Director Quality

Description  

The Director of Quality leads the organization’s quality strategy, ensuring products, processes, and systems meet regulatory standards, customer expectations, and internal performance goals. They oversee quality assurance, quality control, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives across the business. The role partners closely with operations, engineering, and supply chain to drive root‑cause problem solving, improve reliability, and reduce defects. This leader also fosters a culture of excellence, compliance, and proactive risk prevention.

As the Director Quality, you will:

• Streamlining and continually improving existing quality policies, procedures, and instructions
• Integrating technical excellence into every aspect of the project lifecycle
• Working closely with Operations, Engineering, Product Safety, and Procurement throughout the product lifecycle
• Developing and maintaining documented information that reflect the Management System that meets the requirements of ISO 9001, coordinating internal technical audit teams and quality certification processes as well as additional agency requirements such as: CSA, ASME and PED as examples
• Leading the Quality team in collaboration with geography management
• Coaching and developing direct reports as well as setting expectations on the development of all quality professionals globally
• Providing direction on the development of solutions to problems which have been defined, but where investigation is often required to clarify possible complex interfaces and solutions desired
• Through contacts with educational institutions, societies, equipment manufacturers, agencies, etc., keeping abreast of new development germane to quality, reliability, and agency activities
• Applying continual improvement principles and techniques, using data analysis, understanding, and applying statistical methods, coordinating the use of CBS tools (DMAIC, 5S+1, Process Capability Analysis, SPC, MSA, FMEA, Lean techniques, etc.)
• Providing the quality and reliability related requirements/metrics as part of the New Product Development (NPD2.5) process and the related phase/gate reviews

Required education, experiences & skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or related field
• At least 10 years’ experience as a plant quality manager
• An additional 5 years’ experience leading, implementing and managing enterprise-wide Quality Management Systems for large-scale, global, matrixed organizations
• Extensive experience in and knowledge of quality management principles and methodologies including ISO 9001, Six
• Sigma and Lean experience
• Strong proficiency in project management approaches and tools
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and facilitation skills
• Experience partnering closely with and advising senior leadership and executives
• Proven problem solving and root cause identification skills
• Strong analytic and decision-making abilities
• Proven ability to influence others, work effectively with all levels in an organization, and move teams toward a common vision or goal
• Ability to travel and work together with the plant locations, customers and suppliers to resolve difficult quality or reliability problems with complex product components, processes, or materials-
• Up to 50% international travel required

Preferred education, experiences & skills

• Advanced degree (MBA or MS in Quality/Engineering).
• Professional certifications such as ASQ CQE, CQA, CMQ/OE,
• Six Sigma Black Belt.
• Familiarity with supplier quality, incoming inspection, and vendor development.

Why Work in St. Louis, Missouri

Our facility is located in St. Louis, famous for its Gateway Arch standing at 630 feet tall. St. Louis is a family-friendly, historic metropolitan area with a low cost of living and first-class schools. The city offers excellent restaurants, shopping areas, art galleries, and numerous festivals throughout the year, making this an exciting place to live and work.

About Our Location

Our location is the host of Copeland’s corporate headquarters. Our products have become household names that support the comfort and well-being of our customers. The employees at this location provide support to the various businesses within the platform, allowing for many networking opportunities across businesses.

Collaboration First Hybrid Work Arrangements:

This role is hybrid eligible with the requirement to be in office at least three days per week. Colleagues are expected to demonstrate a collaboration first mindset, which is the understanding that teams will work together in-person and colleagues should be flexible to adjust their hybrid days based on business needs. You will have an opportunity to work with your team and leader to determine when you should be in office to drive meaningful connections and to best serve our customers.

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