Whisker, formerly known as AutoPets, is the maker of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com. At Whisker, we believe pet parenthood can always get better.

As leading innovators in pet tech and refined pet accessories, we work tirelessly to solve problems and deliver smarter insights for pet parents while enriching the lives of pets. Whether it’s a self-cleaning litter box that automates scooping, an automatic feeder that helps pets develop healthier eating habits, or a modern cat tree that delights both humans and felines, we strive to deliver better solutions for consumers while transforming pet care along the way. To us, having a pet is the best thing ever. At Whisker, life together just keeps getting better.

Whisker is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Juneau, Wisconsin with 450+ passionate team members.

What You’ll Do:

The Director of Quality will lead and own all aspects of Quality at Whisker by providing leadership and direction in four key areas of the business: New Product Quality, Reliability & Testing, Manufacturing Quality and Voice of the Customer. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

New Product Quality:

• Defines Critical to Quality (CTQ) criteria on components and finished products based on identified user needs
• Translates CTQs to dimensional specifications to control component & finished product quality 
• Leads new and existing supplier audits to support supplier selection
• Owns risk assessment during the new product development phase

Reliability & Testing:

• Collaborates with Engineering & Product teams to define specifications that guarantee product functionality and reliability
• Leads test technicians in the development of new test methods and procedures
• Leads the reliability team in the creation of test plans, product testing &  documentation of test results
• Performs root cause analysis or leads investigations on test failures 

Manufacturing Quality:

• Owns end to end in-house quality to include incoming, in-process and out-going quality
• Initiates and implements quality improvement activities to increase the performance of Whisker connected pet appliances
• Establishes and maintains quality assurance processes to ensure all Whisker products meet or exceed customer expectations 
• Establishes and implements metrics including process capability, control charts, quality measurements, etc., for monitoring effectiveness and to enable Whisker Team Members to make impactful quality decisions and improvements
• Monitors vendor performance and establishes criteria and rating system for critical vendors 
• Drives resolution of engineering, manufacturing or supply chain quality concerns 

Voice of Customer:

• Interacts consistently with Customer Experience Team Members to identify opportunities to improve quality and establish feedback with manufacturing and engineering teams 
• Monitors customer reviews to identify product trends

Quality Leadership:

• Defines quality objectives and establishes a roadmap for achieving objectives and leads the quality department to accomplish objectives
• Leads and implements quality education and training for engineering, manufacturing, operations and quality departments 
• Serves as the Subject Matter Expert of all quality related events as well as the primary quality control resource for problem identification, resolution and  continuous improvement
• Leads internal and external quality audits 
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required

•  Leadership Responsibilities: Directly supervises department Teams. Carries out supervisory responsibilities following Whisker policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, training, and hiring, planning, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, addressing team issues, and upholding safety and quality guidelines. 

What You’ll Bring:

• BS in Engineering or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in Quality Assurance for Manufacturing and Assembly 
• 5+ years of experience leading quality teams and being directly responsible for people management 
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification
• Experience with durable consumer goods, plastic injection molding and electronic components 
• Able to travel to WhiskerPark (Juneau, WI) and to suppliers 
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs) 
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleagues

Not Required but Nice to Have!

• Current or previous pet parent 

Benefits & Perks:

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow’s pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with:

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• Life Insurance
• PTO
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401K with 4% Match
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• Top of the line equipment

Statement of Inclusivity:

We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.

#onsite1