Quality Assurance

Posted by Goal Zero on 10/22/2021

Job Basics

Industry Sector: Bike, Fishing, Hunting/Shooting, Lifestyle, Outdoor, Snow

Job Categories: Manufacturing, Merchandising, Operations, Product Analyst

Company Type: HardGoods/Equipment

State: UT

City: Bluffdale

Country: United States

Required Experience: 7 - 10 years

Job Type: Full Time

Salary: $90,000-131,000/Year

Required to Relocate: Yes

Required to Travel:

Employee May Telecommute: No

Job Seeker Must Live Within:

Job Description & Requirements

Goal Zero is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager that is responsible for ensuring products coming off manufacturing lines conform to product specifications and perform as designed and tested.  The Quality Assurance Manager will be responsible for evolving and executing on a best-in-class quality assurance system and team that promotes customer satisfaction for products that are in active production. The role has final approval that each item is ready for sale and use by our customers.  This role will lead a team of technicians, inspectors, and engineers to reactively and proactively maintain and maximize the quality of Goal Zero products. Reactive elements include monitoring of production quality metrics (including vendor quality management systems, vendor production quality testing reports, the AQL inspection reports from internal employees) as well as in-market performance of our products (including feedback from Customer Service incident tracking, online reviews, and RMA/defect returns tracking), with the responsibility to analyze any nonconformance incidents and effectively disposition them between manufacturing-focused solutions, which will be taken to completion by the Quality Assurance team, and design-focused solutions, which will use other engineering resources both at Goal Zero and at partner supplier companies. Proactively, this role will champion continuous improvement efforts and defect/waste reduction initiatives by establishing and iterating effective Quality Management Systems (QMS) both within Goal Zero and with manufacturing partners, initiating and implementing quality improvement activities as appropriate to raise the performance of the company’s product lines.

 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

 

• Develop, implement, manage and integrate the next generation of Quality Management System (QMS) for manufacturing partners, including the monitoring of vendor performance, establishing criteria and rating systems for critical vendors, and detailed quality control methods and reporting for all product lines.
• Develop and implement the next generation of a Goal Zero QMS which includes the following:
  • Establish collection and analysis systems of statistical data to predict trends that will affect the improvement of product quality
  • Design, implement and document procedures for process control, process improvement, testing, and inspection
  • Interact with various teams within Goal Zero, as well as outside customers and partners, to establish feedback monitoring and identify problematic trends and opportunities to improve product quality
  • Establish and implement metrics (process capability, control charts, measurement quality) to monitor and react appropriately to nonconformance incidents for in-market products
  • When non-conformance incidents require it, perform root-cause analysis and other problem-solving activities to identify effective corrective actions and process improvements, both for issues originating in the production process through Supplier Corrective Action Reports (SCAR) and those originating in design through Engineering Change Requests/Orders (ECR/ECO)
  • Own and run project management for active SCAR/ECR projects, using available resources with the QA team as well as other teams within the Goal Zero Product Development group and at partner contract manufacturers
  • Operate a significant majority of SCARs and ECRs directly without engineering help, in particular those related to manufacturing processes, mechanical changes to the design, or minor changes to electronics design.
  • Develop and execute internal and external quality audits.
• Serve as the primary quality control resource for problem identification, resolution, loss reporting, and continuous improvement
• Manage quality control personnel on a day-to-day basis
• Support concurrent engineering efforts by participating in design development projects representing quality assurance and the customer
• Develop process certification standards and assist in process certification.
• Reporting to management the appropriate level of detail of all quality assurance related activities at Goal Zero
• Manage third-party social responsibility audits and conflict minerals reporting.

 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

 

• Requires a strong understanding of manufacturing processes and technologies used in consumer electronics, power electronics, and plastics/metal fabrication
• Engineering experience with board-level electronics and plastic/metal enclosures, fixtures, assemblies strongly preferred
• Ability to understand and implement engineering root cause analysis and design changes for the majority of ECRs and SCARs without the need for outside assistance on all portable power product categories
• Broad knowledge of theory and principles of statistics and statistical process control.
• Experience in designing and implementing quality systems.
• Diverse knowledge of inspection and control methods, techniques, and documentation.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Strong computer skills including quality control applications, word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
• Thorough understanding of general safety requirements.
• Ability to manage and motivate employees and team members, clearly defining goals and projects and focus a team on accomplishing those goals

 

Education and Experience Requirements

 

• BS/BA in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering preferred.  Related degree or experience will be considered.
• 5 years of experience in a quality assurance role required.  7-10 years in a quality assurance role, as well as 5 years as a CQE/CQM in a mid-size manufacturing environment for consumer products/ consumer electronics, is preferred.

 

 Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:

 

• Open Office Environment - Primary
• Warehouse Environment – Secondary
• Evening and weekend work as needed as job duties demand.
• Occasionally requires standing, sitting, walking, kneeling, twisting
• Occasionally requires lifting up to 50lbs as appropriate to perform duties and responsibilities
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Domestic and International travel up to 20% may be required including International manufacturing locations

 

Additional Details and Benefits:

 

We aren’t just a company but a team of passionate people who live life to the fullest, with a shared desire to help others do the same. We’re mountain bikers, skiers, and climbers, world travelers and weekend warriors, technology mavens and creatives, moms, dads, soccer coaches, volunteers, and everything in between. We rely on our products to power the things that matter most in our own lives and are proud to stand behind them.

 

Benefits include Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance, 401K Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Parental Leave, Tuition Reimbursement, and more.

About Goal Zero

TO EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH A BRIGHT, SAFE, CONNECTED, AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE BY DELIVERING SMART, PORTABLE POWER SOLUTIONS DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE.