Director, Quality Engineering

As the leading transit bus manufacturer in the United States, GILLIG buses play a critical role in the environmental and social initiatives in communities across our nation.  GILLIG is on the forefront in the transition to zero-emission vehicles and has an unmatched reputation in the industry for quality, reliability, durability, service, and support.  From initial design through final assembly, each GILLIG bus is designed and built in Livermore, CA. 

WHY GILLIG

• Leader in environmentally friendly mobility solutions including battery electric, hybrid electric, near-zero CNG and clean diesel transit buses
• Renowned for its inclusive team/family-oriented culture
• Stable, successful, and growing organization – a Bay Area business for over 132 years!
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Excellent compensation including company paid medical premiums, generous retirement plan and other comprehensive benefits

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Quality Engineering is responsible for developing GILLIG’s quality metrics and helping the company apply them intelligently and consistently across the organization. Quality Engineering is GILLIG’s key stakeholder in Product Quality, Process Quality, Data Quality, Solutions to challenging quality problems, and Design for Quality in new product.

ABOUT THE ROLE

In this pivotal role leading our quality engineering team, you will be the driving force behind the quality of some of GILLIG's most innovative products, including the Battery Electric Bus. You will grow an organization that is equipped to reach across the company acting as emissaries for Quality without compromise.

As the Director, Quality Engineering, you will provide leadership and drive results, through problem solving in electrical, controls and mechanical disciplines across New Product Introduction as well as current product ensuring the highest level of quality, and their compliance to applicable regulations and standards. You will apply your passion for detailed analysis to identify problems and determine the appropriate course of action. You will be responsible for communicating across all functions and all levels at GILLIG and build a culture of quality throughout the company.

As the Director, Quality Engineering, you will lead a staff of technical contributors who ensure processes adhere to customer requirements, project targets, industry standards and regulatory standards. You will report to GILLIG’s Head of Quality, located at our manufacturing plant in Livermore, CA.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL

• Proactively engage Engineering, Sales, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Aftermarket Parts, and key vendors to determine electromechanical design requirements for power distribution, body control, telematics, surveillance and intelligent transportation systems
• Evaluate, understand and propose cost-reductions, product improvements and quality improvements for vehicle electrical, control and communication systems
• Guide Supplier Quality Engineering to develop suppliers and their processes. Assure suppliers understand specifications and have the capability to meet the Print. Drive suppliers to only ship good parts in order to to eliminate any need for Incoming Inspection or part rejection
• Provide metrics and guidelines cross-functionally to assist in trending and improving quality
• Apply metrics to both measure quality and to trade quality off against other attributes of a successful enterprise (“cost of quality”)
• Maintain a prioritized list of quality initiatives on three levels; Product quality - Analysis of product failures and reliability opportunities; metrics; deep failure analysis; assistance in project management of projects that address said failures; metrics of improvement
• Analyze processes that affect product quality, or guidance to others to analyze their processes
• Reach forward into new product; affecting future quality through current design activities; working with NPE to develop measurable goals for quality “Design for Quality” proponent and mentor for New Product Development
• Support for deep technical failure analysis and analysis of challenging quality issues
• Review of regularly collected quality data and setting of priorities
• Manage GILLIG’s team of Quality Engineers and support them through their day to day responsibilities

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Electromechanical engineering, with at least 5 years in engineering management
• Proven ability to build and manage teams and to project-manage cross-functionally
• Strong analytical skills as proven by a track record of analyzing and fixing complex problems in products and processes
• Training or commensurate experience in the science of quality
• Proven ability to lead, influence and motivate across functional boundaries
• Proven ability to manage through conflicting requirements and make difficult trade-offs when resources are scarce
• A passion for doing the vital thing, efficiently and well
• Excellent judgment in the presence of competing priorities and incomplete data
• A strong desire to make work fun
• Prior experience in automotive, heavy truck, transit, earthmoving, aircraft or major capital equipment industries a plus
• Knowledge of electrical engineering standards for vehicle control, surveillance, power distribution and intelligent transportation systems such as IEEE, SAE, NEMA, a plus

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Regularly required to sit for long periods, stand, and walk, and occasionally kneel or squat
• Fast paced work environment
• Occasional domestic travel up to 10% annually
• Standard start time 5:00 AM

EXPECTED COMPENSATION

$75,000 - $275,000 /annual salary + bonus + premium benefits  

Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job classification, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if a candidate receives an offer of employment.

GILLIG is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer.