Sr. Manager, Quality Operations Job Listing at Harbor Freight Tools in Piedmont, SC (Job ID 1376272)

Description

The Senior Manager of Quality Operations will be responsible for overseeing team priorities and work scope through the QA Supervisors in the Quality Assurance facility. Key areas of focus include monitoring team performance and metrics to optimize testing throughput and timelines and to drive process improvements, while coordinating closely with Global Sourcing and Merchandising. The role also includes oversight of the Quality Assurance testing queue, ensuring partnership and alignment across U.S. and Asia Quality Assurance teams and consistent execution of quality standards.

Ideal candidate will have excellent communication and management skills, have high-level experience balancing competing priorities, and be a hands-on, energetic individual who has a passion for working with tools, solving problems, enjoys a fast-paced environment, thrives on new, challenging projects, and is looking for an opportunity to grow with a dynamic and successful company.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain project management system and manage team test bucket sizes and schedule.       
• Make key decisions regarding test lab location and scope.    
• Provide leadership and guidance to Quality Assurance Supervisors, ensuring alignment on priorities, goals, and quality standards across global teams
• Provide viable solutions to improve throughput of testing through US and Asia Quality Assurance teams.             
• Filter incoming work requests and prevent distractions for the team.            
• Ensuring timeliness, clarity and accuracy of all technical documentation and correspondence prior to distribution.  
• Support weekly product review and cross-functional team activities.           
• Partner with the Asia QA team to coordinate weekly meetings, ensuring key topics and priorities are clearly outlined and shared ahead of time.         
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.              
• Stay current with relevant industry standards affecting testing protocols and priorities.   
• Provide appropriate feedback relating to type and levels of testing, ways to optimize processes, and broader scope product line and assortment decisions.       
• Coordinate with compliance team to manage regulatory testing and review outcomes.   
• Ensure all lab equipment is safe, up to date, and regularly calibrated. Identify and present business case to support any additional equipment needed for testing.      
• Compilation of large amounts of testing results for executive presentations and to enable the leadership team to make key business decisions.       

• Staff supervision and development: Yes
• Decision making: Creates policy and resolves problems
• Travel: Up to 10%
• Flex Designation: Local

• Minimum  2 Year / Associate Degree      
• Preferred   4 Year / Bachelors Degree     

• Minimum of 7+years of experience in root cause analysis, product development, and continuous product improvement processes.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading a team in a product development environment.

• Management skills needed to ensure department goals are aligned with overall company business Goals & Objectives.
• Proficiency in MS office suite.
• Experience in UL/CSA/ETL/ANSI/ASME/SAE procedures pertaining to Safety and Performance of products.
• Good organizational, strategic planning and project management skills.
• Strong ability to multi-task using matrix management practices for timely project completions
• Must possess sense of urgency, collaborative team style, and ability to quickly adapt to changes in priorities.
• Additional Qualifications (behavioral traits, certifications, etc.) - Level of language needed to successfully accomplish the essential duties
  • Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, engineering standards, calibration reports, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of employees of the organization.
• Level of mathematical skills needed to successfully accomplish the essential duties
  • Ability to calculate figures and amounts as well as apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Level of reasoning skills needed to successfully accomplish the essential duties
  • Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Experience with power tools, generator systems, and outdoor products.
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Experience with reliability or life testing, product validation, and data trending
• Proven experience developing and implementing quality systems, processes, and metrics
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data-driven decision making
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presenting findings
• High attention to detail and commitment to product quality and safety

• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, tooling, or materials commonly used in consumer products
• Change management experience driving process improvements across teams or sites
• Advanced Excel or data visualization skills

• QA - General office environment requiring ability to: *Stand, walk, sit for extended periods of time. *Speak and listen to others in person and over the phone and video conferencing. *Use keyboard and read from computer screen and reports. *The ability to lift up to 50 lbs. *Ability to travel frequently within China to various supplier manufacturing sites. *Ability to walk factory manufacturing operations and spend considerable time on the factory floor.

• Must be able to perform this job safely in accordance with standard operating procedures and good manufacturing practices, without endangering the health or safety of self or others.