JOB SUMMARY
The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for establishing, deploying, and sustaining Burger Boat Company's Quality Management System and quality standards across all shipbuilding programs. Operating within the structure of the Program Management Office (PMO), this role builds quality into every program from kickoff, sets the standards that Quality Control executes within each Value Stream, and ensures compliance with customer, regulatory, classification society, and internal requirements.
The Quality Assurance Manager leads quality planning and assurance across new construction, refit, and repair programs. The position partners with the Value Streams, PMO, Engineering Systems & Standards, Supply Chain, and customers to prevent defects, eliminate repeat issues, manage quality risk, and drive measurable improvement in cost of poor quality, audit performance, corrective-action effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and execute the quality assurance strategy, annual objectives, and quality training priorities in alignment with Operations and PMO goals., and Quality Assurance budget.
- Build, deploy, and continuously improve the Quality Management System in alignment with ISO 9001 and applicable NAVSEA, ABS, USCG, customer, and contractual requirements; serve as QMS owner and management representative, including leading management reviews..
- Establish quality plans, inspection and test plans, control plans, acceptance criteria, hold points, and documentation requirements for new construction, refit, and repair programs and own the inspection criteria, hold points, and NCR rules that Quality Control executes within each Value Stream.
- Ensure quality requirements are translated into practical, controlled production processes and verified by Quality Control at the point of work within each Value Stream..
- Integrate quality requirements into every program from kickoff and own quality criteria at each PMO stage gate, in partnership with the PMO Manager and Program Managers.
- Serve as the escalation path for Quality Control on quality, compliance, and hold-point issues, ensuring raising a quality concern is expected and protected.
- Lead internal audits, support external and customer audits, and serve as the primary quality interface for customers, government representatives, and classification societies.
- Oversee nonconformance, corrective action, preventive action, deviation, waiver, and customer complaint processes and ensure use-as-is and repair dispositions require Quality and Engineering sign-off..
- Lead or facilitate structured root-cause investigations using 8D, DMAIC, A3, 5 Whys, Fishbone, and other appropriate methods.
- Validate the effectiveness and sustainability of corrective actions and ensure lessons learned are deployed across programs and value streams.
- Use quality data and trend analysis to identify recurring defects, process weaknesses, supplier risks, and improvement priorities.
- Establish and report quality key performance indicators, including repeat nonconformances, first-pass yield, corrective-action closure, audit findings, rework, scrap, and cost of poor quality.
- Partner with Supply Chain and Sourcing Engineers to define supplier quality requirements, qualify suppliers, conduct supplier audits, resolve incoming material issues, and drive supplier corrective actions..
- Participate in design reviews, production readiness reviews, first article inspections, testing, sea trials, and delivery activities to ensure risks are identified and controlled early.
- Partner with Engineering Systems & Standards to keep engineering standards, document control, and the QMS aligned.
- Partner with the CI / Advanced Manufacturing Leader and Value Streams on error-proofing, standard work, and continuous-improvement initiatives that improve quality, schedule, and cost performance.
- Promote a culture of accountability, proactive quality, compliance, and operational excellence throughout the organization.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
SUCCESS MEASURES
- Reduction in repeat nonconformances across Value Streams
- Quality criteria met at PMO stage gates
- Improved audit performance and compliance scores
- Increased effectiveness and closure rate of corrective actions
- Decreased cost of poor quality (rework, scrap, warranty)
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field, or an acceptable combination of relevant education and experience.
- Seven or more years of progressive quality experience in shipbuilding, heavy manufacturing, defense, or another regulated industry.
- Three or more years of experience leading quality programs, cross-functional teams, or QMS implementations.
- Demonstrated knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems, audit practices, inspection and testing, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and document control.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, contracts, codes, standards, and customer requirements.
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, organizational, and leadership skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with government or defense contracts (NAVSEA standards, ABS rules, USCG requirements).
- Experience standing up or significantly maturing a QMS.
- ASQ CMQ/OE, CQA, or CQE certification; Six Sigma Black Belt.
- Experience with welding, fabrication, and marine systems; familiarity with ERP/MES and digital quality tools.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to influence Value Streams and cross-functional teams without direct authority
- Systems thinking focused on root cause, not symptom correction
- Data-driven decision making
- Effective with customers, regulators, and classification societies
REPORTS TO: Director of Supply Chain & Program Management
MANAGES / DIRECT REPORTS: This position has no direct reports at this time. Quality Control personnel report within their Value Streams; the Quality Assurance Manager sets the standards Quality Control works to and serves as their escalation path for quality issues.
DECISION MAKING:
Exercise sound judgment consistent with Burger's mission, vision, and code of business conduct, and assume full responsibility for decisions, consequences, and results impacting Burger, its staff, vendors, and product quality.
The Quality Assurance Manager sets quality assurance priorities and allocates resources based on program risk, contractual requirements, and production needs. The role approves quality plans, inspection strategies, audit schedules, corrective-action closures, and quality-system changes and escalates significant compliance, safety, customer, or product-quality risks to executive leadership. While Quality Control retains final say on accept/reject at the point of work, the Quality Assurance Manager has the authority to stop affected work or withhold acceptance when system-level, compliance, or product-integrity risks exist, escalating to the Director as needed. The position also makes training, and process recommendations within established company policies and delegated authority.
WORK ENVIRONMENT / TRAVEL:
This position operates in office, shipyard production-floor, and onboard-vessel environments. Regular visits to production areas require the use of required personal protective equipment, climbing stairs and ladders, walking on uneven surfaces, and inspecting work in tight or confined spaces. The employee may be exposed to noise, varying weather conditions, welding activity, paints, chemicals, fumes, airborne particles, moving equipment, and other industrial operations. Occasional travel may be required for supplier audits, vessel trials, customer support, or training.
COMMUNICATION
The candidate must demonstrate an ability to lead meetings and write professional correspondence effectively. The candidate must also have excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to listen, talk, and teach. The candidate must also demonstrate an all-pervasive positive attitude.
GENERAL STATEMENT
This description is a general statement of required primary duties and responsibilities performed regularly and continuously. It does not exclude other duties as assigned.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field, or an acceptable combination of relevant education and experience
- Seven or more years of progressive quality experience in shipbuilding, heavy manufacturing, defense, or another regulated industry
- Three or more years of experience leading quality programs, cross-functional teams, or QMS implementations
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems, audit practices, inspection and testing, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and document control
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, contracts, codes, standards, and customer requirements
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, organizational, and leadership skills
- Experience with government or defense contracts, including NAVSEA standards, ABS rules, or USCG requirements
- Experience standing up or significantly maturing a Quality Management System
- ASQ CMQ/OE, CQA, or CQE certification, or Six Sigma Black Belt
- Experience with welding, fabrication, and marine systems; familiarity with ERP/MES and digital quality tools
- Ability to influence value streams and cross-functional teams without direct authority
- Systems thinking focused on root cause rather than symptom correction
- Data-driven decision-making skills
- Effectiveness with customers, regulators, and classification societies
What We Do
Founded in 1863, Burger is one of the oldest and most respected custom yacht builders in America and has delivered yachts which can be seen in ports around the world. Burger Boat Company builds custom yachts, in aluminum and/or steel, up to 200'(61m) and is recognized worldwide for design, quality construction, reliability and unrivaled craftsmanship. Working with in-house designers and engineers, as well as highly acclaimed designers from around the world, Burger continues to raise the bar in quality, technology and innovation. Based at its state-of-the-art shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the United States, Burger forges trusting relationships to achieve an owner or designer's vision through a collaborative process. Working with Burger unlocks the limitless opportunities of exploring adventure around the world in elegance, luxury and style that meets any owner's vision. The talented team at Burger also offers exceptional custom furniture, maintenance, refit and repair services.
