Director of Quality

Nobody knows more about adhesives than APPLIED Adhesives. We are passionate about solving complex challenges with innovative adhesive products and offerings. APPLIED is the industry leader in helping manage costs, reduce waste, and make entire operations run more efficiently. From adhesives, equipment, parts, and service, we have you covered.

With world-class adhesive products, equipment, and parts along with visionary leadership, unparalleled expertise, and an agile, responsive service team, we’re not happy simply staying put. Every day, we leverage our technical expertise and passion for problem solving for the benefit of our customers and the future of our company.

We have countless victories that we could celebrate, but we’re more interested in looking forward than back. We’ve collected the talent and skills to continue innovating new product solutions and applications in emerging industries. We have the fortitude to not only accept challenges, but to seek them out. And we have the confidence and determination to become the most sought‑after adhesive solutions partner.

We are seeking an experienced Director of Quality to establish and drive our quality management system, safety programs, and regulatory compliance across all manufacturing and distribution operations.

This newly created role will be instrumental in building a world‑class quality and safety culture as we continue to evolve our organizational structure. The ideal candidate will bring a proven track record in ISO quality system management, manufacturing operations, and safety program development, with the ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives across multiple locations.

This position will play a critical leadership role in developing and implementing comprehensive quality systems, safety protocols, and regulatory compliance frameworks that support our adhesives distribution business and hot melt packaging equipment manufacturing operations.

You must live in the Rockford, MI. area to be considered for this role.

• Establish, implement, and maintain an ISO‑certified quality management system across all manufacturing and distribution locations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing facilities to develop and implement receiving inspection criteria, in‑process work inspection criteria, and final assembly buy‑off procedures.
• Establish and manage supplier quality interactions, procedures, and vendor qualification processes.
• Lead quality audits, corrective action processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and implement quality metrics and KPIs to drive operational excellence.

• Design and implement a comprehensive, formal safety program for all operations.
• Conduct and oversee job hazard assessments across manufacturing and warehouse operations.
• Develop emergency action plans and ensure proper training and preparedness at all facilities.
• Lead safety training programs and promote a proactive safety culture throughout the organization.
• Investigate incidents, near‑misses, and develop preventive measures.

• Oversee and manage all internal reporting to the leadership team on quality, safety, and compliance matters.
• Ensure timely and accurate external reporting to regulatory bodies including OSHA, ISO registrars, and other governing agencies.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable regulations and ensure organizational compliance.
• Serve as primary liaison with external auditors, regulators, and certification bodies.

• Lead and develop a cross‑functional team responsible for quality, safety, and regulatory functions.
• Partners with manufacturing, distribution, and PSE (Parts, Service, Equipment) teams to integrate quality and safety into daily operations.
• Travel regularly to manufacturing and distribution locations to provide hands‑on support and ensure consistency across sites.
• Drive organizational change and build consensus across all levels of the organization.

• Have strong planning and organization skills.
• Are an experienced Manufacturing leader with…