Quality Engineer I

Position Qualifications

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

Experience/Skills/Abilities:

Required: Ability to develop into a Level II and III role within three years through a skills development plan.

Preferred: Three to five years’ experience in quality-related work, preferably in a manufacturing environment. Understanding of basic 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 strong verbal, writing and interpersonal skills are required. Experience with nationally recognized testing laboratories such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Background in sheet metal manufacturing, welding, powder coating paint systems and electrical and electronic component assembly a plus. Proficient in blueprint reading. Experience with union workforce.

Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Training and Awareness:

• Become a leader for quality-related kaizen events with cross-functional team members
• Become a leader and/or participate in PIT (Performance Improvement Team) activities.
• Work with all levels of associates to learn all manufacturing processes from raw materials to final assembly.
• Build the skill level of production personnel and verify that they are using gages properly and at correct frequencies and recording all necessary data.
• Facilitate continuous improvement and learning for all functional areas through training and communication of quality initiatives.

Build Quality into the Manufacturing Process:

• Using core tools, provide a proactive approach to building quality into the process rather than inspecting for quality.
• Implement and maintain QAC (Quality Accountability Cycle).
• Responsible for quality control for new product development
• Assist in the development of assembly fixturing and gaging.
• Develop Poke-yoke processes throughout manufacturing.
• Develop and audit the quality management systems such as control plans, PPAP, FMEA, calibrations, etc.
• Develop and audit receiving inspection procedures of vendor parts as necessary.
• Makes quality decisions about suspect parts and disposition of defective material from supplier and internal production.
• Responsible for managing and monitoring a world-class level of supplier quality.
• Develop and maintain in-process and end-of-line testing program throughout the manufacturing process.
• Develop and maintain calibration program on gages, torque wrenches, air tools, etc.
• Ensure manufacturing process maintains compliance with nationally recognized testing laboratories standards such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories).
• Develop into the role of internal quality consultant for product groups, management, New Product Development Engineering, Marketing and Sales.

Problem Troubleshooting:

• FR (field 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 product engineering for drawing corrections, product assembly problems, etc.
• Track and measure First Pass Yield and develop action plan 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 5S 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.
• Adhere to and promote the HR Pledge.
• Cooperate and commit in a team environment to achieve goals and deliverables.
• Resolve difficult or complicated challenges using the problem-solving process.
• Actively embrace our core principles.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position does not routinely supervise others. On occasion, however, this individual may be asked to fill in for absent production supervisory personnel. In this role, responsibilities include assigning and directing work, addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Competencies

Quality and manufacturing at Milbank 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 the differences each of us bring to the team.
• Involve the hourly production workers in problem solving and process improvement.
• Foster and encourage an atmosphere of responsibility, quality and pride in all who function on the team
• Ability to develop into a Level II and III role within three years through a skills development plan

A Quality Engineer will:

• Be a leader, coach, mentor and knowledge expert for 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 assure 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 for a spectrum of business environments to facilitate process analysis and improvements.

Travel Required: Less than 15%

Hours: Regular 40-hour workweek. Overtime as needed.

Working Conditions: Office and/or manufacturing 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.