Quality Assurance Engineer

Acara Solutions is seeking a Quality Assurance Engineer for our client in Erie, PA

Position Overview:

• Acts with integrity, drive for results, communicates and influences, demonstrates business acumen, thinks strategically, drives a continuous improvement culture, develops employees, team, and self.
• The Quality Assurance Engineer is responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving quality systems that ensure products meet customer requirements, regulatory standards, and internal specifications.
• This role supports manufacturing operations through process control, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce defects, improve yield, and drive operational excellence.
• Reports to Engineering Director.

Job Title: Quality Assurance Engineer

Location: Erie, PA

Employment Direct Hire

Industry: Manufacturing

Compensation: $75K/year.

Schedule: 40 hours/week.

Required Qualifications :

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering.
• 3 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 3 years of experience with ERP systems and quality data reporting.

Preferred :

• Excellent communications and people skills.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and manufacturing quality systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering documents, including GD&T.
• Proficiency with common quality tools: calipers, micrometers, CMM, OGP etc.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain and improve the Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with ISO 9001 and other applicable standards.
• Support internal and external audits, including customer and supplier audits.
• Develop, revise, and enforce quality procedures, work instructions, and inspection standards.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements.
• Provide day‑to‑day quality engineering support for manufacturing, assembly, and machining operations.
• Establish and maintain process control plans, inspection plans, and quality metrics.
• Verify proper use of gauges, measurement devices, and statistical tools.
• Assist with first article inspections (FAI) and validation of new or revised processes.
• Lead root cause analysis using tools such as 5‑Why, Fishbone, Pareto analysis, and SPC.
• Implement and verify corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Analyze scrap, rework, and customer returns to drive measurable improvements.
• Support supplier quality activities, including supplier evaluation and issue resolution.
• Review incoming inspection data and assist with supplier corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Purchasing and Engineering on supplier quality requirements.
• Participate in new product introductions (NPI), design reviews, and process validations.
• Review drawings, specifications, and bills of material for quality risk.
• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) from a quality and manufacturability perspective.
• Drive Lean and continuous improvement projects related to quality, yield, and cost reduction.
• Support Six Sigma or similar problem‑solving initiatives when applicable.
• Train production employees on quality standards, inspection methods, and defect prevention