Director, Systems Quality Engineering

Position SummaryThe Director of Systems Quality Engineering is responsible for defining and executing the global quality strategy for all hardware products across the Hardware Engineering organization, including Mechanical, Hydraulic, Electrical, Electronics, and Embedded Software (Firmware) disciplines. This role provides enterprise leadership for product quality, reliability, verification, and validation across the full product lifecycle—from concept development through production launch and field deployment.The Director leads a globally distributed Quality Assurance and System Validation organization and is accountable for establishing scalable quality frameworks, governance models, and testing architectures that enable predictable product performance, accelerated innovation, and reduced lifecycle risk. This position plays a critical leadership role in shaping product architecture decisions, influencing cross‐functional engineering strategy, and driving organizational transformation toward best‐in‐class quality maturity. The Director partners closely with Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Manufacturing, Supplier Quality, and Customer Support to ensure alignment between product requirements, validation rigor, release readiness, and field performance.The ideal candidate combines deep systems engineering knowledge with executive‐level leadership capability, strong business acumen, and a demonstrated track record of building high‐performing global organizations. This leader will champion a culture of quality ownership, technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement across the enterprise.Position ResponsibilitiesDefine and execute the long‐term System Quality and Validation strategy aligned with business objectives and product roadmaps.Establish enterprise quality governance, release readiness criteria, and lifecycle quality gates across product development.Serve as the executive voice of product quality, reliability, and risk management.Influence product architecture decisions to improve robustness, manufacturability, and serviceability.Partner with Manufacturing and Supplier Quality to ensure end‐to‐end quality alignment from design through production.Own the end‐to‐end Quality Assurance strategy for all Hardware Engineering disciplines, including Mechanical, Hydraulic, Electrical, Electronics, and Firmware.Establish and manage product/component testing and system testing processes across all hardware platforms and product lines.Lead a QA organization, ensuring consistent methods, communication, tooling, and execution across all regions.Collaborate closely with Software QA teams to align functional test plans, system integration testing, regression coverage, and release readiness activities.Develop and implement QA best practices, standard operating procedures, and quality improvement methodologies across the engineering organization.Drive the creation, adoption, and continuous enhancement of automated testing frameworks to support repeatable, high‐quality releases.Oversee development of test plans, test protocols, verification methodologies, acceptance criteria, and quality metrics.Implement robust defect tracking systems, quality dashboards, KPIs, and root cause analysis processes that provide visibility across the product lifecycle.Ensure timely identification, analysis, and mitigation of system‐level issues related to electrical, mechanical, firmware, and hydraulic integration.Build organizational capabilities in automation, reliability engineering, data analytics, and system validation.Partner with Product Management, Engineering, Operations, and Customer Support to address field issues, understand customer requirements, and drive systemic improvements.Ensure that testing practices and documentation comply with applicable safety, regulatory, and certification requirements.Provide leadership in cross‐functional design and architecture reviews, representing the voice of quality and risk reduction.Demonstrate strong leadership qualities including data‐driven decision‐making, strategic thinking, and a systematic approach to problem solving.Lead digital transformation initiatives including test automation, data platforms, simulation, and model‐based validation.Benchmark industry best practices and introduce advanced quality methodologies.Own the System Quality budget, resource planning, and investment prioritization.Drive cost of quality reduction initiatives and improve lifecycle profitability through early defect detection.Qualification RequirementsEducation: Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline required; Master's degree preferred.15+ years of experience in hardware quality assurance, system testing, or cross‐disciplinary engineering quality roles.7+ years of experience in leadership roles.Experience in testing and quality management across multiple hardware engineering domains (Mechanical, Electrical, Firmware, etc.).Demonstrated experience defining organizational strategy and leading transformation initiatives.Experience influencing product architecture and engineering decisions.Proven success leading QA teams and managing quality operations across global sites.Strong knowledge of system testing methodologies, verification and validation strategies, and defect management processes.Experience with test automation frameworks and automating hardware or embedded system test cases.Excellent analytical, diagnostic, and root cause analysis skills with a systematic approach to problem solving.Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills with the ability to influence teams and stakeholders across functions.Experience establishing quality KPIs, dashboards, and data‐driven reporting structures.Background in regulated environments or safety‐critical product testing preferred.Preferred QualificationsExperience with cross‐domain systems including mechanical, power electronics, and embedded firmware.Experience with hardware‐in‐the‐loop testing (HIL), simulation environments, and automated test equipment.Familiarity with product lifecycle management, reliability engineering, and field quality analytics.Knowledge of QA methodologies for embedded systems and cross‐domain hardware/software integration.Understanding of manufacturing quality processes, ECO workflows, and defect containment strategies.Experience with global QA team management, coaching, and developing senior quality engineers.Certifications in quality engineering (ASQ CQE, Six Sigma Black Belt, etc.) preferred.Essential FunctionsServe as the innovation lead and strategic technology advisor within the Hardware Engineering organization.Lead a global QA organization responsible for comprehensive product quality across hardware platforms.Represent System Quality in cross‐functional and executive‐level discussions related to product readiness, design decisions, and systemic improvements.Manage remote and local teams, ensuring alignment, engagement, and consistent execution.Maintain a high level of organization and attention to detail across testing processes and documentation.Work independently and collaboratively across global engineering teams.Exhibit strong leadership, initiative, and data‐driven decision‐making.Fluent English is required.Work Arrangement : HybridBonus Eligible: This position is eligible to earn a discretionary bonus based on performance metrics and other criteria outlined in our applicable bonus plan.We consider several job‐related, non‐discriminatory factors when determining the pay rate for a position, including, but not limited to, the position's responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, a candidate's education/training, the position's location, and the key skills needed for the position. Pay is one of the Total Rewards that we provide to compensate and recognize employees for their work.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.Attention Applicants: If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please let us know. Likewise, if you are limited in the ability to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, we will determine an alternate way for you to apply. Please contact dfs.hrinquiries@doverfs.com for assistance with an accommodation. Kindly specify Job Requisition Number / Job Title and Location in response.This position may be located in: Americas : United States : Texas : Austin#J-18808-Ljbffr