Quality Head

About the RoleThis role brings QC, QA and QMS under one accountable leader. The Quality Head owns product quality on the floor, driving down paint rejection by controlling the process, and builds and runs the QMS as Management Representative (MR), leading the company to IATF 16949 certification with the support of an external IATF consultant. Hands-on, senior technical role reporting directly to the MD.Key ResponsibilitiesOwn plant rejection, rework and customer PPM targets; analyse defect data (dust/dirt, orange peel, sags, craters, pinholes, mismatch, low DFT/gloss, adhesion failure) by defect, part, booth, shift and cause, and drive corrective action on the process.Work with Production and Maintenance on pretreatment, booth/ASU conditions, paint viscosity and mixing, flash-off, oven curing, jig and masking practice and booth cleanliness; define and enforce process parameters and control plans.Set up incoming, in-process, final and pre-dispatch inspection with standards, limit samples and checksheets; maintain the in-house lab (cross hatch, pencil hardness, DFT, gloss, viscosity, Hegman) with calibrated instruments.Lead root-cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) on customer complaints and internal rejections; verify effectiveness of actions.Own the rejection and debit-note trail and COPQ reporting.Manage supplier quality for paint, thinner, hardener and other critical inputs.Act as Management Representative (MR) for the QMS and report QMS performance to the MD.Develop and maintain QMS documentation: quality manual, process maps/turtle diagrams, procedures, work instructions, control plans, PFMEA and records.Drive the IATF 16949 certification end to end (gap assessment, roadmap, internal audits, management review), working with the external IATF consultant (certified external auditor from an authorised agency such as TÜV SÜD) and the certification body.Plan and conduct system, process and product audits; close NCs on time; build an internal auditor pool.Implement core tools on the floor (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC) and customer-specific requirements.Own document control, calibration, training and competency records.Issue a monthly Quality MIS to the MD (rejection/rework, complaints and PPM, 8D status, audit findings, COPQ, calibration/training status, IATF readiness).Represent quality in customer meetings and audits; handle PPAP submissions and corrective-action responses.Build and mentor the quality team; develop a second line.Coordinate with Production, PPC, Stores, Dispatch, Maintenance and Purchase.RequirementsB.E./B.Tech in Mechanical, Production, Chemical, Polymer or Industrial Engineering (Diploma with strong relevant experience may be considered).8–12 years in quality in automotive component manufacturing.3–5 years in a paint shop / surface-coating environment (liquid paint, powder or CED) for plastic and/or metal parts.Minimum 2–3 years' experience as Management Representative (MR).IATF 16949 Internal Auditor certification (mandatory).Experience supporting or facing IATF / OEM audits.Proven record of reducing paint rejection and customer PPM through process-level corrective action.Preferred QualificationsIATF 16949 Lead Auditor / ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification.Experience taking a plant through IATF certification or recertification.Familiarity with quality software / ERP.Location & Work ModeMust be based full-time at the plant (Sanaswadi, Pune) and spend most of the day on the shop floor. Will work with the external IATF consultant and the MD's leadership team through certification.

Skills
ERP, Documentation

Experience
2-3 yrs

Work arrangement
No