Position Title: Quality Manager
Location: Texas, United States
Reports To: Quality Director / Designated Department Leader
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: DOE
Position Summary
The Quality Manager is responsible for leading the facility’s Quality Assurance and Quality Control functions to ensure products, materials, and manufacturing processes consistently meet regulatory, customer, certification, and internal quality requirements.
This position oversees the Quality Management System (QMS), production quality controls, supplier quality, audits and certifications, customer quality concerns, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Quality Manager is also responsible for developing the Quality team and promoting a strong culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
Key Responsibilities
1. Quality Management System (QMS)
- Establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve the Quality Management System in accordance with ISO 9001 and applicable photovoltaic industry standards.
- Develop, implement, review, and revise quality policies, procedures, work instructions, and related QMS documentation.
- Maintain effective document control, process standardization, recordkeeping, and production traceability systems.
- Ensure quality processes and requirements are consistently implemented across applicable departments and production activities.
2. Production Process Quality Control
- Develop and maintain quality control plans for solar module manufacturing processes.
- Oversee incoming quality control, in-process quality control, final quality control, and outgoing quality control activities.
- Ensure finished products consistently meet established performance, reliability, durability, workmanship, and customer requirements.
- Monitor and address production defects, nonconforming materials, and process deviations.
- Lead nonconformance review and disposition activities and ensure appropriate inspection and verification of reworked products.
- Partner with Production, Process Engineering, Equipment, and other departments to identify and resolve recurring quality concerns.
3. Quality Metrics & Continuous Improvement
- Establish, monitor, analyze, and improve key quality performance indicators, including yield, first-pass yield, defect rates, breakage rates, scrap/rework, and customer complaint rates.
- Lead root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, 5-Why, Fishbone Analysis, and other applicable tools.
- Develop and oversee corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programs.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives designed to improve product quality, process capability, and operational performance.
- Identify and implement opportunities to reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
4. Supplier Quality Management
- Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement to establish and maintain supplier quality requirements.
- Participate in supplier qualification, evaluation, audits, and ongoing performance monitoring.
- Develop and maintain supplier scorecards and corrective action programs.
- Work with suppliers to resolve incoming material defects and recurring quality issues.
- Participate in the evaluation and quality oversight of strategic suppliers.
5. Audits, Compliance & Certifications
- Lead internal quality audits and support management review activities.
- Coordinate external customer audits, certification audits, and applicable regulatory inspections.
- Ensure continued compliance with applicable photovoltaic module certification requirements, including UL, IEC, and customer-specific standards.
- Coordinate preparation for certification renewals, surveillance audits, and related compliance activities.
- Track audit findings and ensure corrective actions are completed, documented, and verified in a timely manner.
6. Customer Quality & Complaint Management
- Serve as the primary Quality representative for customer complaints, quality investigations, warranty-related concerns, and technical quality matters.
- Lead investigations of customer-reported defects and coordinate corrective actions with applicable internal departments.
- Support customer qualification activities, audits, and technical reviews.
- Ensure timely and professional communication regarding quality concerns, investigations, and corrective actions.
7. Team Leadership & Quality Culture
- Build, develop, and manage a high-performing Quality team, including Quality Engineers, Inspectors, Technicians, and other Quality personnel.
- Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability standards for Quality team members.
- Provide coaching, training, feedback, and professional development.
- Train cross-functional teams on quality standards, inspection requirements, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Promote a culture of quality ownership, accountability, defect prevention, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, or a related technical field preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive quality experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Previous leadership or supervisory experience within a Quality organization strongly preferred.
- Experience in solar/PV module manufacturing required; experience in electronics, semiconductor, automotive, or another highly controlled manufacturing environment will also be considered.
Technical Skills
- Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and Quality Management Systems.
- Familiarity with photovoltaic module certification standards, including IEC 61215, IEC 61730, and UL 61730, preferred.
- Experience with quality methodologies and tools including SPC, FMEA, CAPA, 8D, DMAIC, 5-Why, Fishbone Analysis, and root cause analysis.
- Experience conducting or managing internal, supplier, customer, and third-party audits.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing quality controls, process improvement, defect prevention, and production traceability.
- Six Sigma, ASQ, ISO Auditor, or related quality certification preferred.
Core Competencies
- Strong leadership and team-development skills.
- Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
- Excellent problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
- Strong cross-functional communication and coordination abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality standards.
- Ability to clearly communicate quality concerns and appropriately escalate quality and compliance risks.
Additional Requirements
- Ability to work on-site in a manufacturing environment.
- Ability to support production operations and quality-related issues across multiple shifts as business needs require.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required for supplier, customer, certification, or corporate activities.
- Employment is contingent upon verification of identity and authorization to work in the United States in accordance with applicable law.
Pay: $105,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have any direct experience with solar/PV module or solar-cell manufacturing, including IEC 61215, IEC 61730, UL 61730, IEC 62941, or PV certification audits that may not be reflected on your resume?”
Experience:
- Solar: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
