Head of Quality – Energy Systems
Clarios · Michigan
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 16 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at Clarios (automotive) in Michigan. Establish, govern, and continuously improve a robust Quality Management System across all Energy Systems plants and development organizations.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, SPC, FMEA, PPAP
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $78k–$149k.
Median of the low and high ends of 19 live postings that list pay, out of 57 quality engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 56 other live quality postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 3+)
Typical $78k–$149k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 70%
- ✓ FMEA 53%
- ✓ PPAP 49%
- ✓ SPC 46%
- ✓ Control plans 44%
- ✓ Six Sigma 40%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at Clarios
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from ClariosAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What you will do
- ◆Establish, govern, and continuously improve a robust Quality Management System across all Energy Systems plants and development organizations.
- ◆Ensure flawless industrialization, launches, and series production quality for automotive battery and energy storage products.
- ◆Achieve and sustain required quality maturity levels (ASPICE, customer-specific requirements, certifications).
- ◆Prevent quality escapes and drive zero-defect manufacturing performance.
- ◆Embed a strong, prevention-first quality culture across engineering, plants, and suppliers.
Core
requirements
to validation, manufacturing, and test.
- ✓Drive quality gates from development through SOP.
requirements
(UN 38.3, IEC 62660, ECE R100, EU Battery Regulation).
requirements
and approval criteria.
- ✓Ensure APQP/PPAP deployment and supplier audits (VDA 6.3).
- ✓Drive supplier development and escalation management.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Join the world leader in advanced energy storage solutions and be part of the success story of VARTA®!
Your contribution
The Head of Quality – Energy Systems is a senior leadership role with end-to-end accountability for product, process, system, and manufacturing quality across the Energy Systems Business Unit. The role covers low voltage systems, batteries, supercapacitors, electronics, and Battery Management Systems (BMS), spanning development centers, suppliers, and multiple production plants.
The position combines strategic BU-level quality governance with hands-on product, plant, and customer quality execution, ensuring full compliance with automotive standards (IATF 16949, ASPICE, VDA 6.3, ISO 26262) and meeting the highest OEM expectations for safety, reliability, and series production performance. The role will be based in our Plymouth location.
Quality Strategy & Governance
- •Define and deploy the BU Quality vision, strategy, and governance model aligned with corporate standards.
- •Serve as Quality leader within the BU leadership team and represent Quality in enterprise-level decisions.
Quality Management System & Standards
- •Own and maintain an IATF 16949-compliant QMS across all manufacturing sites.
- •Ensure deployment and consistent use of APQP, DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, PPAP, SPC, and MSA.
- •Lead internal, customer, and certification audits.
Development & ASPICE Quality
- •Build and sustain ASPICE capability across system, software, and hardware development.
- •Ensure full traceability from
Manufacturing & Plant Quality
- •Define plant quality strategies and governance aligned with OEM and BU requirements.
- •Own plant-level quality KPIs (PPM, FPY, scrap, rework, COPQ).
- •Lead launch quality, layered process audits, and management reviews.
Product & Customer Quality
- •Act as primary quality interface for OEM and Tier-1 customers.
- •Lead customer audits, quality escalations, and structured problem-solving (8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa).
- •Ensure compliance with product safety and regulatory
Supplier Quality
- •Define supplier quality
Organization & Leadership
- •Build, lead, and develop a strong Quality organization across plants and regions.
- •Develop quality leaders and product-specific expertise within the team.
- •Promote a data-driven, continuous improvement culture (Lean, Six Sigma).
What we look for
- •Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or comparable technical discipline.
- •10+ years of automotive quality experience , including manufacturing and product quality leadership.
- •Strong expertise in IATF 16949, ASPICE, VDA 6.3, and automotive core quality tools.
- •Deep understanding of low voltage systems, electronics, BMS, and manufacturing processes.
- •Proven experience managing OEM customer interfaces and multi-site quality organizations.
- •Strategic and operational leadership credibility.
- •Strong customer orientation and communication skills.
- •Structured, data-driven problem-solving mindset.
- •Ability to balance hands-on involvement with scalable system development.
- •Comfortable operating in complex, matrix, and fast-evolving environments.
- •Up to 25–30% across production sites, customers, and suppliers.
What you get
- •Medical, dental and vision care coverage and a 401(k) savings plan with company matching – all starting on date of hire
- •Tuition reimbursement, perks, and discounts
- •Parental and caregiver leave programs
- •All the usual benefits such as paid time off, flexible spending, short-and long-term disability, basic life insurance, business travel insurance, and Employee Assistance Program
- •Global market strength and worldwide market share leadership
- •HQ location earns LEED certification for sustainability plus a full-service cafeteria and workout facility
- •Clarios has been recognized as one of 2026's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. This prestigious recognition marks the fourth consecutive year Clarios has received this distinction.
Who we are
Clarios is the force behind the world’s most recognizable car battery brands, powering vehicles from leading automakers like Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. With 18,000 employees worldwide, we develop, manufacture, and distribute energy storage solutions while recovering, recycling, and reusing up to 99% of battery materials—setting the standard for sustainability in our industry. At Clarios, we’re not just making batteries; we’re shaping the future of sustainable transportation. Join our mission to innovate, push boundaries, and make a real impact. Discover your potential at Clarios—where your power meets endless possibilities.
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