
• Supporting and troubleshooting quality-related data systems, including SAP, LIMS, and ETQ Reliance
• Collaborating with Technical, R&D, Operations, Process Engineering, and customer-facing teams to improve first-right capability
• Acting as quality gatekeeper for site-level MOC activity and new product launches
• Providing quality training, leadership, coaching, and guidance across the site
• Promoting a proactive and accountable quality culture

This role will hold Decision Authority responsibility for:

• Product release decisions
• Fit, form, and function change approval requests
• Non-conforming product disposition
• Quality-related escalation, investigation outcomes, and corrective action effectiveness

Key Requirements

You will be an experienced quality leader with a strong background in quality management, manufacturing quality systems, audit programs, corrective actions, and continuous improvement. Essential skills and experience will include:

• Bachelors degree or higher in Quality, Engineering, or a related discipline
• Minimum 5 years quality management experience, ideally within automotive or advanced manufacturing
• Minimum 3 years people management or supervisory experience
• Certified Lead Auditor experience, ideally IATF and/or VDA
• Minimum Six Sigma Green Belt certification
• Strong knowledge of automotive core tools, including FMEA, SPC, Control Plans, and APQP
• Experience maintaining and improving QMS frameworks, certifications, and customer-specific requirements
• Experience leading quality investigations, SCARs, customer complaints, non-conforming product issues, and corrective actions
• Working knowledge of quality and operational systems such as SAP, LIMS, and ETQ Reliance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• Ability to lead audits, manage documentation, coach teams, and promote a strong quality culture

Why Join?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a specialist business supporting the automotive paints and coatings industry, where quality, compliance, customer standards, and operational excellence are critical to success.

You will play a visible leadership role in strengthening the sites quality systems, audit readiness, customer quality outcomes, and continuous improvement culture, while working closely with technical, operational, and customer-facing teams.