This is Jon Molesky, President of Automotive Quality Solutions…I’ve been recruiting exclusively in automotive quality since 1990. My job is to find you a position that challenges and moves your career forward. I can do this by reducing risk (which we all know abounds in Automotive Quality). One of the best ways for me to do this, is to either know the company and players or to ask the right questions and flush out the good, bad and ugly.
This is the situation as I see it:

The person in charge of North American Quality is someone I’ve known for years. He has just the right mixture of technical skills, drive, personality, and personal ‘coolness & poise.’ In other words, he’s a great person to work with since he’s not a micromanager. One other advantage to this position is that it is newly created with 6 plants you will be responsible for refining their system and quality professionals. Right now, this group does quite a bit of work with Ford (and are in as good of shape as you can ever be with them:) If you don’t know what I mean by that jokingly, you probably aren’t in automotive. If so, I have to give it to you straight…save your energy. We need someone who knows not only what is in the new IATF regs…but equally important…what is not in there. Knowing automotive customers requirements, pace, ferocity and having a certain way with people are the key ingredients.

You will have a desk in St. Augustine FL, but the position is 50% travel. As we all know, some of the travel is planned in advance and some will be dealing with the typical unexpected ‘crap hitting the fan.’ The bottom line is that your job is ultimately not at your desk…it is supporting your plants. If you are traveling now, and want to reduce it, this is not the right position. Feel free to send your resume anyway with specifics on my website form of what works for you for possibly another position. The most crucial thing for me is to make sure this opportunity move your career (and life) in a positive and enjoyable direction.

Often I have people ask, “Can you send me a job description?’ Doing this 30 years, unfortunately for a Divisional Manager, Quality Manager right on down to a Quality Technician, they all look pretty much the same with buzzwords used including IATF 16949, APQP, QOS, PPAP….. To be successful, you’ll need to have the skills and experience to help the plants come into compliance with the new IATF standards…not just to pass the audit and sweep everything that is inconvenient under the rug…to make it actually work. In this case, you will have a boss who supports you and knows what it takes as he is a former Plant Quality Manager.

You will also have to make tough decisions on people at the plants who need to move up (or move on!). Those of you with the experience will know exactly what I mean.

The Hiring Manager was clear, “There are 2 types of candidates that will work. The first is the one who has multiple plants now and is looking for a better company/boss/opportunity to make a move. The other is a QM at a plant with some real ‘fire in their belly’ and ready to make the next move. A true superstar.”

This company has been expanding rapidly and has one of the most solid foundations for the inevitable downturn. Somebody is going do very well with this…I am glad to be a part of it.