Stuart Rush is a private business formed from the legacy electric chain hoist plants of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, with the first Lodestar® hoist made in the 1950s. With long-standing operations in Damascus, VA and Lexington, TN, the company builds on a legacy of quality in chain and hoist manufacturing. Stuart Rush values its employees as the foundation of its success and is committed to fostering a strong, supportive, and resilient workplace. The company is dedicated to delivering reliable products and earning customer trust through consistent performance while building a strong future for its people and customers.
Job Summary/Overview
The Quality Manager is responsible for the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the site's Quality Management System (QMS). Beyond maintaining compliance and certification, this role acts as a driver of business transformation — using quality data, root cause methodologies, and cross-functional leadership to reduce cost of poor quality, improve process capability, and support a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serve as management representative for ISO 9001 compliant QMS. Maintain and continuously improve the QMS, including document control, record retention, and system architecture.
- Manage non-conforming material processes, containment actions, and disposition decisions for both internal and external non-conformances.
- Provide support and resolution for day-to-day operational quality issues, responding in an urgent, timely, and effective manner to minimize negative impact.
- Own customer complaint handling, warranty analysis, customer, and 8D/CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) processes.
- Oversee operational product final testing, incoming, in-process, and final inspection, and other quality assurance activities to ensure product conformance to specifications.
- Measure and manage supplier quality including measures, audits, supplier corrective actions, and oversight of defective material return process. Ensure proper actions are taken to prevent reoccurrence of non-confirming products.
- Ensure calibration, gauge R&R, and measurement system analysis (MSA) programs are current and effective.
- Lead, coach, and develop the quality team and broader organization on root cause problem-solving methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, FMEA) building technical capability in problem-solving and improvement methodologies.
- Act as a change agent, building quality and defect prevention into the process and auditing to ensure adherence to operational quality expectations. Includes the development and execution of action plans along with proactive and reactive measures to drive improvement.
- Develop, collect, track, analyze, and report on quality data, performance metrics (including KPI’s), improvement plans, countermeasures, and daily management.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Industrial Technology, or related field.
- 3+ years of quality management experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience maintaining and improving an ISO 9001 certified or equivalent industry standard quality system.
- Strong analytical skills and proven track record of leading process improvement projects with measurable business impact.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- Experience in a high mix low volume manufacturing environment with complex assembly and metal cutting machining.
- Experience with APQP/PPAP in a product launch environment
- American Society for Quality Certification
Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.
Benefits
At Stuart Rush, we value our employees and are committed to offering a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, paid time off, and a market-leading 401(k) plan.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
