Business Unit Quality and Operations Manager

Rain Bird Corporation, based in Azusa, California is the world's leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Since 1933, Rain Bird has offered broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes in more than 130 countries around the globe.

This person will be responsible for leading quality and business operations improvement throughout the value chain for the strategic business unit (SBU). The successful candidate will think and plan strategically while serving as a critical business partner in the SBU’s development and execution of its overall business plan.

* Coordinate the development and implementation of strategic quality plans for the SBU, including all functional areas of the business. * Oversee and manage all aspects of the company customer satisfaction policy, and develop optimal solutions to customer satisfaction issues. * Reduce avoidable charge-backs by initiating and leading efforts across the organization to eliminate their causes. * Interface with Rain Bird manufacturing plants and distribution operations to ensure quality requirements are met. * Coordinate with engineering and marketing to develop product performance and quality specifications. * Identify and implement new ideas to significantly improve and grow the business. * Work with customers as required. A potential of up to 20% travel time is possible. * Analyze and publish business metrics to aid in continuous improvement efforts and to assess the overall state of the SBU.

**Minimum Qualifications** * Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. * P&L Management * Excellent verbal and written communication skills. * 10 years management experience working within a customer-oriented business environment. * A strong strategic perspective, an analytical approach to decision making, a process orientation and good coaching skills. * Demonstrated success in utilizing influencing skills to produce results with people who have no direct reporting relationship to this position. * Demonstrated ability to build successful teams in the context of a business environment. * At least two of the desired qualifications. **Desired Qualifications** * MBA degree. * MS or other advanced degree in engineering. * Strong analytical skills, including practical experience in applying probability and statistics to business decisions. * General management, operations, and customer communication experience. * Knowledge of quality standards, processes and related disciplines and techniques such as Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, FMEA and Supplier Quality Assurance. * Experience within the landscape irrigation industry, and with irrigation products and their applications. * Knowledge of database design and management.