Quality Assurance Manager

Quality Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, direct hire

Fully on-site

Salary: $95,000–$115,000 annually

Sapphire Recruitment is partnering with an established manufacturer of custom-engineered pressure vessels, heat exchangers, strainers, and filtration equipment to hire a hands-on Quality Manager for its Tonawanda facility.

This role has full ownership of the quality program, including the Quality Assurance Manual, ASME “U” Certification Mark program, National Board “R” stamp program, welding and NDE documentation, material traceability, calibration, corrective action, and final quality approval.

The Quality Manager will serve as the primary quality liaison among Production, Engineering, Procurement, suppliers, customers, and the Authorized Inspector. This individual has the authority to stop work involving any Code, jurisdictional, safety, or quality nonconformance.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality operations from raw-material receipt through fabrication, testing, final inspection, and shipment, with authority to stop work for Code, jurisdictional, safety, or quality nonconformances.
• Maintain the Quality Assurance Manual, ASME “U” Certification Mark program, National Board “R” stamp program, and all controlled documentation in an audit-ready state.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Authorized Inspector and manage inspection hold points, travelers, Manufacturer’s Data Reports, and other required Code documentation.
• Review Engineering Change Orders and update inspection requirements before revised products enter production.
• Manage Nonconformance Reports, material disposition, CAPA, root-cause analysis, supplier corrective actions, and verification of corrective-action effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain WPS, PQR, and WPQ documentation in accordance with ASME Section IX, including welder qualifications, identification symbols, and continuity records.
• Maintain Liquid Penetrant NDE procedures and personnel qualifications in accordance with ASME Section V, and review subcontracted NDE, heat-treatment, and post-weld heat-treatment procedures and records.
• Oversee incoming inspection, Material Test Report review, material identification, and full traceability of Code materials.
• Manage the calibration program for measuring and test equipment, ensuring all calibration is completed on schedule and traceable to NIST standards.
• Lead and develop quality personnel, train manufacturing employees on quality procedures, and partner with Engineering, Production, and Procurement on first-article readiness and quality issues.
• Track and present key quality metrics, including first-pass yield, NCR trends, supplier rejection rates, open corrective actions, calibration status, and cost of poor quality.

Qualifications

• At least five years of quality management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of ASME Section VIII, Division 1; Section IX; Section V; and applicable NBIC requirements.
• Experience managing or supporting an ASME Quality Assurance program.
• Strong knowledge of WPS, PQR, WPQ, MDR, MTR, NCR, CAPA, NDE, calibration, and controlled-document requirements.
• Experience preparing for audits and working directly with Authorized Inspectors.
• Demonstrated knowledge of welding qualification, material traceability, incoming inspection, and calibration programs.
• Experience leading structured root-cause investigations using methods such as 5-Why, fishbone, or 8D.
• Proven ability to lead quality personnel and work directly with manufacturing teams.
• Strong judgment, communication, organization, and attention to detail.
• Ability to make independent quality decisions and stop work when necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current AWS Certified Welding Inspector certification.
• Direct responsibility for an ASME “U” stamp or National Board “R” stamp program.
• Experience in pressure-vessel, heat-exchanger, or similar Code-fabrication manufacturing.
• Experience with Liquid Penetrant NDE.
• Experience in a custom-engineered or low-volume manufacturing environment.

Submit a resume to wnyjobs@hiresapphire.com for immediate confidential consideration.

Sapphire Recruitment is an Equal Opportunity Employer.