Quality Manager

Be yourself at Protolabs 

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.  We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace.  So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!  You can help make our company even better.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself.  We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams. 

Why Protolabs? 

We are the leaders in digital manufacturing.  We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit.  Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds.  We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do.  It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home. 

Join the team as a Quality Manager!

The Quality Manager will enable customer satisfaction by establishing and maintaining Quality systems and practices and will provide leadership to develop a culture of quality and continuous improvement.

• Set and maintain Protolabs quality standards and give direction to the Quality Control team.
• Ensure manufactured parts meet company acceptance criteria and customer specifications.
• Monitor process performance and use data to drive continuous improvement and reduce rework/nonconformance.
• Lead root cause analysis, recommend corrective actions, and coach problem‑solving teams.
• Facilitate kaizen events and lead process improvement projects.
• Work hands‑on in manufacturing to refine processes and improve product quality.
• Train staff in Lean and quality tools (VSM, DMAIC, DFSS, Kanban, flow creation, 5S).
• Establish and maintain quality assurance procedures and certifications (ISO 13485, ISO‑9001 & AS9100).
• Develop and monitor QMS KPIs (e.g., corrective action closure and effectiveness).
• Coordinate cross‑functionally (Sales, CS, Purchasing, Engineering, Manufacturing) to resolve customer complaints.
• Support internal, external, and customer quality audits.
• Hire, develop, and mentor quality personnel.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent in a relevant discipline such as Industrial, Manufacturing, or Mechanical Engineering, Science, Statistics, Business or Quality Management, from an accredited college or university.
• Strong experience working in manufacturing in a quality role
• Multiple years experience leading cross-functional teams
• Proficiency with ISO 13485, ISO 9001 and AS9100
• Deep and broad understanding of Quality systems and practices and continuous improvement concepts in a manufacturing environment
• Able to analyze quality and manufacturing data and solve problems using statistical techniques such as SPC or DOE
• Proficiency with problem solving techniques and lean manufacturing
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented work environment
• Ability to work across various functions and with various levels of the organization to drive change
• Leader who is approachable and willing to accept good ideas from anywhere and anyone
• Good written and oral communication skills: able to communicate complex information to all levels of the organization, and able to prepare data to be presented

• CQM certification
• Strong CMM experience
• Experience in a Quality leadership role promoting quality and continuous improvement
• Proficiency with other quality systems standards, such as ISO/TS16949
• Excellent verbal communication, presentation, training and leadership skills
• Experience interfacing with customers and suppliers
• Proficiency in PPAP, FMEA, Cpk, Gauge R&R
• Previous quality management system audit experience
• Proficiency in GD&T

• We offer a competitive salary and annual bonus opportunity
• In addition, we offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
• Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
• Dental and Vision
• Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Paid caregiver leave
• You will receive PTO + Holiday Pay + Wellness Hours + Volunteer Hours
• 401k with company match and immediate vest
• Employee Stock Purchase Program at a 15% discounted rate
• Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
• And More!

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities.  Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status.  Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.

Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Physical Demands:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear.  The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must be able to lift and/or move up to 70 pounds. 

Work Environment:

Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in a manufacturing area exposed to machinery and noise; with eye protection and safety shoes required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.