Position Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree required, ideally related to quality or manufacturing or min. 10 years equivalent experience.

Experience/Skills/Abilities:

Required: 7 + years’ experience in quality related work, within a manufacturing environment. Understanding and recommendation of use and interpretation of quality core tools such as Control Plans, APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), SPC (Statistical Process Control), PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis) and MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis). Strong analytical and problem-solving skills along with effective verbal, written and interpersonal skills are required.

Preferred: Experience with nationally recognized standards in heavy and light sheet metal manufacturing, welding, powder coating paint systems, plus mechanical and electrical & electronic component assembly a plus. Highly proficient in blueprint reading. Min. basic understanding and interpretation of GD&T.

Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Training and Awareness

• Manage the day-to-day Line & Final Quality Inspectors, provide aid and support to minimize production line disruption to both Quality and Production while ensuring all Quality-related incidents associated with individual trucks are resolved and accurate record keeping is maintained.
• Champion Quality related kaizen events with cross-functional team members.
• Review new or significantly modified components / assemblies and authorize as necessary deviation requests.
• Continuously build the skill level of Quality Inspection personnel in the use and maintenance of test and measuring equipment, at correct frequencies and recording all necessary data.
• Facilitate continuous improvement and learning across all functional areas through training and communication of quality initiatives.
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Build Quality into the Manufacturing Process

• Using core tools provide a proactive approach to building quality into the process rather than inspecting for quality.

• Assist in the development of assembly fixturing and gaging.

• Develop Poke-yoke processes throughout Quality Inspection processes.

• Makes quality decisions about suspect parts and disposition of defect material both from supplier and internal production.
• Develop and maintain in-process & end-of-line testing program throughout production process.
• Maintain compliance with established calibration program on gages, torque wrenches, air tools, etc. used in the production and inspection process maintains compliance with Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories standards such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories).
• Serves as an internal quality consultant for product groups, management, new product development engineering, marketing, and sales.

Problem Troubleshooting

• IIR (Internal Incident report) and CAP (corrective action plan) report investigations. Lead investigations and work with cross-functional team to develop internal resolution of manufacturing non-conformances and prevent recurrence.
• Investigate product quality problems, determine root cause, gather and analyze data and implement corrective action to reduce or eliminate cause.
• Submit change requests to Process and/or Design Engineering related to drawing corrections, product assembly problems, etc.
• Track and measure First Pass Yield and develop action plans for improvement.

Continuous Improvement/Lean Enterprise

• Develop and implement Best Practices leading to improvements in lean manufacturing concepts and product quality.
• Support the implementation of the 5-S workplace organization processes in the plant through direct project involvement and through fellow team members.
• Establish and utilize frameworks and systems, including tools such as visual management, problem solving, standard work and kaizen.
• Ability to cooperate and commit in a team environment to achieve goals and deliverables.
• Resolve difficult or complicated challenges using the problem-solving process.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position requires supervision of Line and Final Quality Inspectors. In this role, responsibilities include hiring, assessing performance in conjunction with Quality Engineering Manager on an annual basis and the daily assigning and directing work, approving timecards, addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Competencies

Quality and Production are team endeavors; communication and teamwork are essential to who we are and how we succeed.

• Speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrate group presentation skills and ability to conduct meetings.
• Strong ability to express complicated and technical matters in a clear, concise manner.
• Embrace and enjoy a diverse working environment, understanding the strengths each of our differences bring to the team.
• Involve the production workers in problem solving and process improvement where necessary and/or applicable.
• Foster and encourage an atmosphere of responsibility, quality and pride in all who function in the team

A Senior Production Quality Engineer will

• Be a leader, coach, mentor and knowledge expert in regard to the Quality System and its development, documentation, and implementation with respect to domestic and international standards or requirements.
• Have a fundamental understanding of supplier relations and performance, leadership, training, interpersonal relationships, improvement systems, and professional ethics.
• Have a basic understanding of the audit process including types of audits, planning, preparation, execution, reporting results, and follow-up.
• Be able to develop and implement quality programs, including tracking, analyzing, reporting, and problem solving.
• Be able to plan, control, and assure product and process quality in accordance with quality principles, which include planning processes, material control, acceptance sampling, and measurement systems.
• Be able to plan, control, and ensure product application, including design, manufacturing and construction.
• Have a thorough understanding of problem-solving and quality improvement tools and techniques.

This includes knowledge of management and planning tools, quality tools, preventive and corrective actions, and how to overcome barriers to quality improvements.

• Be able to acquire and analyze data using appropriate standard quantitative methods across a spectrum of business environments to facilitate process analysis and improvements.

Travel required: Less than 15%

Hours: Hours as necessary to achieve the objectives

Working conditions: Office and / or un climate-controlled production plant floor setting.

Required to sit, stand and frequently move about the facility. Required to use safety glasses and other PPE in specific areas. May occasionally be required to lift or move up to 50 lbs.