Senior Manager, Quality Assurance

Kyocera International, Inc. is hiring a Senior Manager of Quality Assurance at our Vancouver, WA facility! This role will oversee QA operations at both our Vancouver, WA and Hendersonville, NC locations.

With nearly 80,000 employees globally, Kyocera is a leading manufacturer of high-tech ceramics used in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, Medical applications, and semiconductor processing. Our innovative materials are found in everything from smartphones to space shuttles! Check out our profile video!

Look at these PERKS!

• Competitive pay, benefits, and hours
• 120 hours of vacation accrued per year to start (that's 3 weeks/year for regular 8-hour shifts!)
• 10 Paid Holidays per year
• 401(k)
• 401(k) company match
• Pension
• Medical insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible schedules
• Tuition reimbursement

We have a long-tenured staff (many with over 30 years of service!), a vital company mission, and an excellent benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Paid time off to Volunteer, paid Leave options, Tuition Reimbursement, an employer-paid Pension and a 401(k) with both Roth and a healthy company match. Many of our larger locations also feature onsite gyms, walking tracks, exercise rooms, and even employee gardens.

We strive to have a diverse workforce of people from all backgrounds, including minorities, women, and veterans, who bring their experience to support the innovation and quality that Kyocera is known for.

Kyocera International, Inc. also has a robust corporate culture and philosophy based on the experiences and writings of our founder, Dr. Kazuo Inamori, which you can learn more about here: https://global.kyocera.com/inamori/philosophy/. Our company motto is "Do the right thing as a human being," and we try to use that in our decision-making constantly.

Pay Range - $126k to $195k per year (Actual base pay based on factors such as relevant experience, education, market, qualifications, and skills)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION
The Quality Senior Manager possesses a high degree of understanding of manufacturing quality practices and fundamentals and uses them to assess and analyze ceramic product quality performance. This position is responsible for leading and harmonizing quality operations across the North Carolina and Washington plant locations, ensuring consistency in systems, processes, and standards.

This leader works independently and collaboratively to research and coordinate the determination of root causes for quality issues. The Quality Senior Manager delivers timely, professional documentation of findings, conducts internal audits and controls, and serves as a primary point of contact for customer representatives and internal stakeholders on all quality-related matters.

REQUIREMENTS:

• 
  Bachelor's degree required (Engineering or related technical field preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in quality control or quality assurance
• 5+ years of experience managing quality staff and technicians
• ISO9001 experience required
• AS9100 / ISO134585 preferred
• Materials manufacturing required
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Eligible to work in an ITAR environment
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability and willingness to travel between NC and WA locations (approx. 25-35% travel)
• This role will be based in Vancouver, WA
  
  ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Manage quality operations across both the North Carolina and Washington manufacturing facilities.
2. Lead the implementation, maintenance, and improvement of quality management systems at both sites, ensuring alignment with internal standards and regulatory/customer requirements.
3. Oversee audit programs, including planning, execution, reporting, and follow-up, to ensure readiness for internal and external audits.
4. Serve as the lead liaison with customer representatives, KII sales, and internal production and engineering teams regarding quality performance and requirements.
5. Report directly to the Vice President, ensuring visibility into major quality issues, return trends, systemic risks, and continuous improvement initiatives.
6. Hire, train, develop, and lead a geographically dispersed team of quality engineers, technicians, and inspectors.
7. Monitor and analyze key process and quality metrics; drive corrective and preventive action plans to ensure ongoing improvement.
8. Coordinate and lead site-specific and cross-site projects related to quality improvement, audit readiness, training, and system compliance.
9. Lead the calibration program and manage relationships with external calibration vendors.
10. Participate in and contribute to quality presentations, reviews, and improvement committees such as MRM, PBC, CAR Review Board, etc.
11. Foster a quality, accountability, and collaboration culture across both locations.
12. The Quality Senior Manager is a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements listed represent the required knowledge, skill, and/or ability.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

The following physical activities are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk or hear, stand, and walk, and occasionally to use hands to finger, handle, or feel.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

There are no harmful environmental conditions present for this position.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The above statements are intended to describe the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. The duties and responsibilities of this position are subject to change, and other duties may be assigned or removed at any time. This position may require exposure to information subject to US Export Control regulations, i.e., the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be US persons within the meaning of US regulations.

Kyocera International, Inc. values diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an AAP/EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact Kyocera International, Inc.'s Human Resources team directly.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.