Quality & Compliance Director - Chicago, IL or Houston, TX

Imagine a company that recognizes excellence in not only the products it sells, but also in its employees. R.S. Hughes Company, Inc. is that company. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of quality and professionalism - and we treat our employees like the valuable assets they are.

Founded in 1954, R.S. Hughes Co., Inc. is a dynamic, North American distributor of industrial supplies. With over 40 warehouse sites in the United States and Mexico, we maintain an extensive inventory of adhesives, abrasives, electrical, static control, tapes, labeling and safety products.

In addition to competitive salaries and benefits, we offer an environment that asks you to make a difference. We value hard work and common sense, and we consistently reward those that exemplify these traits. If you're looking for a great team to grow with and if you are willing to embrace the challenges of being expected to be the best, we welcome you to come join the R.S. Hughes Company, Inc. team!

Job Summary

The Director of Quality and Compliance assures quality and compliant products and processes by establishing and enforcing quality systems and standards. Leads organizational Quality and provides overall responsibility for the full value stream of meeting the customers' requirements and mission assurance needs. Builds and maintains a strong compliant focused culture and promotes a high sense of urgency and desire to meet customer's requirements and regulatory compliance. This role is expected to adhere to all company policies and safety protocols.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction to the Quality and Compliance function.
• Set vision, develop, and execute strategies to meet and exceed safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets.
• Build out and manage the compliance roadmap for the organization. Lead communications, actions, and drive decisions with risk relating to regulatory changes and the ability to remain compliant.
• Establish and maintain the quality assurance system in accordance with current and future accreditations, and customer requirements.
• Translate strategic policy deployment priorities into operational reality by aligning communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, and ongoing KPI measurement.
• Support leadership team in creating & executing strategic breakthrough objectives, KPI's and action plans.
• Support the development, design, and roll out of a national quality management system, providing guidance to ensure compliance with ISO 9001 and assurance at all levels of the business including Corporate Document Management.
• Perform and document root cause analysis, lessons learned, and best practice reviews as needed to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Conduct drop-in assessments and support the internal audit program, including audit corrective action plans.
• Optimize operational efficiency through commitment and building a culture of continuous improvement.
• Create an environment that inspires and motivates employees in achieving business goals and objectives, and for continuous improvement through best-in-class engagement metrics.
• Be an assertive business partner that can confidently express concerns and constructive suggestions to ensure that standards are not compromised under pressure from stakeholders.
• Develop, deploy, and execute operating and expense budgets.
• Attract, develop, and retain qualified, talented people, creating and sustaining a high-performance culture and plan for succession.
• Accountable for development and management of required compliance procedures and training and risk management.
• May be assigned additional projects and responsibilities at the sole discretion of the manager.

Key Leadership Competencies Required to be Successful as a Director of Quality & Compliance

• Results-Driven: Produces results that exceed strategic objectives via a combination of sales execution, planning and implementation, while living the R.S. Hughes Core Values.
• Change Leadership & Management: Aligns an organization and its people to drive for improvement and adopt new, challenging directions. Energizes a whole organization to want to change in the same directions. Influence others in a mature and empowering manner.
• Motivate & Influence: Develops an atmosphere that empowers & motivates all team members to affect a positive outcome.
• Big picture" thinking, which is key to addressing top-level concerns and finding the best path forward using all the available data.
• Interpersonal Skills: Communicates with both leadership and staff employees to create and administer policy. Active listening and communication skills across a variety of channels to build trust and empathy with both customers and employees.
• Strong personal and professional judgment, which are invaluable skills for a role that makes hiring decisions as well as in finding the best solution to organizational and sales dilemmas.

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering or equivalent, and 12 years of experience in the field of Quality in multi-disciplinary activities, including Manufacturing, Engineering, and Project Management, with at least 5+ years in a management role working closely with leadership teams.
• Knowledge of Quality Standards (ISO 9001, ISO 13485, AS9120), including internal/external auditing qualification.
• Experience with ISO certification requirements and coordination thereof.
• Current Member of a professional body, e.g., ASQ, IOSH, etc.
• Practical knowledge and leadership experience in Lean and/or six-sigma including lean management system experience (i.e. Toyota Production System).
• Bachelor's degree (Required)

Skills That Will Make You Successful

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience managing teams and professional employees.
• General knowledge product/trade regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Knowledge of federal acquisition requirements, including defense trade.
• Position requires external client interaction. Must have the ability to accommodate travel to client sites and industry events.
• Must demonstrate solid listening skills and a consultative sales approach, with proven ability to identify and build relationships with C-Level executives and key decision makers.
• Adept at using Microsoft Office programs, especially Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
• Expertise in performing Risk Analysis & developing/ implementing Risk Mitigation solutions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication, presentation and collaboration skills with the ability to work well across/ at all levels of the organization.
• Experience working with ERP systems, inventory management software, or similar tools.

Target Base Compensation range for this Exempt role is $160k - $170k DOE.

This is a Full-Time position, eligible to participate in the Company's benefit plans including: Paid Time off; major medical, dental, vision; Company paid short-term and long-term disability; paid parental leave; various supplemental benefit plans; and Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP).

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Bachelors of Engineering (required)

5 years: Management role in QA working closely with leadership teams. (required)
12 years: Experience in the field of Quality Assurance in multi-disciplinary activities, including Manufacturing, Engineering, and Project Management, (required)