Head of Quality

Nexxiot is digitalizing freight asset management with technology that now oversees the world's most extensive network of connected intermodal containers and railcars.

Clients gain access to unparalleled real-time data, which streamlines fleet management and automates logistics processes. Nexxiot devices, built for resilience, withstand extreme conditions and provide long-term, detailed insights into cargo events, including impacts, delays, safety and security incidents, and loading activities.

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Nexxiot's influence extends globally. Our team, comprised of industry experts, operates from offices in Europe and North America and maintains a presence in a majority of depots, ports, and rail yards.

To learn more about how Nexxiot is leading the value generation for the rail industry, please visit www.nexxiot.com.

Job Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Head of Quality to lead and enhance our quality initiatives for both hardware and software as we scale our full-stack IoT solutions. This senior role will oversee a comprehensive quality program spanning hardware, cloud services, and software, ensuring the highest standards are met at every level of product delivery. This position is essential for driving continuous improvement, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering exceptional product reliability and customer satisfaction.

The Head of Quality will manage four key functions:

• Quality Management Aftersales
• Quality Management Supplier
• Quality Management Design & Development Software/Cloud
• Quality Management Systems

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy: Define and execute a robust quality management strategy that aligns with the company's goals and supports the cross-functional requirements of hardware and software teams.
• Establish Quality Setup: Develop and implement quality frameworks, processes, and best practices within the team, ensuring a proactive approach to maintaining and enhancing product quality.
• Process Implementation: Support functions across the company optimizing internal processes to improve overall efficiency.
• Digitization of Quality Management: Lead the digitization of Quality Management processes, integrating digital tools and platforms to streamline quality data collection, analysis, and reporting for real-time insights.
• Quality of Fleet Supervision: Oversee and monitor the quality of the deployed IoT fleet, addressing performance, reliability, and field quality issues through data-driven insights and continuous improvement.
• Establish KPI-based Reporting: Implement a KPI-driven reporting system to monitor and communicate quality metrics across the organization, providing transparent updates to executive leadership and stakeholders. Provide regular reports to the CEO and C-suite on quality performance, including results, KPIs, and progress toward goals.
• Regulatory Compliance and Standards: establish and maintain corporate-level quality policies, procedures, and standards to ensure the company meets all regulatory requirements and quality benchmarks, reinforcing the company's commitment to quality and mitigate compliance risks.
• End-to-End Quality Oversight: Oversee a multi-approach quality strategy across all product stages, from design and development to market release and aftersales, driving proactive feedback loops to enhance quality and reliability continuously.

Direct Reports (plan):

• Quality Management (QM) Aftersales: Responsible to oversee aftersales quality, ensuring rapid, effective responses to quality issues, field failures, and customer feedback. Develops and tracks KPIs to drive aftersales improvement and customer satisfaction.
• QM Supplier: Responsible to manage supplier quality processes, including qualification, audits, and supplier performance tracking. Collaborates with procurement and engineering to ensure components and materials meet stringent quality standards.
• QM Design and Development (Software / Cloud): Participate in the initial stages of product design and development to ensure quality considerations are integrated from the beginning. Guide the software quality program for our cloud-based solutions, overseeing testing protocols, validation, and performance monitoring to ensure reliability, security, and compliance in cloud deployments.
• QM Systems: Responsible to iplement and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) in line with industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 27001, etc.), supervising the comliance to regions and global legisalations, ensuring documentation, procedures, and audits align with best practices and regulatory requirements.

Core Responsibilities:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with R&D, Operations, and Customer Support to embed quality principles into the entire product lifecycle—from concept to aftersales.
• Continuous Improvement: Establish continuous improvement processes across all functions, utilizing data-driven insights, root cause analysis, and corrective actions to prevent recurring issues.
• Risk Management: Develop and oversee FMEAs, root cause analysis, and risk assessment practices to mitigate product and operational risks.
• Training & Development: Foster a quality culture through training, mentoring, and development initiatives across the organization.
• Performance Tracking: Develop and monitor KPIs to assess quality performance across all areas, providing regular reports to executive leadership and stakeholders.
• Lean & Six Sigma Implementation: Drive Lean and Six Sigma methodologies across all quality functions to enhance process efficiency, reduce waste, and support high-quality standards.

Personal Traits:

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to dissect complex systems and processes to identify potential quality issues and implement solutions effectively.
• Attention to Detail: A meticulous approach to ensuring products and services meet high-quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Leadership: Strong leadership skills to inspire, manage, and align teams towards continuous improvement and quality assurance goals.
• Problem Solving: Proactive in identifying quality challenges and adept at developing innovative, data-driven strategies to resolve them.
• Collaborative Mindset: Encourages cross-functional teamwork and open communication, ensuring everyone feels valued and included in the quality improvement process.
• Positive Attitude: Approaches challenges with optimism and resilience, promoting a can-do atmosphere that energizes the team to tackle problems creatively.
• Communication Skills: Clear, transparent, and open communication to ensure everyone understands goals, expectations, and feedback.
• Decisiveness: Confidence in making timely and informed decisions, providing direction and stability for the team.
• Accountability: Owning both successes and failures, setting an example for the team to take responsibility for their roles and contributions.

Requirements:

• Education: Master's degree in Electronics, Quality Management, or a related field preferred; Bachelor's degree required.
• Professional Experience: 8+ years of experience in quality management or compareble functions, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role in IoT, technology, and/or manufacturing.
• Proven experience in electronics.
• Demonstrated experience leading large teams within complex, matrixed organizations.
• Data-driven approach, with expertise in using data analytics to inform quality decisions and continuous improvement.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent) highly preferred.
• Experience in the digitization of Quality Management processes and implementation of digital tools for quality monitoring and reporting.
• Industry Standards: Familiarity with industry standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and other relevant certifications.
• Language skills: Fluent speaking and writing in English.