Quality Manager - Battery Cell Development Center

Description

Onsite: This position requires an employee to be on-site on a full-time basis

The Role

The Quality Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining the quality management systems that ensures the reliability, safety, and performance of cells produced in a development center environment. This role is central to enabling successful product/process development and qualified cells. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in quality engineering, systems thinking, and cross-functional collaboration, with a deep understanding of battery cell manufacturing and development operations for ramp up.

What You'll Do

Quality System Development & Ownership

• Architect and implement a fit-for-purpose Quality Management System (QMS) for battery cell development center operations to accommodate a high degree of agility.
• Define and maintain quality policies, procedures, and documentation aligned with internal and external standards (document, control, training, audits, traceability, etc.)
• Establish and manage systems for non-conformance reporting, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and continuous improvement.
• Prepare the organization for internal and external audits, including customer, regulatory, and certification audits.
• Ensure integration of quality systems with MES, ERP, and data analytics platforms to enable real-time monitoring and reporting.

• Define and maintain quality policies, procedures, and documentation aligned internal and external standards (ISO standards included)
• Develop inspection criteria and control plans for incoming materials, in-process steps, and final cell inspection/control for all cell builds. Define the criteria for varying phases/types of builds.
• Collaborate with Engineering, suppliers, JVs, etc. to establish process capability targets, control parameters, validation and feedback loops for wide range of cell development/build operations.
• Partner on DOE builds and process changes ensuring learnings feed into formal changes/control plans.
• Ensure compliance with cleanliness standards critical to cell manufacturing, including particle control, moisture limits, and contamination protocols in dry rooms and clean zones.
• Support equipment qualification and process validation activities, including IQ/OQ/PQ documentation.
• Have firsthand knowledge of/track state-of-the-art station-wide tolerances, scrap rates/yield for the different cell build processes and have familiarity with prevalent standards for cell-level requirements.

• Monitor and report on key quality metrics including defects, scrap, yield, etc.
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts using tools such as DOE and FMEA focused on continuous improvement of the product/process.
• Build dashboards and reporting tools to visualize quality performance and drive decision-making. Report out data results and next steps for issue resolution.

• Partner with Operations to embed quality standards into daily operational activities.
• Work with Engineering to qualify suppliers and Supply Chain/Purchasing to manage incoming quality.
• Interface with Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) ensure safe handling of materials and compliance with environmental regs.

• Manage and mentor a team of quality engineers and technicians.
• Define roles, training plans, and performance expectations.
• Foster a culture of quality ownership and proactive problem-solving in a high ambiguous environment.

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in quality management within battery cell manufacturing, with a strong record in development environments and ramp-up to qualified cells.
• Demonstrated leadership in developing and scaling QMS frameworks for battery cell builds with hands on experience in development/pilot facility.
• Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI) and validation builds, control plans, and process capability studies.
• Proven success in navigating cross-functional environments involving R&D, Product / Process Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Deep understanding of lithium-ion cell failure modes, degradation mechanisms, and test methods (e.g., impedance, cycle life, abuse testing).
• Expertise in quality engineering tools: SPC, FMEA, DOE, control charts, and root cause analysis.
• Hands-on experience with QMS platforms and integration with MES/ERP systems.
• Familiarity with industry and EH&S compliance in battery or chemical manufacturing.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities, with experience building and scaling quality teams.
• Exceptional communication and documentation skills, with the ability to influence across technical and operational domains.