JOB DESCRIPTIONQuality Manager – Plant, Product & Customer QualityGearbox / Drivetrain / Heavy EngineeringLocation: Vadodara, Gujarat, IndiaExperience: 15+ yearsFunction: Quality / Manufacturing / Product QualityReporting: Global Quality / Product Quality LeadershipTravel: Extensive domestic and international travel1. Role OverviewOur client is looking for a senior Quality Management professional to lead Plant Quality, Product Quality and Manufacturing Quality for its Gearbox & Drivetrain business.The role requires a highly experienced quality leader who can manage quality across the complete product lifecycle — from manufacturing, machining, assembly and testing through installation, commissioning, customer operation, field issues, warranty and long-term product performance.The individual will act as the Quality owner and customer-facing quality representative for complex product and quality issues throughout the operational life of the product.This is not a conventional Supplier Quality, Service Engineering or Solutions Engineering role. The individual will be responsible for understanding customer and field problems from a quality, reliability, manufacturing and root-cause perspective, developing sustainable quality solutions, and coordinating their implementation with the relevant internal and external stakeholders.2. Key ResponsibilitiesA. Plant & Manufacturing Quality ManagementLead and manage plant-level quality activities across manufacturing, machining, fabrication, assembly and testing. Establish and maintain robust quality systems, standards, inspection plans, control plans and quality procedures. Ensure products are manufactured in accordance with engineering drawings, specifications, applicable standards and customer requirements. Drive reduction in defects, rejection, rework, process variation and Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ). Monitor manufacturing quality performance through appropriate KPIs and management reviews. Work closely with Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering and Operations teams to resolve process and product-quality issues. Ensure effective implementation of corrective and preventive actions within manufacturing. Promote a strong quality culture across the plant and manufacturing organization. B. Product Quality ManagementOwn and drive product quality throughout the complete product lifecycle. Support product development, industrialization, validation, manufacturing, assembly, testing, commissioning and operational phases. Identify recurring product-quality issues and ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into product and manufacturing improvements. Work closely with Product Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to identify technical and process-related quality risks. Review product performance data and identify opportunities for improving reliability and quality. Ensure that product-related corrective actions are effectively implemented and their effectiveness is verified. C. Customer & End-Client Quality ManagementAct as the primary Quality interface for significant customer and end-client quality issues. Take ownership of complex quality problems arising after product installation and commissioning. Engage directly with customers to understand their concerns, operating conditions, product performance and failure symptoms. Visit customer locations to investigate significant quality issues and understand problems firsthand. Work with customer engineering, maintenance and technical teams to gather relevant information and evidence. Ensure that customer concerns are addressed through a structured quality investigation rather than only an immediate technical/service response. Maintain regular communication with customers throughout the investigation, corrective-action and resolution process. Build long-term customer confidence through professional handling of quality issues and transparent communication. D. Field Failure, RCA & Quality SolutionsLead investigation of product failures, field complaints, warranty issues and recurring quality problems. Conduct detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) using appropriate problem-solving methodologies. Lead 8D, CAPA, 5-Why, Fishbone,



Fault Tree Analysis and other structured problem-solving approaches as appropriate. Determine whether the root cause is related to: Manufacturing process Machining Material Heat treatment Assembly Product design Supplier/component Installation Operating conditions Process control Develop sustainable quality-based corrective and preventive solutions. Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Suppliers, OEMs and other stakeholders to implement corrective actions. Verify the effectiveness of corrective actions at the customer/site level. Ensure recurring problems are eliminated rather than temporarily contained. E. Product Lifecycle Quality SupportMaintain quality ownership from manufacturing through commissioning, customer operation and long-term product life. Monitor field performance and identify recurring failure patterns. Analyse customer complaints, warranty cases, field failures and operational data. Feed field experience and lessons learned back into: Product Engineering Manufacturing Quality Systems Supplier Management Product Development Process Engineering Support continuous improvement of existing products throughout their lifecycle. Develop mechanisms to prevent recurrence of field issues across other products, plants and customers. F. Supplier & OEM CoordinationSupplier management is an important supporting responsibility, but this is NOT a Supplier Quality Manager position.Coordinate with suppliers when supplier-related issues contribute to customer or product-quality problems. Engage suppliers in RCA, corrective actions and verification of effectiveness. Work with OEMs and strategic partners where product quality issues require joint investigation. Ensure supplier corrective actions are aligned with the overall product-quality solution. Collaborate with Procurement and Supplier Quality teams without making supplier management the primary focus of the role. G. Global Stakeholder ManagementWork closely with global engineering, manufacturing, product management, supply chain, procurement, service, project management and quality teams. Operate effectively within a global, multidisciplinary and matrix organization. Coordinate quality investigations across different countries, plants, suppliers and customer locations. Present quality issues, RCA findings, risks, corrective actions and improvement plans to senior/global management. Ensure effective alignment between local operations and global quality/product requirements. Represent the Quality function confidently in global meetings and customer discussions. 3. Customer Site & Travel ResponsibilitiesThe position involves significant domestic and international travel.The Quality Manager may be required to:Visit customer locations following major product-quality issues. Investigate failures at installed/operational sites. Interact directly with customer engineering and maintenance teams. Visit manufacturing plants and supplier locations. Participate in installation and commissioning quality reviews. Support global quality investigations. Attend customer, supplier and global stakeholder meetings. The candidate should be comfortable with extensive travel across India and international locations.4. Leadership & CommunicationThe role requires an individual with a strong, confident and influential leadership presence.The successful candidate should demonstrate:Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Strong customer-facing capability. Ability to communicate complex quality problems in a clear and structured manner. Confidence in challenging technical and quality issues constructively. Ability to influence senior stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Ability to manage difficult customer situations professionally.



High ownership and accountability. Energetic, proactive and solution-oriented approach. Ability to work effectively with senior management, customers, OEMs, suppliers and global teams. 5. Product / Industry ExperienceEssentialCandidates should have significant experience with complex engineered mechanical products, preferably in:Gearboxes Drivetrains Rotating equipment Heavy machinery Heavy engineering Industrial equipment Mining equipment Power generation Hydropower Oil & Gas equipment Large mechanical assemblies Capital equipment Experience with large-size gearboxes, drivetrain systems or comparable heavy engineered equipment will be highly relevant.6. Required Technical CompetenciesThe candidate should have strong practical knowledge of:Manufacturing Quality Plant Quality Management Product Quality Management Machining Quality Assembly Quality Testing & Validation Installation & Commissioning Quality Customer Quality Field Quality Warranty Quality Product Lifecycle Management Root Cause Analysis 8D Problem Solving CAPA FMEA / PFMEA SPC / MSA APQP / PPAP Quality Audits Lean Manufacturing Six Sigma Continuous Improvement Quality KPI Management 7. Education & ExperienceEducationBachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Quality Management or a related discipline. Experience15+ years of relevant professional experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Product Quality or related functions. Significant experience in plant/manufacturing quality management. Demonstrated experience handling customer/end-client quality issues. Experience conducting or leading customer-site investigations and RCA. Experience supporting products through installation, commissioning and operational lifecycle. Experience working with global stakeholders and multinational organizations. Experience in heavy engineering, gearbox, drivetrain, rotating equipment or complex engineered products preferred. 8. Preferred ExperiencePreference will be given to candidates with:Large-size gearbox/drivetrain experience. Heavy machinery or capital equipment background. Experience with GE, Siemens, ZF, Flender, Voith, ABB, BHEL or comparable global engineering organizations. Mining, power generation, hydropower, oil & gas or industrial equipment exposure. Customer-site quality investigation experience. Warranty and field-failure management experience. International customer and stakeholder exposure. Experience working within a global matrix organization. Lean Six Sigma certification. APQP/PPAP/PFMEA/SPC/MSA expertise. 9. Key Performance IndicatorsThe Quality Manager will be measured on areas including:Plant First Pass Yield (FPY) Manufacturing defect and rejection rate Rework reduction Cost of Poor Quality Customer complaint reduction Warranty claim reduction Recurring field-failure reduction RCA/8D closure effectiveness Corrective-action effectiveness Customer satisfaction Field quality performance Product reliability Commissioning quality Response and resolution time for customer quality issues Successful implementation of lifecycle quality improvementsCandidate Summary:Current Details:Current Company:Current Designation:Total Experience:Current CTC:Expected CTC:Notice Period:Current Location:Willing to relocate to Vadodara:Total Experience:Relevant Quality Experience:Relevant Heavy Engineering / Industrial Equipment Experience:Gearbox / Drivetrain Experience:Large-Size Gearbox / Heavy Machinery Experience:Manufacturing / Plant Quality Experience:Machining Quality Experience:Assembly & Testing Quality Experience:Product Quality Experience:Customer / End-Client Quality Experience:Field Quality / Warranty / Field Failure Experience:Installation & Commissioning Quality Experience:RCA / 8D / CAPA / 5-Why / Fishbone Experience:FMEA / PFMEA / SPC / MSA / APQP / PPAP Experience:Quality Systems / Audits / ISO Experience:Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma Experience:Quality KPI / FPY / COPQ / Rejection / Rework Experience:Global Teams / Global Customers Experience:International Travel Experience / Willingness to Travel Internationally:Customer-Site Investigation Experience:Education / Engineering Qualification:Six Sigma Certification:

📌 Quality Manager – Plant, Product & Customer Quality (Vadodara)
🏢 Antal
📍 Vadodara