Continuous Improvement/QA Manager

Eaton's GEIS division is currently seeking a Continuous Improvement/QA Manager. Relocation assistance is being provided for anyone residing outside a 50-mile radius of Pinckneyville, IL!

The expected annual salary range for this role is $97000 - $143000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you'll do:

The CI/Quality Manager provides strategic leadership for driving operational excellence, quality performance, and continuous improvement at the Pinckneyville site. This role leads the definition, execution, and deployment of the plant's Quality Management System (QMS) and Continuous Improvement strategy in alignment with Eaton Business System (EBS), Eaton Lean System (ELS), ISO 9001, customer requirements, and regulatory standards. As a member of the site leadership team, the CI & Quality Manager is accountable for quality assurance and control, preventive and risk-based quality, customer and supplier interfaces, and the successful execution of lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives. The role develops and leads the quality team, drives data based decision making, supports new product and process launches, and ensures sustainable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement-while maintaining full authority to protect customers and the business.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide site level leadership and governance for Continuous Improvement and Quality, ensuring deployment, execution, and sustainment of standardized processes in alignment with the Eaton Business System (EBS), Eaton Lean System (ELS), ISO 9001, and OpA requirements.
• Own and lead the plant Quality Management System (QMS), including definition, implementation, compliance, verification, and continuous improvement; serve as the ISO Management Representative with full authority for certification activities, corrective actions, and system effectiveness.
• Establish clear process ownership, standard work, and accountability mechanisms for quality assurance, quality control, preventive quality, and risk based thinking across all value streams.
• Drive systematic identification, assessment, and mitigation of operational and quality risks through PFMEA/DFMEA governance, error proofing at the source, control plans, and layered process verification.
• Serve as the primary quality interface with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders; lead customer audits, inspections, complaints, escapes, and major quality events, ensuring disciplined containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness.
• Establish and maintain inspection systems, statistical controls, and data driven performance monitoring to ensure product conformity, QMS effectiveness, and transparent reporting of quality performance.
• Own warranty performance and Cost of Non Conforming Material (CONC), ensuring financial visibility, permanent corrective actions, and prevention focused improvements embedded into standard processes.
• Lead quality and CI deployment for new products, processes, and services through PROLaunch, ensuring defined readiness criteria, risk mitigation, compliance, and operational capability prior to launch.
• Direct internal, customer, supplier, and third party audit activities, ensuring timely closure of findings, validation of corrective actions, and sustained compliance with standards and requirements.
• Lead structured continuous improvement through Kaizen, Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs), 8D problem solving, BPI, and Six Sigma, ensuring improvements are standardized, measured, and sustained.
• Analyze quality, CI, and operational KPIs; conduct management reviews and OpA aligned performance reviews, recommending and tracking countermeasures to close gaps and improve business results.
• Support plant cost out, productivity, and capital effectiveness initiatives by partnering with ELSS, VAVE, OpA, Engineering, and Operations to integrate CI and quality into strategic and profit plans.
• Ensure integration of MESH requirements into all CI and quality activities, including review of new processes and equipment for safety and regulatory compliance prior to implementation.
• Develop, coach, and lead the Quality and CI organization, including capability development, succession planning, performance management, and leadership standard work.

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in a Manufacturing or Operations Environment
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in Lean, Continuous Improvement or Operational Excellence
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1, H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, 1-485 job profitability, etc.

• Minimum 1 year of leadership experience in a manufacturing or operations environment
• Certified Green Belt or in process of obtaining Green Belt

• Quality Management Systems in a ISO9001 manufacturing environment, Lean Six Sigma Tools and Practices. PFMEA/DFMEA governance and risk-based thinking. Error proofing, control plans and layered process verificattion. Statistival process contral and data-driven quality performance monitoring. Customer, supplier, and third-party audit management. CAPA management, CONC Analyis, PROLaunch Methodology, A3 Problem
• Solving, KPI analysis and performance reviews.

• Strategic leadership and site-level governance capability
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of management
• Cross-functional leadership and collaboration
• Coaching, developing, and leading teams (people leadership)
• Negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Change management and driving a culture of disciplined execution and continuous improvement
• Coaching through visible leadership and reinforcement of Eaton values