Sr. Manager of Quality Assurance, Product Development - Hand Tools Job Listing at Harbor Freight Tools in Calabasas, CA (Job ID 1246069)

Description

The Sr. Manager of Quality Assurance, Product Development reports directly to the Director of Quality Assurance and is responsible for assisting in the development of new and existing product and product lines at Harbor Freight Tools.  Key functions involve coordinating daily activities of the quality assurance department to include; providing effective leadership and direction to various QA employees, coordinating supplier corrective action issues and driving resolutions, ensuring continuous improvement of department processes and systems that align with company objectives, and execution of departmental tasks to establish a global quality organization that will support future growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a high performance and results driven team with an emphasis on continuous improvement.
• Work with vendors and factories on subcomponent specifications.
• Evaluating design documents and drawing for manufacturability and feasibility.
• Author test procedures to test performance, durability, and function.
• Ensure compliance with core company values and consistently drive improvement while championing transparent collaboration across the company.
• Work as a coach / mentor to develop up-and-coming quality staff by using a hands-on approach to developing and training employees.
• Work collaboratively with both internal corporate partners and with our substantial vendor base to constantly improve quality and reliability objectives.
• Spearhead the development and/or refinement of established quality plans for inspection, test, and evaluation of materials, processes and products.
• Lead and drive testing protocol improvements and processes.
• Responsible for ensuring product compliance and safety certifications; in addition, establish SOPs for product regulations and testing/inspection protocols.
• Interact with all levels of management, company consultants, regulatory agents, clients, external testing labs, and lab equipment and supply vendors.
• Provide input on global inspection strategy aimed at optimizing a global inspection team and performance metrics.
• Manage customer feedback channels and identify emerging trends to prioritize where emphasis should be placed to prevent recurrence.
• Implements internal and external measurement tools to assess process performance against established goals (i.e. Inspection Coverage, SCAR performance, Return Rates, etc.)
• Oversee product liability claims and intellectual property research
• Implement maintenance testing strategies and related testing protocols
• Facilitate and/or lead cross-functional problem solving projects on parts or processes related to customer complaints, issues found during qualification testing, high return rates, and/or found during inspection 
• Aid in the maintenance of the inspection check sheets, QC holds inventory, returns data, first article, regulatory certifications, and other required documentation within the QA department.
• Development of inspection and testing protocol by developing Best Practices to improve inspection efficiency and effectiveness
• Ensure timeliness, clarity and accuracy of all technical documentation and correspondence

• Manages staff – up to 5
• Financial Scope – provide budget recommendations and manage department costs and expenditures
• Organizational Scope – global
• Decision Making – Creates policy and resolves problems
• Travel – up to 30% (international and domestic)

• Minimum of 7 years supervisory experience in a Quality field.
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering from an accredited university is desired.
• Must be a self-starter, results driven and proven leader with a demonstrated track record of performance in a professional quality department setting.
• Proficient in mechanical and electrical engineering principles. Hands-on practical experience with related HFT product offerings is desired.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in implementing QC processes.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills to communicate effectively with diverse groups of people both inside and outside the company.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a global, multi-cultural, multi-time zone environment.
• Sense of urgency, collaborative team style, and ability to quickly adapt to changes in priorities with strong decision making skills.
• Written communication skills necessary for technical report writing, and strong follow-up skills.
• Strong ability to multi-task for timely project completions.
• Must be hands-on and have a strong “whatever it takes” attitude to get the job done.
• Familiar with ISO 9000 Systems and Supplier Quality Assurance Systems
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and carry out responsibilities with a minimum of direction.
• Demonstrated proficiency in problem-solving tools and techniques.
• Experience dealing with Statistical Software Programs and a strong understanding of statistical measurements. 
• Experience managing quality to UL, CSA, ANSI and other regulatory standards.
• Advanced computer skills in project management, spreadsheet, and database and presentation software.

• stand, walk, sit for extended periods of time
• speak and listen to others in person and over the phone
• use keyboard and read from computer screen and reports
• lift up to 50 lbs.