Quality Engineer

SUMMARY:
Develop and maintain the quality activities necessary to effectively and cost efficiently control the manufacturing process and meet all agreed upon quality requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, developing, implementing, and maintaining receiving inspection plans, in-process inspection and/or operator inspection plans, inspection and production gauging, final inspection plans, SPC procedures, and product specific quality procedures.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Support the Spectrum Plastics Group, MN (SPG, MN) safety program and its goal of zero accidents.
• Ensure operational processes and quality requirements meet customer expectations and company goals.
• Actively promote and drive a culture of safety.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Identify customer quality requirements and develop inspection methods and plans to support their achievement.
• Manage internal and external quality issues for their assigned market team in order to achieve team goals.
• Provide support to engineering, inspection, manufacturing, and sales functions to achieve SPG and team goals.
• Understand applicable quality principles including, but not limited to, statistics, sampling management, blueprint reading, metrology, quality planning techniques, and closed loop corrective action.
• Understand applicable Spectrum Plastic Group Standard Operating Procedures.
• Assist in project acquisition by identifying customer quality requirements, and their associated costs and impacts to the quotation team.
• Assist in the project development phase by specifying first article submission requirements. This includes dimensional analysis, capability studies, customer forms, and required certifications.
• Understand the quality requirements of SPG’s customers. Clarify customer requirements when necessary.
• When appropriate, analyze inspection data for evidence that manufacturing and inspection processes are functioning properly. Initiate corrective/preventive action when necessary.
• Process incoming, in-process, finished, and customer returned discrepant material according to the Discrepant Material Report, and corrective action procedures. Hold daily MRB meetings for rejected product.
• Support the problem resolution process by acting as resource for quality problem solving methodology.
• Respond with documented closed loop corrective action to internal and external quality problems when appropriate.
• Support the purchasing function by identifying purchased component/service quality requirements and supporting resolution of quality issues.
• Act as backup for the other Quality Engineers.
• Read, analyze, and interpret blueprints, quality manuals, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations as appropriate.
• Read, write, and analyze business and technical reports, business correspondence, procedures and inspection plans to effectively present business and technical information in response to inquiries from peers, subordinates, management, co-workers and customers.
• Interpret technical information in mathematical or diagram form and deal with abstract and solid concepts.
• Define problems, perform root cause analysis, choose and implement solutions, and test their effectiveness.
• Apply and understand process and gauging qualification methods, statistical sampling theory, and statistical process control methods.
• Program CMM to support the inspection function.
• Lead and/or support continuous improvement efforts including 5S.

Defense industry specific responsibilities:

• Maintain current knowledge for the customer specific requirements of SPG’s Defense customers and requirements of AS9100.

Qualifications:

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (B.S.)
• Minimum 1 year of Quality Engineer experience.
• Experience in plastics injection molding and/or medical device industry is highly preferred
• Excellent problem-solving skills to identify, gather, and analyze information develop solutions and resolve problems in a timely manner.
• High level of accountability. Aligned with our policy of Promises Made – Promises Kept.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously.
• Highly collaborative with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Support the factory with a superior level of customer service and responsiveness.
• Able to work in a fast-paced, team environment.
• A background or working knowledge of polymers and injection molding is highly preferred.
• Experience in a regulated industry is preferred. Familiarity with the requirements for medical device manufacturing is beneficial.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work I office, production and warehouse environments.