Sr. Manager, Quality - Lonoke - The Kinetic Group

Description

Job Description

The Kinetic Group is a world leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of small caliber ammunition under the iconic brands B&P, CCI, Federal Premium, Fiocchi, HEVI-Shot, Remington and Speer. We have domestic ammunition manufacturing facilities in Minnesota, Idaho, Arkansas, and Missouri, and service law enforcement, government agencies and sporting enthusiasts throughout the world. Today, The Kinetic Group is a part of the Ammo+ division of The Czechoslovak Group (CSG), which holds a diverse portfolio of companies in the defense, security, automotive, aerospace and rail industries.

The Sr. Manager of Quality and Ballistics manages all Quality and Ballistics Lab-related functions at the Lonoke, Arkansas site. This includes leading associated personnel, including Quality Engineers, Quality Technicians, Quality Auditors across all shifts, and the Ballistics Engineer. The Sr Manager of Quality and Ballistics not only manages day-to-day business within the core function of Quality, but also creates, implements and improves upon both short and long term department objectives.

This position reports to the VP of Operations and is based out of our Lonoke, Arkansas office.

What you'll do:

• Control departmental budgets while driving cost-reduction initiatives through data-driven process improvements, waste minimization, and sustainable practices to enhance profitability and support long-term growth.

• Establish and monitor supplier certification procedures, verify component conformance to specifications, and lead troubleshooting/resolution of supplier quality issues, with emphasis on supply chain resilience and risk mitigation.

• Direct, administer, and control day-to-day operations of the Quality Department and Ballistics Lab, integrating automation, digital tools, and real-time data analytics for enhanced process control.

• Serve as an engaged servant leader focused on team building, empowering employees with resources and development opportunities to achieve individual and departmental goals.

• Ensure strict compliance with company policies, ISO 9001:2015 (or higher) standards, ATF regulations, federal firearms/ammunition laws, and other relevant governmental/regulatory guidelines to deliver the highest-quality, safe products and exceptional internal/external customer service.

• Implement company and division initiatives/strategies with accountable, time-bound leadership, including adoption of advanced quality methodologies (e.g., DMAIC, predictive analytics).

• Spearhead cost-reduction, quality improvement, and sustainability strategies (e.g., lead-free initiatives, reduced environmental impact) while maintaining/increasing profitability.

• Oversee plant-wide Quality Processes through effective leadership in component quality, Statistical Process Control (SPC), production quality, ballistics support/testing, end-user quality, and responsible fiscal management.

• Coordinate quality support strategies to provide outstanding customer service while adhering to regulatory guidelines and optimizing efficiency.

• Contribute to the development of Quality department strategic plans, goals, and objectives, ensuring alignment with Remington "Best Practices," including integration of emerging technologies like automated inspection and AI-enhanced defect detection.

• Implement area-specific quality goals and action plans to achieve/exceed quality standards, ISO compliance, and safety benchmarks.

• Provide ongoing informal feedback and formal annual performance evaluations to develop talent, with strong emphasis on internal succession planning and building high-performance teams.

• Establish/maintain quality programs for in-house manufactured components and finished products, including advanced quality improvement initiatives (e.g., zero-defect goals, predictive maintenance integration).

• Contribute to establishing standards/procedures for component and finished product design, testing, and validation, incorporating modern tools like advanced metrology, GD&T, and CMM.

• Monitor customer feedback (internal/external), trending data, and emerging risks; develop/execute corrective/preventive actions and timely customer responses.

• Interface with Quality leadership across the The Kinetic Group (Anoka, MN, Lewiston, ID, and Ozark, MO)

Experience you bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Quality Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related technical field; Master's degree or advanced certification preferred.

• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in quality management/engineering within a manufacturing environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership/management role; defense, ammunition, firearms, or explosives manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated expertise in quality management systems, including ISO 9001:2015 (or equivalent/higher); experience with ASQ certifications (e.g., CQM, CQE, CSSBB) highly preferred.

• Strong knowledge of GD&T, CMM programming/operation, advanced metrology, and statistical tools (e.g., SPC, DOE, regression analysis, capability studies).

• Proficiency in Microsoft applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) and familiarity with quality software/tools (e.g., Minitab, quality data analytics platforms); experience with digital/Industry 4.0 tools (automation, AI/ML for quality, ERP integration) a plus.

• Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, analytical, and problem-solving skills; ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence at all levels.

• Embraces servant leadership philosophy, prioritizing process improvement, employee development, and team success.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, governmental regulations (including ATF compliance), and industry standards.

• Skilled in writing reports, business correspondence, procedures, and policy documents.

• Effective presenter able to communicate information and respond to questions from managers, clients, customers, regulators, and the public.

• Advanced mathematical/statistical proficiency, including frequency distributions, test reliability/validity, ANOVA, correlation, sampling theory, factor analysis, and risk-based decision-making.

• Proven ability to define problems, collect/analyze data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and interpret technical instructions in mathematical, diagram, or procedural form while handling abstract and concrete variables.

Work Environment:

Employee work assignments may include tasks working with and/or exposure to potentially hazardous areas, including flammables and explosives. Safety training is provided to all employees to ensure compliance with company and federal regulations.

Pay Range:

$95,900.00 - $134,100.00

The actual annual salary offered to a candidate will be based on variables including experience, geographic location, education, and skills/achievements, and will be mutually agreed upon at the time of offer.

We offer a highly competitive salary, comprehensive benefits including: medical and dental, vision, disability and life insurance, 401K, PTO, tuition reimbursement, gear discounts and the ability to add value to an exciting mission

Our Postings are not intended for distribution to or use in any jurisdiction, country or territory where such distribution or use would violate local law or would subject us to any regulations in another jurisdiction, country or territory. We reserve the right to limit our Postings in any jurisdiction, country or territory.

Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veteran/Disabled

International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulation (EAR) Requirements:

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national; (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (a/k/a green card holder); (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1157; or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1158 or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Gun Control Act Requirements:

It is unlawful for these categories of persons to possess (for business or personal reasons) firearms or ammunition: (i) convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; (ii) fugitive from justice; (iii) unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substance Act 21 U.S.C. 802); (iv) who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution; (v) illegal alien; (vi) discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions; (vii) who has renounced his or her United States Citizenship; (viii) who is subject to a court order restraining the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of the intimate partner; or (ix) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Across The Kinetic Group, we rally for the customer by fostering collaboration, sharing insights and scaling competencies. We engineer our products in ways that match the drive of the people who put them to work in the field, on the course and on the battlefield. We're not just a name on the door - we are the people developing the products that help customers the world over.

The Kinetic Group is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for employment without to regard race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and any other characteristics protected by law. The EEO Law poster is available here:

If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to careers@tkghunt.com .