Hiring for Head – Quality Assurance (Foundry)

Job Description:

Job Title: Head – Quality Assurance (Foundry)

Department: Quality

Location: Belgaum

Reporting to: Plant Head

Job Purpose

To lead and manage the Quality Assurance function for Cast Iron Foundry operations, ensuring consistent production of high-quality castings through robust systems, process controls, customer compliance, and continuous improvement — specifically for No-Bake molding process and critical automotive components like Cylinder Heads and Engine Blocks.

Key Responsibilities

1. Quality Systems & Compliance

• Establish, implement and maintain QMS in line with ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 standards
• Ensure adherence to customer specifications, APQP, PPAP, MSA, SPC, FMEA
• Lead internal audits, customer audits and certification activities

2. Process Quality – No Bake Foundry

• Control and improve No-Bake molding, melting, pouring, shakeout, fettling and inspection processes
• Monitor sand properties, resin systems, mold strength and defect prevention
• Drive reduction of casting defects such as blow holes, shrinkage, cold shuts, inclusions, misruns

3. Product Quality – Cylinder Head & Block

• Ensure dimensional, metallurgical and functional quality of critical engine components
• Oversee NDT (UT, MPI, X-ray where applicable), microstructure analysis, hardness testing
• Ensure conformance to automotive OEM standards

4. Customer Interface

• Handle customer complaints, root cause analysis (8D), corrective & preventive actions
• Lead customer visits, audits and quality reviews
• Ensure zero PPM mindset and customer satisfaction

5. Team Leadership

• Lead QA/QC, lab, inspection and supplier quality teams
• Develop quality culture across foundry operations
• Train manpower on defect prevention and quality tools

6. Continuous Improvement

• Implement Lean, Six Sigma and defect reduction projects
• Drive cost of poor quality (COPQ) reduction
• Improve process capability and yield

Qualifications

• BE/BTech – Metallurgy / Mechanical / Production Engineering
• Certification in Quality Systems / Six Sigma preferred

Experience

• 18+ years in Cast Iron Foundry Quality
• Mandatory experience in:
• No-Bake molding process
• Automotive castings – Cylinder Heads & Engine Blocks
• Customer quality systems (OEMs/Tier-1)

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of CI metallurgy (SG Iron / Grey Iron as applicable)
• Casting defect analysis & prevention
• IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, SPC, MSA
• NDT & metallurgical testing
• Leadership & cross-functional coordination
• Customer handling & audit management

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• PPM reduction
• Customer complaints closure
• Process capability (Cp/Cpk)
• Yield improvement
• Audit scores