Chief Quality Officer- Fabrication

Job Title: Chief Quality Officer - Fabrication

Location: Pune

Experience Required: 20+ Years

Budget / CTC: ₹60 – 70 Lacs per annum

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly accomplished Chief Quality Officer (CQO) with strong exposure to fabrication and heavy engineering/manufacturing environments. The CQO will be responsible for defining, leading, and strengthening the organization’s overall quality vision, strategy, and governance across plants and functions. This role demands deep technical expertise, strong leadership, and the ability to drive a culture of quality excellence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and implement the overall Quality Strategy and Roadmap aligned with business objectives.

Lead and oversee Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Supplier Quality, Customer Quality, and Compliance functions.

Ensure robust quality systems across fabrication, welding, machining, sheet metal, and assembly operations.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, TPM, and TQM methodologies.

Ensure compliance with ISO 9001, IATF 16949 / ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 and other applicable standards.

Lead customer audits, third-party audits, and certification processes, ensuring zero major non-conformities.

Strengthen supplier quality management, including supplier audits, development, and performance monitoring.

Analyze quality metrics, cost of poor quality (COPQ), rejection trends, and implement corrective & preventive actions.

Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, SCM, and Business Heads to embed quality at every stage.

Act as the key interface for customer escalations, quality claims, and critical quality issues.

Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing quality leadership team across multiple locations.

Drive digitalization and automation initiatives within quality systems wherever applicable.

Required Skills & Competencies:

Strong technical expertise in fabrication processes, welding standards, material specifications, and NDT.

Proven experience in automotive, auto components, heavy engineering, or industrial fabrication sectors.

Deep understanding of APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, and root cause analysis tools.

Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills.

Ability to influence senior leadership and drive organization-wide change.

Strong analytical mindset with a focus on data-driven quality improvements.

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical / Production / Metallurgical Engineering (Master’s degree preferred).

20+ years of progressive experience in Quality leadership roles within fabrication-focused manufacturing setups.

Prior experience at a senior leadership level (Head of Quality / CQO / VP – Quality) is highly desirable.