Manager, Design Assurance

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. is a global tools, outdoor power equipment, and industrial products company with a portfolio of well-known brands. The Manager, Design Assurance will serve as a quality subject matter expert for cross-functional new product development teams, integrating quality throughout the product lifecycle, managing risk and design controls, supporting verification and validation, and monitoring quality through product launch.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the quality subject matter expert on cross-functional new product development teams
• Ensure quality requirements are integrated throughout the product development lifecycle
• Support design control and phase-gate / NPD processes from concept through commercialization
• Develop, deploy, coach, and maintain best practice quality planning tools and methods including:
• Design quality plans which clearly define expectations
• Control plans that focus on prevention vs. detection
• Inspection/test strategies: optimizing automation, prevention, zero defect mentality
• Ensure effective risk management activities: DFMEA, PFMEA, hazard analysis, FRACA, and mitigation tracking
• Subject matter expert in product and process design reviews to ensure quality and reliability considerations are addressed and properly resolved
• Demonstrated ability to proactively review and challenge specifications, drawings, requirements, and engineering changes to drive quality into design and minimize downstream inspection, service, and manufacturing cost
• Develop and implement verification and validation techniques to ensure NPD products meet critical-to-quality (CTQ) requirements
• Ensure traceability between customer requirements, design inputs, test methods, and acceptance criteria
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with Manufacturing and Supplier Quality teams to support effective design transfer and production readiness
• Establishing disciplined problem-solving efforts that identify root cause and implement effective corrective and preventive actions within development and product launch
• Monitor quality metrics during development builds, pilot runs, and launch phases

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or related technical discipline
• 5+ years' experience in quality engineering, design assurance, new product development and well-established NPD systems
• Strong working knowledge of quality tools and methodologies as abovementioned
• Experience participating in complex matrix, cross-functional product development environments
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical requirements
• Experience in highly controlled industries, Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, Design controls, and product lifecycle management processes; ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Lean Six Sigma or similar certification