Imagine working at the forefront of innovation in fluid-flow technology, with over 1400 colleagues across the globe, and contributing to a legacy of excellence that spans eight manufacturing facilities on four continents. Armstrong Fluid Technology is more than just a leader in our industry; we are a community of the brightest and most creative technical and marketing minds driven by a shared mission to engineer the future and safeguard our planet.
As a member of our team, you'll dive into an environment that encourages learning and boundary-pushing every day. You'll be part of an agile and dynamic workplace where today's solutions are built for tomorrow's challenges.
In this role, you are responsible for overseeing product quality across all stages—from incoming materials to finished goods—ensuring continuous compliance with quality standards and delivering reliable, safe, and consistent products. You will lead the strategic and operational efforts to enhance product quality, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. You will work with both internal teams and external stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers, to ensure the highest quality standards are met and exceeded.
Role expectations:
1. Strategy and Development:
- Quality Vision & Strategy: Define and implement a quality vision, strategy, policies, processes, and procedures that align with the company's business goals.
- Operational Alignment: Ensure quality strategies meet operational needs for price, quality, and delivery targets, enabling competitive market performance.
- Risk & Opportunity Management: Evaluate business challenges, mitigate risks, and identify opportunities to improve quality and operational performance.
- Business Contribution: Actively contribute to the company's overall strategy and participate in the annual budget process.
- Partner closely with the Global Director – Quality to translate enterprise quality objectives into actionable plans, ensuring effective deployment and governance at the local level.
2. General and Task Management:
- End-to-End Quality Oversight: Lead the quality function from new product development through to warranty analysis, ensuring the highest quality standards at all stages.
- Continuous Improvement: Drive cultural change and improve business performance, focusing on reducing customer and supplier PPM (Parts Per Million), warranty costs, cost of quality, and waste.
- Process Innovation: Implement new quality processes and systems as needed, supporting continuous improvement across operations.
- Corrective Actions: Collaborate with manufacturing, engineering, and operations to resolve non-conformances, customer complaints, and rework issues within set timelines.
- Quality Management System (QMS): Develop, maintain, and improve the QMS, ensuring compliance with ISO 9001 and customer specifications.
3. Audits and Compliance:
- Internal & External Audits: Oversee internal and external audits and subcontractor assessments to ensure compliance and identify non-value-added activities.
- Corrective Actions: Ensure the timely resolution of non-compliance issues and that corrective actions are effectively implemented.
4. Reporting & KPI Management:
- KPI Monitoring: Monitor and report on quality performance across all business functions, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to senior management.
- Quality Metrics: Establish and track metrics to assess performance against quality standards, including customer satisfaction, cost of quality, and scrap rates.
5. People Management & Leadership:
- Team Development: Lead and mentor a high-performing quality team, providing coaching and training to ensure success in achieving operational and financial goals.
- Performance Management: Set department objectives, monitor progress, and provide feedback to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with company goals.
- Cross-Department Communication: Foster strong communication across teams to implement changes, share information, and drive improvements.
- Organizational Structure: Develop and maintain the organizational structure and resource plans to support business objectives and ensure the team's success.
- HR Collaboration: Manage performance reviews and collaborate with HR to address any people-related issues.
Desired Outcomes:
- Consistently high product quality delivered to customers with minimal warranty claims, non-conformances, or customer complaints.
- Continuous improvement in key quality metrics, including reductions in PPM, scrap, and waste.
- Successful execution of strategic goals, maintaining strong collaboration across teams and with external partners.
- A skilled, motivated quality team capable of driving long-term success and innovation.
What We're Looking For
To thrive in this role, you should bring:
Education and Experience
- University degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering
- At least 12-15 years of experience in industry-related in establishing quality standards and driving them for implementation.
Technical / Functional Skills:
- In-depth knowledge of HVAC solutions and systems.Considerable and diverse demonstrable experience of leading a quality function with a proven track record in strategic quality leadership delivering effective quality strategies, policies, processes and systems
- Ability to add value, reduce costs and make business improvements
- Proven project management and quality experience
- Experience of operating and influencing at a strategic level
- Knowledge and technical understanding of automotive processes, components and manufacturing techniques
- Chartered Membership of an industry related Professional Body
Soft skills and other requirements:
- Able to communicate (verbal and written) in English.
- The capability to simplify complex problems, conduct root cause analysis, and provide clear, well-thought-out recommendations.
- Strong, team-oriented leadership skills with presence and a bias for action.
- Strong attention to detail and highly organized.
- Ability to communicate in an open and authentic manner in all situations.
- Proven leadership and management skills with the ability to optimize team performance and development
- Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to engage, negotiate and manage key stakeholders and suppliers
- Results orientated with ability to plan and deliver against project deadlines
- An appreciation of and an ability to positively resolve issues arising from different cultures.
Why Armstrong Fluid Technology
By joining us, you'll become part of a global community dedicated to pushing the boundaries of fluid-flow technology. You'll have endless opportunities to learn, grow, and make a significant impact on the world by reducing carbon emissions and energy costs. Together, we'll build tomorrow's solutions today and enjoy a safer and greener world.
