Quality Manager

Job Description

The Quality Manager is responsible for defining, deploying, and continuously improving the Quality strategy of the Vietnam manufacturing site to ensure compliance of products, processes, and services with customer, regulatory, and company requirements.
As one of the first leaders of the site, the Quality Manager plays a critical role in the successful setup and ramp-up of operations. The position is responsible for building and developing the entire Quality organization, implementing Stäubli Quality standards, supporting production transfers, and fostering a strong Quality culture across the site.
The Quality Manager is the key guardian of product and process quality during industrial transfers, production qualification, and mass production ramp-up. The role ensures that products manufactured in Vietnam achieve and sustain the same quality standards and customer expectations as those produced in established Stäubli manufacturing sites.
The Quality Manager contributes to the achievement of the site's Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) objectives while ensuring customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Mobility: 5%-10% of time

Direct reporting: reports directly to the Head of Local Operations, Fluid Connectors

The role involves:
1. Quality Strategy & Leadership:
- Define and deploy the site's Quality strategy in alignment with Group objectives.
- Build and develop a high-performing Quality organization capable of supporting the site's ramp-up and long-term growth.
- Establish and promote a strong Quality culture throughout the organization.
- Ensure Quality objectives are aligned with business priorities and customer expectations.
- Monitor and report Quality performance, risks, and improvement initiatives to site and divisional management.
2. Quality Management System:
- Deploy, maintain, and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System.
- Ensure compliance with Stäubli standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulations.
- Establish quality procedures, governance models, and performance indicators.
- Lead internal, customer, certification, and regulatory audits.
- Ensure effective implementation of corrective and preventive actions throughout the organization.
3. Manufacturing Readiness & Product Quality Assurance:
- Ensure transferred products achieve required quality standards prior to production launch.
- Lead qualification and validation activities for products, production processes, and manufacturing equipment.
- Define and implement quality gates supporting production transfer, pilot production, pre-series manufacturing, and mass production.
- Establish control plans and monitoring methods to ensure manufacturing readiness.
- Assess and mitigate quality risks before production release.
- Support product and process approval activities including First Article Inspection (FAI), process validation, capability assessments, and customer qualification requirements where applicable.
- Act as the Quality authority for production launch readiness.
- Monitor quality performance throughout ramp-up and ensure achievement of targeted quality levels.
4. Manufacturing Quality:
- Ensure the quality of products, manufacturing processes, and operational activities.
- Drive root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action processes.
- Lead initiatives to reduce defects, scrap, rework, and non-conformities.
- Support industrialization, new product introduction, and production transfer projects.
- Monitor and improve Quality KPIs.
5. Customer Quality
- Drive customer satisfaction and customer quality performance.
- Ensure timely and effective management of customer complaints.
- Lead customer issue resolution through structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Support customer audits, quality reviews, and corrective action plans.
- Manage escalation processes when required.
6. Supplier Quality
- Define and deploy the supplier quality strategy.
- Support supplier qualification and development programs.
- Monitor supplier quality performance and improvement plans.
- Ensure timely resolution of supplier-related quality issues. 
- Collaborate with Purchasing to strengthen supplier performance and risk management.
7. Continuous Improvement
- Promote Lean Manufacturing and Quality Excellence methodologies throughout the organization.
- Drive initiatives aimed at reducing non-quality costs and process variation.
- Improve process capability and product reliability.
- Foster a culture of prevention, standardization, and continuous learning

Managerial Responsibilities

Build and Develop the Organization
- Build and lead a high-performing Quality organization to support the site's ramp-up and future growth.
- Recruit, develop, and engage Quality teams.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement. Lead and Develop Teams
- Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
- Develop employee capabilities through coaching, training, feedback, and succession planning.
- Promote employee engagement and team effectiveness. Contribute to Site Leadership
- Act as a member of the site leadership team.
- Contribute to site strategy, organizational development, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Promote Stäubli's values, culture, and leadership principles.

Nature and Scope of Responsibilities

- Build and Develop the Organization
- Build and lead a high-performing Quality organization to support the site's ramp-up and future growth.
- Recruit, develop, and engage Quality teams.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
- Lead and Develop Teams
- Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
- Develop employee capabilities through coaching, training, feedback, and succession planning.
- Promote employee engagement and team effectiveness.
- Contribute to Site Leadership
- Act as a member of the site leadership team.
- Contribute to site strategy, organizational development, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Promote Stäubli's values, culture, and leadership principles.

Qualifications

Knowledge:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Strong knowledge of Quality Management Systems and Quality Assurance methodologies.
- Comprehensive knowledge of ISO 9001 and other relevant industry standards.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes, industrialization, production transfer, and ramp-up environments.
- Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, CAPA, and process validation methodologies.
- Familiarity with risk management and product qualification processes.

Skills: 

- Quality Management System implementation and management.
- Customer and supplier quality management.
- Manufacturing readiness assessment and quality validation. 
- Audit preparation, execution, and certification management.
- Leadership and team development.
- KPI management and data-driven decision-making.
- Advanced problem-solving and root cause analysis.
- Project management and cross-functional collaboration.
- Fluency in English and Vietnamese; proficiency in other language(s) like Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Abilities :
- Ability to build and develop a Quality organization from the ground up.
- Ability to ensure successful quality performance during industrial transfers and production ramp-up.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with a strong hands-on operational approach.
- Ability to lead change in a dynamic and fast-growing manufacturing environment.
- Ability to work effectively in a global and multicultural organization.
- Ability to collaborate with stakeholders, manufacturing sites, suppliers, and customers across Europe, Asia, and North America.
- Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Ability to foster a culture of quality excellence, continuous improvement, and customer focus.

Additional Information