How to hire a manufacturing quality manager

How to hire a manufacturing quality manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step manufacturing quality manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a manufacturing quality manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing quality manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a manufacturing quality manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a manufacturing quality manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A manufacturing quality manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, manufacturing quality managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of manufacturing quality managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Manufacturing Quality Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Manufacturing Quality Manager	Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct the activities used to create a wide range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, or paper products.	$39-85
   Vice-President Of Quality	A vice president of quality is responsible for monitoring the quality performance and delivery of the company outputs and deliverables to serve customers and clients. Vice presidents of quality analyze the production and operational processes to ensure that everything adheres to the internal guidelines and regulations... Show more	$43-86
   Quality Assurance Supervisor	A quality assurance supervisor oversees and leads the quality control operations within a manufacturing plant or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for crafting and implementing policies that prioritize the efficiency of products or services, supervising and evaluating the performances of the workforce, and setting standards and procedures that align not just with the goals of the company, but the national and international level of production standards... Show more	$22-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Continuous Improvement
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • ISO
   • Product Quality
   • Sigma
   • Quality Management System
   • Corrective Action
   • Quality Standards
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • Supplier Quality
   • QA
   • Quality Issues
   • GMP
   • FDA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage quality assurance inspectors, conduct internal, customer FDA and ISO audits.
   • Manage initial USDA regulatory visits, working collaboratively with USDA inspectors leading audit preparation and follow-up activities and reports.
   • Assist with FDA inspection preparation.
   • Revise and maintain a broken complaint handling and CAPA process.
   • Conduct, review, and approve process and product CAPA investigations.
   • Co-Host customer audits, ISO audits and are primary host for contract manufacturing customer.

   More manufacturing quality manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your manufacturing quality manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A manufacturing quality manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, manufacturing quality managers' average salary in arkansas is 55% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level manufacturing quality managers 54% less than senior-level manufacturing quality managers.
   • Certifications. A manufacturing quality manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a manufacturing quality manager's salary.

   Average manufacturing quality manager salary

   $121,115yearly

   $58.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level manufacturing quality manager salary

   $82,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 9, 2026

   Average manufacturing quality manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$188,372	$91
   2	New York	$135,902	$65
   3	New Hampshire	$129,370	$62
   4	Massachusetts	$122,920	$59
   5	Connecticut	$121,219	$58
   6	Texas	$119,708	$58
   7	New Mexico	$114,901	$55
   8	Michigan	$114,205	$55
   9	Pennsylvania	$112,321	$54
   10	New Jersey	$108,623	$52
   11	Illinois	$102,882	$49
   12	North Carolina	$100,044	$48
   13	Ohio	$99,168	$48
   14	Tennessee	$98,569	$47
   15	Iowa	$88,583	$43

   Average manufacturing quality manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$188,609	$90.68	104
   2	Google	$177,080	$85.13	73
   3	Zoox	$169,025	$81.26	24
   4	Accenture	$153,597	$73.84	511
   5	Eli Lilly and Company	$151,555	$72.86	53
   6	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$150,693	$72.45	189
   7	Cepheid	$145,980	$70.18
   8	Aquinas Consulting	$141,974	$68.26	1
   9	Rockwell Automation	$141,779	$68.16	6
   10	Codexis	$141,663	$68.11
   11	General Motors	$133,303	$64.09	33
   12	Sagent Pharmaceuticals	$132,137	$63.53
   13	Twist Bioscience	$126,412	$60.77	10
   14	Teva Pharmaceuticals	$121,457	$58.39	6
   15	GPAC	$118,726	$57.08
   16	Sager Electronics	$116,771	$56.14
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$112,400	$54.04	6
   18	Associated Materials Group, Inc.	$111,577	$53.64
   19	Affinity Apparel	$111,279	$53.50
   20	Leclaire Manufacturing Co	$107,141	$51.51	3

4. Writing a manufacturing quality manager job description

   A manufacturing quality manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a manufacturing quality manager job description:

   Manufacturing quality manager job description example

   At Wolfspeed, we do amazing things in a human way.
   
   We know that the achievements of our organization are due to the passion, hard work and creativity of our employees. We celebrate different perspectives to foster excellence across our organization, and our goal is to make diversity a foundation of what we do. We are proudly building an environment where you can bring your authentic self to work.
   
   Enjoy doing things that people say can't be done? Innovation is at the center of everything we do.Hate red tape? We remove roadblocks instead of creating them.Working parent? We provide childcare assistance and paid parental leave.Student? We offer continuing education assistance.Looking for community? There are many ways to get involved, from Employee Resource Groups to local outreach.
   
   Here's the Gist:
   
   Wolfspeed is seeking a proven, hands-on Semiconductor Quality Manager to proactively lead the Manufacturing Quality function for Wolfspeed silicon carbide wafer manufacturing in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina. This person will be responsible for establishing, executing, and continually improving the silicon carbide materials quality management system. The Materials Manufacturing Quality Manager will have significant influence over the growth of the Quality Management System as the Materials business expands. This person will be a key leader within the Manufacturing Quality Engineering team.
   To be successful, this person will be a highly driven, self-motivated leader who can create a system, organization, and total quality culture that is adept at continual improvement across multiple operational functions.
   This position reports to the Director of Manufacturing Quality and is based in Durham, NC.
   
   The Day-to-Day:
   Manage and drive high visibility projects to establish and grow a world-class semiconductor materials quality management system.Interface with senior leaders on the technical evaluation of quality issues.Establish a management system to support all quality management activities (audits, change management, nonconforming material management, problem solving 8Ds, etc.).Interface with customers and internal teams to solve complex problems.Drive quality improvements in all areas of the silicon carbide materials factory.Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key internal stakeholders including materials factory and wafer fab leadership.Direct, manage and coordinate the activities of cross-functional groups outside of the quality organization to achieve quality requirements.Grow the Materials Manufacturing Quality organization to support the needs of a rapidly evolving and expanding business.
   
   This Job is Right for You if You Have (Minimum Qualifications):
   BS in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related degree.Minimum 5 years' experience.Knowledge in semiconductor quality systems, semiconductor materials, and semiconductor wafer fabrication.The ability to operate in a fast paced, highly dynamic environment and to execute at both a detailed level as well as a strategic level.Excellent communication and project management skills.Experience with IATF 16949 certification or auditing to the IATF 16949 standard.Demonstrated capability of interacting with senior leaders throughout an organization.Demonstrated ability to build and lead highly technical teams Ability to work in large, complex, global environment.
   
   This role may require additional duties and/or assignments as designated by management.
   
   To put it legally - Wolfspeed is an equal opportunity employer.
   We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other protected status as required by law.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right manufacturing quality manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with manufacturing quality managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit manufacturing quality managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your manufacturing quality manager job on Zippia to find and recruit manufacturing quality manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with manufacturing quality manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new manufacturing quality manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect manufacturing quality manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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