Director of Quality & Process Improvement – Manufacturing

Hickory, North Carolina Area

Competitive base salary ($120K–130K) plus 20% bonus potential.

About the Opportunity

Established and growing manufacturer in the Carolinas is seeking a Director of Quality & Process Improvement to lead its quality organization across multiple facilities. This is a highly visible role working with executive leadership, production, and customer-facing teams to strengthen compliance, drive process improvements, and ensure consistency across operations.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the quality function across multiple plant locations, ensuring compliance with ISO and other customer-driven certifications.
• Direct and support teams focused on quality assurance, laboratory operations, and process improvement initiatives.
• Partner with operations and procurement to strengthen supplier quality, reduce waste, and improve line performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to harmonize production standards.
• Represent the company with key Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers, maintaining strong relationships and audit readiness.
• Track and report key quality metrics including waste reduction, non-conforming material, and production consistency.

What We’re Looking For

• 7–10+ years of experience in manufacturing quality leadership, ideally with exposure to the automotive supply chain.
• Proven success in ISO-certified environments and supporting customer or third-party audits.
• Strong background in process improvement and Lean/Six Sigma practices.
• Excellent leadership skills, able to balance compliance requirements with collaborative engagement across production teams.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; advanced certifications (CQE, CQA, Six Sigma Black Belt) a plus.