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Emerge is currently recruiting qualified candidates for a direct hire Director of Quality Assurance job in Lock Haven, PA for our client, a growing manufacturer of quality automotive parts. This role involves leading manufacturing quality operations across multiple production facilities located in the north central region of Pennsylvania, and driving measurable improvements in defect reduction and continuous improvement. The position requires regular travel between facilities (1 to 2 hours' drive). The role offers a salary range of $120,000–$135,000 per year plus 12.5% annual bonus and excellent benefits.
 
 
Responsibilities for the Director of Quality Assurance job in Lock Haven, PA include:

• Provide visible, hands-on quality leadership across multiple manufacturing facilities, maintaining a regular plant floor presence and leading Gemba walks and team touchpoints.
• Lead, develop, evaluate, and retain plant quality personnel — including Quality Engineers and Technicians — setting clear expectations and building a collaborative culture of continuous improvement.
• Own the Corrective Action Report (CAR) process from initiation through verified closure, applying structured problem-solving methods (8D, DMAIC, 5-Why) with root-cause rigor, including investigation of customer returns and field complaints.
• Own and report internal and external DPM (Defects Per Million) trends across all facilities, and lead defect reduction initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma to improve first-pass yield, scrap, and rework metrics.
• Own and execute print- and process-level quality training and qualification for new and existing staff, maintaining current training records and coordinating with Manufacturing Engineering on engineering-change and new-product training.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) quality execution in partnership with Product Engineering, and direct special projects assigned by manufacturing leadership.

 
 
Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent required; advanced degree a plus.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing quality leadership, including direct management of plant-level quality teams (multi-site experience strongly preferred).
• MUST have experience in IATF 16949 and ISO 14001 environments required.
• Proven track record of corrective action ownership and measurable quality improvements.
• Strong technical proficiency with statistical quality tools including SPC, MSA/Gage R&R, FMEA and a presence-first, floor-visible leadership style.
• This position is subject to ITAR compliance: International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which requires U.S. person status; ITAR defines U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e., "Green Card Holder"), Political Asylee, or Refugee. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.  

 
 
If you are qualified for this position, please click "apply now". Thank you in advance for applying, however, only qualified candidates will be contacted.
 
Who is Emerge? We are a global talent solutions company working with clients all over the world. We deliver talent, recruiting expertise, and managed sales, marketing, and business operations solutions to our clients. These solutions are an extension of your existing operations. We are committed to your success, working quickly and efficiently to provide tangible, measurable results.   

Job Description

Responsibilities

 

• Manages department resources and coordinates the implementation of the quality management system to cost-effectively facilitate quality and compliance.
• Leads the Zero Defects program implementation within the division.
• Communicates customer, regulatory and organizational requirements to assure product quality, contract compliance and customer satisfaction.
• Oversees the effective documentation and implementation of the quality management system to assure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements and the standards set by corporate/division policies.
• Works with division leadership to ensure that individuals performing functions affecting quality are trained and demonstrate the appropriate skills and performance results.
• Coordinates necessary division personnel for internal, customer and third-party quality system audits.
• Maintains a corrective action system to analyze and correct nonconforming conditions and complaints.
• Implements the performance measurements necessary to effectively evaluate organizational performance and trends in product quality, services, customer satisfaction and the cost of poor quality.

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1Kosmos is driving the future of identity security, empowering organizations to eliminate passwords and establish trust at every step of the identity lifecycle. As a vibrant team of innovators, we develop advanced authentication solutions trusted by some of the world’s leading brands. Join us as we create a passwordless world and set new standards for digital identity assurance.

Your Title: Director of Quality Assurance

Your Location: Hybrid – Edison, NJ HQ

You Report to: SVP of Engineering and Chief Architect

Compensation: $200,000 or more depending upon experience

We are seeking a Director of Quality Assurance to lead our QA strategy, processes, and team. This role is responsible for building and scaling a world-class QA organization that ensures product quality, reliability, and compliance across all releases. You will partner closely with engineering, product management, and operations to embed quality into every stage of the development lifecycle.

You will define QA standards, automation strategies, and metrics to improve release confidence, reduce defects, and accelerate time-to-market while fostering a culture of quality throughout the organization. You should apply if you enjoy rolling up your sleeves, auditing what exists, and putting better systems in place, leading by example alongside your team.

What you will own:

• QA strategy and execution. Define and run the QA strategy across functional, regression, performance, and security testing, for a platform that spans web, mobile, API, and biometric components and thousands of document types and integrations.
• Standards and best practices. Establish and enforce quality standards, test plans, and best practices across all projects, and make sure requirements are testable and aligned with customer expectations.
• Automation at scale. Design, build, and scale automated test platforms (Selenium, Node.js, scripting, JMeter) integrated into CI/CD pipelines. We are behind on automation; you will close that gap and reduce the manual testing burden on high-risk paths.
• Manual QA, applied with judgment. Own the manual testing that still matters and decide what gets automated and what does not.
• Team leadership. Lead, mentor, and grow the distributed QA team, including recruitment and performance management. Set the bar, hold people accountable, and build a center of excellence.

• Cross-functional partnership. Build and maintain trust with Customer Success, engineering, and leadership so QA is the trusted quality partner across the business. Serve as the voice of quality in release readiness reviews.
• Release quality. Own the quality gate for releases so the company ships with confidence.
• Metrics and accountability. Define KPIs and report on what matters: defect density and escape rates, test coverage, automation velocity, release stability, and on-time delivery.

What you bring:

• 10+ years of software QA experience, including at least 5+ years of hands-on QA leadership at the Head of QA or Director level in high-growth B2B SaaS or cybersecurity.
• A proven record of building and scaling QA teams in fast-paced environments. Experience at companies known for engineering rigor is a strong signal.
• Deep technical credibility across QA methodologies, test automation frameworks, and performance testing, spanning both automation and manual testing. You understand the cost of shipping features without test automation, and you know how to close that gap.
• Domain fluency in identity verification and authentication, with a genuine customer mindset. You understand what is at stake when the product is a security control.
• A working toolset: Selenium, scripting languages, Node.js, JMeter, CI/CD pipelines, and API integrations, in cloud-based architectures (AWS, GCP, or Azure). You can write code when the job calls for it.
• Real, hands-on AI fluency. You already use AI copilots daily to write tests, generate test cases, and accelerate QA work, and you have hands-on experience building with AI and agentic systems as part of the QA function.
• harp analytical instincts and strong communication. You grasp ideas in real time, follow technical conversations, manage stakeholders with confidence, and balance strategic planning with hands-on execution.
• Experience in SaaS or enterprise software environments, ideally cybersecurity or identity.
• Background in AI/ML product QA or identity verification software testing.
• Experience managing offshore or distributed QA teams.
• Familiarity with security testing and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Depth in performance, load, and scalability testing tools.

What success looks like

In your first 90 days:

• Audited the QA stack, automation coverage, and release process, and delivered a concrete plan to close the gaps.
• Established KPIs and a quality gate that engineering and leadership trust.
• Built a working partnership with Customer Success so QA is a partner, not a bottleneck.
• Meaningfully scaled automation coverage and reduced the manual testing burden on high-risk paths.

What we offer

• Opportunity to build and lead a critical function at a high-growth Series B startup
• Competitive salary and equity package
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO Policy
• Collaborative, fast-paced culture where your impact is immediate and visible