Quality Engineer

Location: Hemlock, MI

Job Title: Quality Engineer

Purpose of the Position: Lead projects to strengthen the Product Quality Architecture within the plant. Drive efforts to support customer complaints and drive the implementation of effective corrective actions. Support PQA certification initiatives for the plant and lead projects to meet those goals. Provide support for daily quality product dispositions for all plant processes.

Required Education, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 0-5 years of experience in a technical, quality, or manufacturing role
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to develop and use database queries   
• Excellent organizational skills  
• Methodical, data-based decision-making skills with the ability to use this data in proactively finding solutions   
• Understanding of basic statistical and data analysis concepts  
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)

Desired Skills

• Project management experience
• Six Sigma training. A Green or Black Belt certification would be preferred
• Statistical Process Control
• Experience with ISO 9001 or similar certification process

Soft Skills

• Ability to work within a team environment (strong team player)
• Proven self-starter – able to effectively manage high levels of uncertainty and change
• Good written and verbal communication skills

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance procedures and processes to ensure compliance with product specifications, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Conduct incoming, in-process, and final product inspections to verify conformance to quality standards, identifying and addressing non-conformities or deviations as needed.
• Perform internal audits of manufacturing processes, procedures, and documentation to assess compliance with quality management systems (QMS), such as ISO 9001 and IATF 16949.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address audit findings, implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and drive continuous improvement in quality systems and processes.
• Utilize statistical tools and techniques, such as SPC charts, Pareto analysis, and root cause analysis (RCA), to monitor process performance, analyze quality data, and identify trends or patterns.
• Establish control plans and quality control limits to ensure consistency and reliability of manufacturing processes, minimizing variability and defects.
• Establish supplier quality requirements, evaluate supplier performance, and conduct supplier audits and assessments to ensure compliance with quality standards and specifications.
• Collaborate with suppliers to address quality issues, implement corrective actions, and drive supplier quality improvement initiatives to enhance overall supply chain quality and reliability.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, and waste elimination through Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• Implement quality improvement projects, Kaizen events, and value stream mapping exercises to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and optimize product quality.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer quality issues, complaints, or inquiries, facilitating timely resolution, investigation, and corrective action implementation.

Work Hours

• Standard Hours (Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm)  
• Managing a 24/7 plant structure, so occasional support when needed.