Quality Manager

About Syscend / Guardian Bikes

Syscend (the platform behind Guardian Bikes) is a vertically integrated manufacturing and commerce company. We design, manufacture, fulfill, and sell our kids bikes directly from our U.S. factory floor to the customer's door. We are proud of what we build and even prouder of who we build it for — kids. Quality is not just a department; it is a promise we make to every family who buys one of our bikes.

Job Summary

We are looking for a transformational quality leader to embed quality directly into how we build bikes — not layer inspection on top of production. The Quality Manager will architect a culture of built-in quality across our laser cutting automated welding, manual welding, paint, decal, and final assembly operations.

This is a great opportunity to build a best-in-class, engineering / root cause focused quality function. You will inherit a quality team and reshape it into a high-functioning quality engineering function that enables deep root cause quality understanding, engineers quality into the system, and enables operators to own quality monitoring at every step. If you have built quality systems from the ground up in a complex manufacturing environment and thrive on culture change, we want to meet you.

Key Responsibilities

• Quality System & Culture Transformation
• Lead the strategic shift from in-process inspection to prevention-focused, built-in quality across all production processes
• Define and champion a quality culture where every operator owns their output — from laser cell to final assembly
• Develop and deploy operator-driven quality tools: error-proofing (poka-yoke), in-process checkpoints, visual standards, and escalation protocols
• Partner with operations and HR to embed quality behaviors into onboarding, training, and performance expectations

Process Engineering & Control

• Design and implement process control plans (PCPs) across automated laser cutting, robotic/automated welding, manual weld stations, paint line, decal application, and final assembly
• Employ appropriate quality systems to prevent, control, measure, analyze and correct quality issues (i.e. control charts, SPC, FMEA, poka-yoke, Six Sigma, etc.)
• Lead root cause investigations using structured problem-solving (8D, A3, 5-Why) for internal defects, field failures, and customer complaints

KPI Development & Performance Management

• Build and own the quality KPI framework: DPU, FTT, DPPM, warranty/return rates, cost of poor quality (COPQ), customer satisfaction scores
• Establish a quality dashboard visible at all levels — plant floor to executive team — updated in real time or daily
• Set annual quality goals aligned with business objectives; report progress to leadership monthly
• Drive continuous improvement in quality metrics through Lean, Six Sigma, and kaizen methodologies

Team Leadership & Development

• Assess current quality team structure and transition roles from reactive inspectors to proactive quality technicians and engineers
• Hire, develop, and mentor a high-performance quality team across shifts and functional areas
• Define clear career paths and skill development plans for quality personnel

Supplier & Materials Quality

• Partner with procurement to establish incoming material quality standards and supplier scorecards
• Lead supplier quality audits and corrective action processes for key raw materials and components (steel tubing, hardware, paint materials, decals)
• Develop acceptable quality limits (AQLs) and sampling plans for inbound inspection

Product & Safety Compliance

• Ensure all products meet or exceed applicable safety standards (e.g., ASTM F963, CPSC regulations for children's products)
• Own the quality management system (QMS)
• Maintain documentation systems for quality records, non-conformance reports (NCRs), and corrective/preventive actions (CAPAs)
• Partner with product development on design-for-manufacturability (DFM) reviews and new product launch quality gates

Customer Quality & Warranty

• Manage the customer complaint and warranty return analysis process; translate field data into actionable improvements
• Partner with our CX and data functions to understand patterns in customer quality complaints and actively work to eliminate these issues in the production system.
• Maintain a closed-loop system connecting warranty/return data back to production and design teams

Required Experience

• 6 years of quality experience in a discrete manufacturing environment, with at least 3 years in a quality leadership role
• Demonstrated success building quality culture and systems in organizations transitioning away from checker-based models
• Hands-on experience with metal fabrication processes — welding (automated and manual), laser cutting, or equivalent — strongly preferred
• Deep proficiency in quality tools: SPC, FMEA, control plans, MSA, PPAP/APQP, 8D, A3
• Track record of designing and deploying meaningful quality KPIs and dashboards
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing without direct authority
• Strong communicator: equally comfortable on the plant floor with operators and in the boardroom with executives
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future

Preferred Experience

• An understanding of bikes and bike mechanics.
• Familiarity with CPSC/ASTM safety standards for children's products
• Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt certification
• Experience with paint/coating quality systems and/or decorative application processes
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related technical field (or equivalent experience)