Director – Product Quality & Safety, Global Residential Fire bei Kidde Global Solutions

Location:

30188950 – Director - Product Quality & Safety, Global Residential Fire

Location: Mebane, NC or Bradenton, FL

Base Salary Rate: $177,650.00 - $209,000.00

Job type: Full-time

Where Fire Safety Innovation Meets Opportunity

As part of Kidde Global Solutions Residential Fire Business Unit, you’ll be part of a legacy of leadership in home fire safety, working with cutting-edge technologies that protect lives and property worldwide. As a leading home fire safety brand, our mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and related hazards. We’re committed to expanding our impact and providing dynamic opportunities for growth within our team. You’ll be part of a company that prioritizes quality, integrity, collaboration, and customer care, with the resources, training, and incentives to ensure your success every step of the way. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and be part of an innovative, mission-driven team, apply now.

About This Role

As the Director of Global Product Quality & Safety, you will be the senior leader responsible for Kidde’s global quality and safety strategy across all product lines. This role ensures that every product meets the highest standards of performance, safety, and consumer satisfaction.  You will cultivate a culture centered on quality-led innovation, operational excellence, and proactive risk management, while ensuring customer and consumer feedback is deeply integrated into product development and improvement processes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Lead the global Quality & Safety function, setting the vision and roadmap for excellence in product quality and consumer safety.
• Represent Supply Chain and Operations in all product risk assessments and safety reviews.
• Serve as the executive sponsor for quality and safety initiatives across the global business.

Product & Consumer Quality and Safety

• Define and enforce internal Kidde-specific quality and safety standards that exceed regulatory requirements.
• Lead the Product Safety Office, ensuring robust risk assessments, root cause investigations, and corrective actions for all safety-related incidents.
• Conduct regular reviews of legacy products to ensure continued compliance and performance.

New Product Development (NPD) & Innovation

• Provide quality and safety oversight during all NPD phases, including DFMEA, QFD, and consumer validation testing.
• Integrate voice-of-customer (VoC) and voice-of-consumer (VoCon) feedback into product design and next-gen innovation.
• Collaborate with R&D and Engineering to ensure consumer use cases and failure modes are proactively addressed.

Incident Management & Escalation Leadership

• Lead cross-functional teams during product quality or safety incidents, including field issues, recalls, and regulatory escalations.
• Ensure transparent communication with internal stakeholders, customers, and regulatory bodies.
• Institutionalize learnings into SOPs and future product designs.

Customer & Consumer Support

• Partner with Customer Experience and Technical Support to analyze product feedback, warranty claims, and service data.
• Use insights to drive continuous improvement and enhance product reliability and satisfaction.

Standardization & Best Practices

• Develop and implement best-in-class Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for quality and safety processes, including:
• Stage-Gate Quality Reviews during NPD
• Closed-Loop Corrective Action Systems (CLCA)
• Layered Process Audits (LPA)
• Design for Reliability (DfR)
• Supplier Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
• Benchmark against industry leaders and drive continuous improvement through Lean & Six Sigma methodologies.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Through robust processes and frameworks, this role will guide the organization toward best-in-class quality performance – driving the business to targets listed below:

• Product Quality:
  • First Pass Yield (FPY): > 98%
  • Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ): < 1.5% of revenue
  • Field Failure Rate: < 0.5% within 12 months
  • Warranty Return Rate: < 0.75%
• Consumer Experience:
  • Customer Complaint Rate: < 0.25%
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS): > 70
  • Time to Resolution (TTR) for Safety Incidents: < 5 business days
• Process Excellence:
  • Corrective Action Closure Rate: 100% within 30 days
  • Supplier Defect Rate (PPM): < 500 PPM
• Innovation & Feedback:
  • VoC/VoCon Integration Rate in NPD: 100% of new programs
  • Consumer Validation Pass Rate: > 90%

Basic Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 15+ years of progressive experience in product quality and safety leadership, preferably in consumer products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree
• Deep expertise in QFD, DFMEA, NPD, VAVE, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven track record of leading through product safety incidents and driving systemic improvements.
• Proven experience with facilitating change in a fast-paced environment, influencing skills and the ability to build strong working relationships at all levels.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with experience leading salaried & hourly team members.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• ASQ or similar quality certifications are a plus.
• Financial Acumen: Experienced in budgeting and forecasting for quality and safety programs, including planning for testing activities, resource needs, and cost control
• Project Management: Strong project management skills and good organizational skills & ability to multi-task.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to develop positive relationships and work with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams, third parties, and remote teams.
• Analytical Skills: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, using data-driven insights to inform decision-making.
• Communication: Effective communication skills to convey complex ideas and strategies to diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and envision the long-term direction of the quality organization in alignment with company goals.
• Adaptability: Comfort with ambiguity and ability to adapt to evolving market conditions and organizational priorities.
• Travel: up to 10% travel

What You Will Gain

• Health Coverage: Choose from three medical plans, dental, and vision options
• Financial Protection: Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off: Vacation, sick days, company holidays, and various leave options (parental, FMLA, etc)
• Employee Support: EAP, adoption/surrogacy assistance, additional voluntary health benefits
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with employer match

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $177,650.00 - $209,000.00. Individuals may also be eligible for an annual performance bonus based on both individual and company’s performance. The final compensation for this position will be set based on the individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience as it relates to the job requirements. Kidde Global Solutions is committed to providing a competitive benefits package to our employees including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan, paid time off (vacation, sick, holidays), and more. 

Kidde Global Solutions Overview

Kidde is the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products. Each day, we work to expand upon our legacy of innovation, providing advanced solutions to protect people and property from fire and related hazards. While we’re a leading manufacturer of fire safety products, there’s more to safety than equipment and technology. From collaboration with builders and dealers to community initiatives to partnerships with non-profits, Kidde Commercial is committed to working together to create a safer world.

Kidde Global Solutions is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.