Manager, Quality & Safety (Schaumburg, IL area)

MISUMI Americas

Manager, Quality & Safety

Schaumburg, IL | Hybrid | Full-Time

MISUMI Americas is looking for a Manager, Quality & Safety to build and run the quality and safety backbone of our operations — based full-time out of our Schaumburg, IL office. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who wants to own a program end to end: lead a team of Supplier Quality Engineers, steward our Quality Management System, run the QC Lab down the hall, and stand up a real Safety Management Program across our U.S. and Mexico facilities. As a newly established organization, you'll help build the quality and safety framework we scale on for years to come.

Why Schaumburg

This role is based on-site at our Schaumburg, IL office, home to the QC Lab you'll operate and the team you'll lead in person. We're looking for candidates who want to be in the building — walking the lab floor, sitting down with your SQEs, and being physically present for audits, inspections, and safety walkthroughs. If you're local to the Chicago area or ready to relocate to Schaumburg, this role is built for you.

What You'll Own

Supplier Quality Engineering

• Directly manage a team of Supplier Quality Engineers — hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and career development.
• Set goals for each SQE tied to organizational quality objectives; run regular 1:1s and performance check-ins.
• Coach SQEs on supplier communication, corrective action follow-through, and audit execution.
• Own the end-to-end Supplier Quality program — manufacturing partner onboarding, ongoing monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Review and approve corrective action responses (CARs) escalated by SQEs, ensuring root cause rigor and effective closure.
• Establish manufacturing partner quality KPIs and present performance trends to senior leadership.

Quality Management System (QMS)

• Keep the QMS relevant and valuable — supporting efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with customer, industry, and regulatory requirements.
• Continually identify and address risks and opportunities, using the QMS as a core risk management tool.
• Maintain compliance with ISO 9001 and any other standards we're registered to or claim compliance with.
• Evaluate, recommend, and drive continuous improvement of the QMS as our organization evolves.
• Manage internal and external audits, including audit primers so every auditee is prepared.
• Integrate customer-specific requirements into our QMS and keep documentation simple, current, and effective.
• Evaluate and implement standardized document management systems (e.g., Intellect for internal document control, our supplier portal for supplier-facing documentation).
• Partner with PeopleOps on training material and verify training effectiveness.
• Own the delivered quality (claims) KPI and drive improvement; deliver annual quality awareness training.

Quality Control (QC)

• Oversee calibration across MISUMI sites via external calibration service providers.
• Run the QC Lab in Schaumburg — evaluating customer returns and supporting inspection activities to eliminate escaping defects.

Safety

• Stand up a Safety Management Program for MISUMI Americas, covering our facilities in the U.S. and Mexico, in partnership with existing safety SMEs in Mexico, including safety documentation, training, inspections, audits, and risk assessments; incident and near-miss investigation with follow-through on corrective actions; and statutory safety reporting (City, County, State, Federal).
• Ensure job safety analyses are conducted and documented at every MISUMI Americas location.
• Develop and lead Emergency Response Teams across MISUMI Americas locations.
• Serve as our U.S. OSHA subject matter expert, liaising with Mexico NOM SMEs.
• Own safety KPIs and drive improvement; manage safety data sheets for hazardous materials at all U.S. and Mexico sites.
• Ensure compliance with local environmental codes, control subcontractor safety performance, and evaluate the case for ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 registration.

What You Bring

• B.S. in an Engineering discipline (Mechanical Engineering preferred).
• 5+ years in a quality management role.
• A results-oriented, data-driven, self-directed approach — comfortable using a process approach and risk-based thinking to drive real change.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across the organization and with suppliers and customers.
• Experience in a quickly scaling organization, with demonstrated agility through unplanned change.
• A blend of tactical pragmatism and strategic thinking.
• Hands-on experience with ISO 9001 audits; familiarity with AS9100, ISO 13485, or IATF 16949 is a strong plus.

The Details

• Location: Schaumburg, IL — this is an on-site role.
• Travel: roughly 26–50% annually (about 30% typical), both domestically and internationally, for team meetings, offsites, customer visits, and supplier visits.
• Physical requirements: routine sitting, walking, talking, hearing, keyboard/hand use, and occasional stooping, kneeling, crouching, twisting, crawling, reaching, and stretching.
• Compensation: $125,000–$140,000 per year, based on experience.
• Benefits: comprehensive medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plan, and generous PTO and leave programs.

Ready to Build This With Us?

If you want ownership over a quality and safety program — not just a seat in one — and you're ready to do that work in person from our Schaumburg office, we'd like to hear from you.