What are the responsibilities and job description for the Quality Manager position at Wanzl NA?
This position will be located at the plant in Newton, NC and will require occasional travel.
Company and Opportunity Overview
Wanzl North America’s (WNA) vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from the online purchase to the delivery to their customers.
WNA, which includes the Technibilt and Cari-All brands, headquartered in Denver, North Carolina. With nearly 500 employees and 175 MUSD of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and most large grocers and retailers.
In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three (3) additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems) and Shelving & Fixtures, as well as Material Handling/Rolling Stock products. Additionally, WNA is active in building a “digital” business line with products for shopping cart containment, smart exit gate technology, and solutions for autonomous and/or semi-autonomous retail stores.
WNA is part of the Wanzl group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Drive a culture of quality excellence and continuous improvement.
- Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive Quality Management System (QMS) that supports both production and field activities.
- Determine, Track, and Improve critical KPI’s
- Collaborate with stakeholders to reduce cost of poor quality
- Define and execute quality goals, policies, procedures, and systems aligned with business strategy.
- Establish clear processes, provide training, and ensure site-wide adherence to quality standards.
- Partner with Purchasing to define supplier/vendor quality requirements; oversee resolution of failures with corrective and preventive measures.
- Serve as a key liaison with customers to ensure compliance with specifications and effective resolution of quality issues.
- Lead and maintain quality inspection and product release programs for incoming materials, in-process work, and finished goods.
- Oversee internal and external reporting requirements, including compliance with regulatory standards.
- Recommend, coordinate, and deliver employee quality training initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with national and international standards (e.g., ISO, ASTM, or other applicable standards).
- Directly supervise and develop Quality Engineers, Field Technicians, and Quality Technicians.
Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent technical field.
- Minimum 5 years of Quality Assurance experience in a consumer product manufacturing environment; experience with fabricated steel products preferred.
- Strong hands-on experience in both manufacturing and field service activities.
- Proven track record collaborating with contract manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and customers.
- Demonstrated leadership with excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
- Experience with quality management systems and quality audits.
- Experience in Lean Manufacturing projects; Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 10%).