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The Regional EMEA Quality Manager is a critical leadership role responsible for driving a strong quality culture, front‑line ownership, and customer confidence across EMEA manufacturing operations—including both internal and contract manufacturing sites. This role serves as the connective tissue between manufacturing, supply chain, and automotive customers, ensuring quality excellence is embedded from product launch through series production.
As a regional manager, this position provides above‑site quality leadership to enable consistent execution of business and plant‑level quality programs aligned with automotive industry standards such as IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, and OEM‑specific requirements. This role is instrumental in strengthening front‑line quality capability and accountability, fostering a customer‑focused mindset, and ensuring seamless alignment between global specifications, regional execution, and OEM expectations. By partnering closely with operations, engineering, and commercial teams, the Regional EMEA Quality Manager ensures quality is not just a requirement—but a competitive advantage.
What You’ll Do:
Regional Quality Leadership
- Provide regional, above‑site quality leadership to ensure consistent execution of quality systems and programs aligned with automotive standards (IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, OEM requirements).
- Strengthen frontline quality capability, accountability, and ownership across EMEA manufacturing operations.
Customer & Stakeholder Partnership
- Serve as the primary quality interface between automotive customers and internal or contract manufacturing sites.
- Translate customer expectations and OEM requirements into clear, actionable guidance for plants and cross‑functional teams.
- Represent the business during customer, certification, and third‑party audits, hosting site visits and demonstrating quality capability and readiness.
Quality Systems & Risk Management
- Continuously assess and improve the effectiveness of the Quality Management System, identifying risks and opportunities related to raw materials, suppliers, and manufacturing controls.
- Lead and influence Management of Change (MOC) activities affecting product quality, including specifications, materials, equipment, analytical methods, and testing strategies, using robust risk‑based thinking.
Data‑Driven Improvement
- Leverage quality data (customer complaints, plant KPIs, audit findings, trends, cost of poor quality) to prioritize actions and drive measurable, sustainable improvements.
- Identify, prioritize, and lead continuous improvement initiatives that deliver lasting performance gains.
Problem Solving & Auditing
- Champion structured problem‑solving methodologies (8D, A3, root cause analysis) to ensure timely, effective resolution of quality issues.
- Conduct and oversee audits of manufacturing plants, laboratories, warehouses, contract manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers, using insights to strengthen systems and embed continuous improvement.
What You Bring:
Experience & Education
- Several years of progressive experience in Quality Assurance / Quality Control within manufacturing environments; automotive, chemical, adhesives, coatings, or regulated industries strongly preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s preferred) in Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial), or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.
Automotive Quality Expertise
- Practical experience with IATF 16949 and ISO 9001, including deployment of OEM customer‑specific requirements (CSRs) across multi‑site or contract manufacturing networks.
- Strong working knowledge of automotive core tools, including:
- APQP & PPAP
- AIAG‑VDA FMEA (preferred)
- Control Plans, Process Flow, SPC, MSA (Gage R&R)
- Special characteristics and process capability (Cp/Cpk)
- Experience with automotive audit approaches (e.g., VDA 6.3) is a plus.
Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement
- Six Sigma training or certification (Green Belt or Black Belt preferred).
- Strong capability with structured problem‑solving tools (8D, A3, 5‑Why, Fishbone) and verification of corrective and preventive action effectiveness.
Customer‑Facing Leadership
- Proven ability to engage directly with customers, lead quality discussions, manage escalations, and clearly communicate risk, containment actions, corrective plans, and timelines.
Data & Systems Thinking
- Demonstrated ability to analyze quality data and use insights to drive prioritization, performance reviews, and sustainable improvement.
How You Work
- Comfortable leading and influencing in a cross‑regional, matrixed environment, partnering across cultures and functions.
- Strong analytical, decision‑making, and risk‑assessment skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences—from plant teams to senior leadership and customers.
- Proficient with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and SharePoint for analysis, reporting, and communication.
- Highly organized, self‑directed, and able to manage multiple priorities while delivering results.
- Estimated travel percentage is 15 -20% within region.
- This position is intended to be based at one of our German sites.
About the Team:
- Reports directly to the Global Business Quality Manager
- Part of a collaborative global quality leadership network, partnering across regions and functions
- Provides direct leadership to a regional quality team
- Supports a large, strategically important internal manufacturing site, along with multiple contract manufacturing partners across the region
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DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit ourAccessibility Page for Contact Information.
DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.
