Senior Director of Quality

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Daikin Applied Americas is seeking a Senior Director of Quality. This role is accountable for leading all quality-related operations within the applicable Daikin Applied business unit, including product quality, process quality, and overall business process robustness. This role provides operational leadership to transform and strengthen upstream quality systems that support new product introductions, with a strong focus on D/PFMEA development/execution, risk mitigation, and manufacturing readiness.

Key responsibilities include enhancing inspection and testing programs to ensure delivered quality, driving the highest levels of poka-yoke implementation within manufacturing processes, and supporting aftermarket quality management initiatives. The role also leads the Quality Clinic process, overseeing the identification of field quality trends, root cause analysis, and implementation of effective corrective and preventive actions.

In addition, the Senior Director of Quality is responsible for maintaining all required certifications and leading a robust internal audit program to ensure ongoing compliance, product integrity, and process effectiveness. This position provides leadership and direction to all quality resources across the business unit, with direct responsibility for the quality organization. In addition, this candidate will sit on DAA Quality leadership team and work/collaborate with Corporate Quality functions responsible for NPI Quality Assurance, QA programs, Supplier Quality and QMS.

The role reports directly to the General Manager of the Business Unit, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Corporate Vice President of Quality.

Location: Faribault or Plymouth, MN– Hybrid

What you will do: 

• Serve as a key member of the manufacturing BU leadership team and aid in execution of aggressive growth strategy which includes significant change management.
• Responsible for establishing functional excellence and creating quality 1st culture within the business unit
• Collaborate with Supplier Quality through Quality Clinic on any activities related to supplier quality in support of BU product
• Builds strong quality management system (QMS) that’s focused on internal quality audit process, reviews and execution of corrective actions to findings and OFIs to continually improve (poke-yoke) manufacturing and business processes
• Supports/Validates (NPI) New product introduction utilizing D/PFMEA to build sound quality control/test plan and monitors infant care program to conclusion
• Collaborate with Central QMS on ISO and other regulatory agency certification requirements
• Proactively mines fielded escape and internal turnback data to identify opportunities for Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) through Quality Clinic process
• resent to leadership Quality KPIs and continuous improvement activities
• Communicate with customers as needed and supports QA program launch process
• Ensures that corrective actions are read across business unit and shared across DAA.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for current and future Quality Assurance trends

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Experience in Engineering, Business or a related field
• 15+ years; incl 10+ years people leadership experience
• Manufacturing & Quality leadership role. Experience in any of the following: Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), APQP, Lean Manufacturing, ISO or SPC techniques.
• Able to travel 15-20%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bi-lingual in Spanish a plus
• Experience working in a unionized organization

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: 

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer contributions matching 100% of the first 3% of employee contributions and 50% on the next 2% of employee contributions
• Company provided life insurance + optional employee paid voluntary life insurance, dependent life coverage and voluntary accident coverage
• Short term and long-term disability
• 3 weeks of paid time off for new employees + 11 company paid holidays
• Vacation accrues on a monthly basis, unless applicable federal, state and local law requires a faster accrual
• Paid sick time in accordance of the federal, state and local law
• Paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from 162,500.00 - 285,800.00 (+30% bonus) in Minnesota. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.  

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