Quality Program Manager - Supply Chain Operations

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you'll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what's next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

The Role

The Quality Program Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and scaling an end-to-end hardware quality management program. This role focuses on improving quality outcomes for new, used, and repaired hardware, reducing operational failures, and driving accountability across suppliers and internal partners.

This is a program leadership role requiring strong cross-functional collaboration with NETS, Service Assurance, Engineering/Planning, Service Delivery, Field Operations, Strategic Sourcing, and key suppliers. The role will define quality standards, implement measurable KPIs, pilot initiatives with strategic vendors, and translate quality data into actionable improvements that reduce cost, improve reliability, and enhance customer outcomes.

Work Location

This position has been designated as fully remote in the U.S.

Quality Program Overview

The Supply Chain Operations Manager establishes an end-to-end hardware quality management system across the full lifecycle (new, used, and repaired equipment). The program focuses on improving reliability and customer outcomes by reducing Dead on Arrival (DOA), operational failures, and repair No Trouble Found (NTF), while increasing visibility, traceability, and supplier accountability.

• Measure: Define and track part-level lifecycle metrics (install DOA, spares DOA, operational failure rate, MTBF, repair NTF) segmented by new/used/repaired and by supplier/repair vendor.
• Review: Run a recurring governance cadence (weekly ops triage, monthly deep dive, quarterly executive review) to prioritize issues, approve corrective actions, and remove blockers.
• Resolve: Use a standard closed-loop workflow for issue escalation, root cause analysis (RCA), corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and validation that fixes are effective.
• Improve: Influence upstream changes (engineering standards, sourcing/contract terms, repair strategies, inventory disposition) based on measured outcomes.
• Communicate: Publish clear leadership-ready reporting that highlights risks, trends, top offenders, actions in flight, and realized operational/financial impact.

The Main Responsibilities

Quality Program Management

• Design, implement, and manage an end-to-end hardware quality program covering new, used, and repaired equipment.
• Establish program objectives, success metrics, governance cadence, and continuous improvement roadmap.
• Own program outcomes, including quality performance trends, root cause identification, corrective actions, and measurable results.
• Establish regular, effective communication with stakeholders and senior leadership to drive program forward.

Quality Metrics & Analytics

Define, track and report quality metrics at the part level across the lifecycle, including:

• Install DOA (Dead on Arrival) rates
• Operational failure rates
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure)
• Spares DOA rates
• Repair NTF (No Trouble Found) rates
• Analyze trends to identify high risk parts, systemic issues, and supplier or process gaps.
• Translate data into clear insights and recommendations for leadership and stakeholders.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Act as the central quality program liaison across NETS, Service Assurance, Engineering/Planning, Service Delivery, Field Operations, and Strategic Sourcing. Drive alignment on quality priorities, corrective actions, and escalation paths.

Continuous Improvement & Governance

• Establish standard processes for issue escalation, root cause analysis, corrective action plans, and validation of improvements.
• Influence upstream changes in sourcing, repair strategies, and inventory disposition based on quality outcomes.
• Prepare executive level summaries highlighting risks, improvements, and financial or operational impacts.

What We Look For in a Candidate

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5 years of experience in supply chain operations, quality management, hardware lifecycle management, or program management.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead complex, cross-functional programs with measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate quality data into clear, actionable insights.
• Experience working with OEMs, repair vendors, and strategic suppliers.
• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Proven capability to influence beyond direct management structure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with network or telecom hardware environments.
• Familiarity with reliability metrics (DOA, MTBF, failure rates) and root cause methodologies.
• Experience implementing pilot programs and scaling them enterprise‑wide.

Compensation

This position offers a competitive salary range based on location, generally between $84,629 and $124,122 annually, plus comprehensive benefits.

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status.