Quality Assurance Manager - Richmond, VA

Start a Watco Career and Discover the Difference

Keep the world’s supply chain moving. That’s what the Watco team does every day at our short line railroads, switching sites, terminals, ports, and logistics hubs.

Whether you’re at one of these locations or in a support-services role, there’s one thread that ties everyone together. We’re all on the same team. One Watco .

Here’s what you can expect from Watco:

• Award-winning culture recognized by Forbes and Newsweek
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Paid on-the-job training with peer trainers
• Operations training at the Safe Performance Center in Birmingham, Alabama
• Leadership and development programs offered through Watco University
• Career advancement opportunities

General Purpose

The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading the quality assurance program at the respective WMS facility. The Quality Assurance Manager implements and maintains processes in accordance with the WMS Quality Policies and Procedures, Association of American Railroads (“AAR”), Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Specification for Quality, and related AAR rules and technical standards. The Quality Assurance Manager is also accountable for achieving targets established for customer satisfaction and profitability by improving quality and service delivery. The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for creating, reviewing, analyzing, accepting or rejecting, as applicable, reports for nonconformance data with a focus for continuous improvement. The Quality Assurance Manager must participate in AAR, FRA, Customer or Internal Quality Assurance facility audits and certification events.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Participates and supports Widely Important Goals (WIG)

• Leads Quality Team communication; ensures QA updates are rolled out at the facility

• Ensures implementation, oversight, and management of the Quality Assurance Program on a site level basis

• Leads internal audits, external audits (AAR, customer, etc.), and customer site visits

• Evaluates quality workload demands to determine adequate resource allocation to support facility Quality Assurance

• Ensures process nonconformance’s (PNC) are accurately entered/reported into the PNC Intelex application

• Analyzes process nonconformance data with a goal of identifying continuous improvement opportunities

• Communicates quality improvement opportunities to site production management, and partners with production management in leading changes to improve overall results.

• Supervises and/or coordinates daily activities for Inspections

• Ensures adherence to WMS safety policies and procedures

• Recommends personnel actions for QA department including hiring, disciplinary action, performance management, promotions and other personnel changes;

• Contributes to the overall performance from the standpoints of safety, quality, profitability

• Manages in-process inspection and final inspection audits to ensure compliance with quality program

• Facilitates root cause and corrective action processes with cross-functional operations team 

• Identifies improvement opportunities for WMS procedures and practices and communicates details to the Corporate Quality leadership

• Ensure all required customer regulatory and WMS standards, specifications and instruction are maintained

• Evaluates and coordinates with the Plant Manager and Functional Leaders the quality training needs
• Performs other duties as required by Corporate Quality leadership

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficient in computer software applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, MS Visio, Intelex, Entrust, Syspro

• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships

• Excellent oral communication skills with the ability to positively influence team members at all levels of the business

• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks, and tasks of the team

• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships and teamwork with proven leadership skills

• Ability to pay close attention to detail
• Ability to make independent judgments within scope of responsibility

Education and Experience

• High school diploma required; Bachelor’s degree in business or related field preferred
• Familiar with ISO compliant quality system and related elements.
• Minimum of 3 years in a quality role preferred.
• Switching and Railcar Repair experience preferred.
• Classes or training in quality programs, quality auditing or quality inspection preferred.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Required to use personal protective equipment as environmental conditions dictate

• Ability to work in all weather conditions including hot/cold, dry/wet and dusty conditions

• Position is required to exert up to 50lbs of force occasionally

• Travel is required approximately 15% of the time.