Global Quality Director Plates (m/w/d) in Willstätt

XSYS is a leading specialist and integrated solutions provider to the global flexographic and letterpress printing markets. It develops, produces and supplies photopolymer printing plates, sleeves and adapters, and related products and technologies to packaging printers and trade platemakers worldwide. Its portfolio includes some of the industry's best-known brands, including nyloflex® and nyloprint® plates, and the company holds a #1 or #2 position in substantially every segment in which it competes.

Following its 2022 carve-out from Flint Group and the acquisition of MacDermid Graphics Solutions completed in early 2025 (with legal and commercial integration complete and operational harmonization now the next phase), XSYS generates approximately €370 million in revenue with roughly 850 employees, serving some 1,500 customers across approximately 100 countries. The company operates five production facilities: two in Germany (including the flagship plate operation in Willstätt), one in Belgium, and two in the United States. These are supported by regional offices, service centers, and technical facilities across EMEA, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

XSYS's focus is on the success of its customers: with in-depth technical expertise as well as reliable service and support, XSYS helps printers, converters, and repro houses achieve consistently high quality and productivity.

We are looking for candidates at one of our production sites in Germany or the US to join us at the earliest possible date as:

Global Quality Director Plates (m/w/d)

The Role

In this global leadership role, you will define and drive the quality strategy for XSYS Plates across the international manufacturing network. You will establish harmonised standards, governance structures, and data-driven quality processes to strengthen product consistency, process reliability, and customer confidence.

Acting as the global quality authority for Plates, you will work closely with Production, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, and customer-facing teams to ensure that quality requirements are clearly defined, consistently applied, and continuously improved. Through this, you will make quality a key driver of operational excellence, customer trust, and sustainable business performance.

The role combines six primary mandates:

• Establish global quality strategy and governance. Define and implement the global quality strategy, governance model, and roadmap for XSYS Plates' manufacturing operations, in line with ISO 9001 and customer-specific quality requirements; establish global quality objectives, KPIs, standards, and escalation principles; and act as the global quality authority, providing direction to local quality teams and cross-functional stakeholders while building and developing a high-performing global quality organization.
• Own product quality, specifications, and lifecycle alignment. Lead global quality assurance for Plates products, embed quality requirements throughout the product lifecycle, and harmonise specifications, acceptance criteria, release principles, and deviation-handling rules, applying tools such as FMEA, PPAP, and control plans.
• Govern supplier quality, raw materials, and new material introduction. Define global supplier quality, raw material testing, and qualification requirements, and partner with Procurement, Production, R&D, and suppliers to strengthen material consistency, supplier performance, and production reliability.
• Advance quality systems, data, and digitalization. Define the global framework for QC and QM systems, including documentation, approval workflows, and data ownership, and drive digital tools for quality documentation, reporting, traceability, and performance analysis (e.g., QM/ERP modules, MES, LIMS, and statistical software such as Minitab).
• Drive quality performance and continuous improvement. Establish statistical quality methods (SPC), trend evaluation, and dashboards to identify variation and emerging risks early, and set global standards for root-cause analysis (e.g., 8D, CAPA), corrective and preventive actions, and process capability reviews.
• Shape customer quality communication and complaint management. Establish consistent, fact-based customer quality communication standards, and partner with the Claims Manager and commercial teams to ensure timely, technically sound complaint communication through closure.

This is a decision-making role: the Global Quality Director holds authority over product release, quality holds and containment, and escalation to recall where warranted, exercised in close consultation and with a direct reporting line to the Vice President Operations.

Performance in this role is tracked through global quality KPIs, including First Pass Yield (FPY), Defects Per Million (PPM/DPPM), Cost of Quality, customer complaint rates, and audit scores.

This is a global functional role, with functional leadership of the local quality teams across the international manufacturing sites in Germany and the US. Key relationships include the Vice President Operations, Production, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, and Customer Service, the Claims Manager and commercial teams on customer-facing quality matters, and the local quality teams at each manufacturing site.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be an experienced quality leader with a university degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field, who has built and embedded global quality standards within an international manufacturing environment.

They will bring sound knowledge of quality management systems, supplier quality management, raw material qualification, production quality control, specification management, audits, complaint handling, and continuous improvement, together with experience in statistical process control, trend analysis, and data-driven quality performance management. They will have a proven ability to work effectively across Production, R&D, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Customer Service, suppliers, and customers across regions and cultures, and excellent, customer-oriented communication skills in both German and English, with the ability to translate complex technical and quality topics into clear internal and customer-facing communication.

Above all, they will combine strategic quality leadership with hands‑on manufacturing understanding, strong cross‑functional influencing skills across global sites, and an analytical, structured, data‑driven approach to building scalable systems and harmonised standards — underpinned by high accountability and integrity.

University degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field; an advanced degree is preferred.

10+ years of progressive experience in quality management or quality assurance within an international manufacturing environment, including at least 5 years in a global or multi‑site leadership role.

Sound knowledge of quality management systems (ISO 9001; IATF 16949 or FSSC 22000 an advantage), supplier quality management, raw material qualification, production quality control, specification management, audits, complaint handling, and continuous improvement.

Hands‑on experience with FMEA, 8D, CAPA, PPAP, statistical process control (SPC), trend analysis, root‑cause analysis, and data‑driven quality performance management.

Certification such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer/Auditor (CQE/CQA), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or ISO 9001 Lead Auditor is preferred.

Proven ability to work effectively with Production, R&D, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Customer Service, suppliers, and customers across regions and cultures.

Fluent in English and preferably German (business fluent, spoken and written), with the ability to translate complex technical and quality topics into clear internal and customer‑facing communication.

Willingness to travel regularly within Europe and to the United States.

What You Can Look Forward To

A highly visible global leadership role with direct impact on product quality, customer satisfaction, and manufacturing excellence.

The opportunity to shape global quality standards, systems, and processes across an international manufacturing network.

Close collaboration with experienced teams in Production, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Sales.

A business‑critical role in a specialised technology environment with strong customer focus.

Scope to drive change, improve transparency, and establish sustainable quality practices.

XSYS Global

XSYS is a leading specialist and integrated solutions provider to the global flexographic and letterpress printing markets. It develops, produces and supplies photopolymer printing plates, sleeves and adapters, and related products and technologies to packaging printers and trade platemakers worldwide. Its portfolio includes some of the industry's best-known brands, including nyloflex® and nyloprint® plates, and the company holds a #1 or #2 position in substantially every segment in which it competes.

Following its 2022 carve‑out from Flint Group and the acquisition of MacDermid Graphics Solutions completed in early 2025 (with legal and commercial integration complete and operational harmonization now the next phase), XSYS generates approximately €370 million in revenue with roughly 850 employees, serving some 1,500 customers across approximately 100 countries. The company operates five production facilities: two in Germany (including the flagship plate operation in Willstätt), one in Belgium, and two in the United States. These are supported by regional offices, service centers, and technical facilities across EMEA, North America, Latin America, and Asia‑Pacific.

XSYS's focus is on the success of its customers: with in-depth technical expertise as well as reliable service and support, XSYS helps printers, converters, and repro houses achieve consistently high quality and productivity.

We are looking for candidates at one of our production sites in Germany or the US to join us at the earliest possible date as:

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be an experienced quality leader with a university degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field, who has built and embedded global quality standards within an international manufacturing environment.

They will bring sound knowledge of quality management systems, supplier quality management, raw material qualification, production quality control, specification management, audits, complaint handling, and continuous improvement, together with experience in statistical process control, trend analysis, and data‑driven quality performance management. They will have a proven ability to work effectively across Production, R&D, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Customer Service, suppliers, and customers across regions and cultures, and excellent, customer‑oriented communication skills in both German and English, with the ability to translate complex technical and quality topics into clear internal and customer‑facing communication.

Above all, they will combine strategic quality leadership with hands‑on manufacturing understanding, strong cross‑functional influencing skills across global sites, and an analytical, structured, data‑driven approach to building scalable systems and harmonised standards — underpinned by high accountability and integrity.

University degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field; an advanced degree is preferred.

10+ years of progressive experience in quality management or quality assurance within an international manufacturing environment, including at least 5 years in a global or multi‑site leadership role.

Sound knowledge of quality management systems (ISO 9001; IATF 16949 or FSSC 22000 an advantage), supplier quality management, raw material qualification, production quality control, specification management, audits, complaint handling, and continuous improvement.

Hands‑on experience with FMEA, 8D, CAPA, PPAP, statistical process control (SPC), trend analysis, root‑cause analysis, and data‑driven quality performance management.

Certification such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer/Auditor (CQE/CQA), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or ISO 9001 Lead Auditor is preferred.

Proven ability to work effectively with Production, R&D, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Customer Service, suppliers, and customers across regions and cultures.

Fluent in English and preferably German (business fluent, spoken and written), with the ability to translate complex technical and quality topics into clear internal and customer‑facing communication.

Willingness to travel regularly within Europe and to the United States.

What You Can Look Forward To

A highly visible global leadership role with direct impact on product quality, customer satisfaction, and manufacturing excellence.

The opportunity to shape global quality standards, systems, and processes across an international manufacturing network.

Close collaboration with experienced teams in Production, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Sales.

A business‑critical role in a specialised technology environment with strong customer focus.

Scope to drive change, improve transparency, and establish sustainable quality practices.