Director, Quality Assurance
Danaher · Coralville, IA
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 15%
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at Danaher (pharma & life sciences) in Coralville, IA. Own the enterprise Quality Assurance strategy and Quality Management System (QMS), aligning quality, compliance, and risk management objectives with business growth, customer expectations, and global regulatory requirements.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- CAPA, FDA / GMP, Supplier quality
- Day to day
- about 15% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Iowa: typical posted base $88k–$112k.
Median of the low and high ends of 3 live postings that list pay, out of 11 quality engineer openings in Iowa, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Iowa plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 10 other live quality postings in Iowa.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 6+)
Similar roles usually ask 6+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ FDA / GMP 36%
- Lean 36%
- ✓ Supplier quality 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for CAPA, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with 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 Danaher
We found 4 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders, 1 recruiters. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
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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?
- The posting says about 15% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
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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.
This plant: Danaher in Coralville
2 other open roles at this site · 4 people we found in quality roles at Danaher.
- Director, Equipment Reliability · Reliability · Director+
- Production Technician III, RNA Operations (Genomics Medicine) · Production · Technician
Full description from DanaherAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
In this role, you will have the opportunity to
· Own the enterprise Quality Assurance strategy and Quality Management System (QMS), aligning quality, compliance, and risk management objectives with business growth, customer expectations, and global regulatory requirements.
· Serves as the senior quality authority for enterprise decisions involving product quality, regulatory compliance, inspections, customer relationships, quality agreements, product disposition, and significant business risks.
· Establishes enterprise-wide quality governance, performance metrics, and risk management frameworks to drive compliance, operational excellence, and data-driven decision making across multiple sites and business units.
· Leads enterprise quality programs, including CAPA, deviations, change control, complaints, investigations, supplier quality, batch release, and continuous improvement to ensure sustainable business performance.
· Drives quality transformation through modernization of quality systems, inspection readiness, quality culture, and adoption of industry best practices to improve scalability, compliance, and cost of quality.
· Leads and develops a multi-site Quality organization, partnering with executive leadership to influence strategic priorities, optimize resource allocation, build organizational capability, and achieve long-term business objectives.
· Collaborate with stakeholders: Work closely with manufacturing, supply chain, regulatory affairs, Quality Control, and other relevant departments to ensure alignment on quality objectives, resolve quality-related issues, and drive improvements across the entire product lifecycle in a compliant manner.
The essential
requirements
of the job include : (NOTE For Hiring Manager: Please reference the 3-5-7 Job
Requirements
Model )
· At least 10 years of relevant experience in a quality position, required
· At least 3 years of that experience in a lead, supervisory or managerial position
· Experience in a variety of areas of the Quality Management Systems, required
· Direct experience with regulatory audits, including direct interface with inspectors, required
· Experience within regulated industries such as medical devices, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or aerospace
· Knowledge and expertise in principles and current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in a development through commercial application, required
· Strong knowledge foundation of FDA and EU regulations regarding the manufacture of biologics (210, 211, and 610 CFR and EudraLex Vol. 4), including regulatory inspection or support experience, preferred
Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment
Requirements
if applicable for role
· Ability to travel up to 15% of the time, including occasional overnight travel.
· Ability to work in an office environment and use standard computer equipment.
· Must be able to comply with all applicable safety standards and procedures, including the use of required PPE when visiting laboratories or manufacturing environments.
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in
· Strong analytical skills, problem solving ability and presentation skills
· Flexibility and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
· Well-versed in creating and managing timelines and budgets, identifying risks and contingency planning
IDT, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info .
Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.
For more information, visit
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Bring more to life.
Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?
At Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.
Our team at Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), is united by a commitment to collaboration and scientific excellence, building on a strong foundation of innovation, expertise, and reliability. Guided by our vision to help researchers rapidly move from the lab to life-changing advances, we work closely with global partners to accelerate progress and genomics breakthroughs across fields like cancer, infectious disease, rare genetic disorders, and more. At IDT, you’ll be part of a culture rooted in continuous learning and improvement—where your growth fuels our mission to accelerate the pace of genomics and helps shape a healthier, brighter future for all.
Learn about the Danaher Business Syste m which makes everything possible.
The Director of Quality Assurance Operations is responsible for the creation, implementation and maintenance of all Quality and release processes in compliance with all foreign and domestic regulatory and statutory requirements. This individual will help to provide the strategic direction and vision as well as the tactical leadership necessary to consistently improve. Leads enterprise-wide Quality Assurance strategy, governance, and risk management, driving transformational improvements and business results through cross-functional leadership, executive influence, and multi-site organizational accountability
This position reports to the Sr. Director of Quality Assurance and is part of Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs located in USA Coralville IA and will be an on-site role.
