What are the responsibilities and job description for the Quality Engineer - Product & Supplier QA position at Sub-Zero Group, Inc.?
Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove – the leading manufacturer of luxury kitchen appliances – is a family-owned company known for craftsmanship, innovation, and integrity. Our products are found in the world’s most luxurious homes, and behind them are teams of people who live our values every day.
At our new Cedar Rapids facility, we’re building something special – a culture rooted in safety, operational excellence, and ownership. We do what’s right, take pride in our work, and continuously seek to improve. We win together through teamwork, accountability, and a passion for results.
This role is a unique startup opportunity to support both supplier quality and in-plant quality systems as we launch a new fabrication and assembly operation. As the plant grows, this position will evolve into a dedicated Supplier Quality Engineer or Plant Quality Engineer role based on individual strengths and business needs.
Startup Responsibilities (Hybrid Focus)
Incoming Inspection & Material Quality
- Design, implement, and sustain incoming material and parts inspection processes
- Establish inspection methods, sampling strategies, and control plans for purchased components
- Develop receiving inspection standards that support risk-based decision making
- Drive improvements toward efficient flow, including movement toward dock-to-stock where appropriate
- Train and support plant teams to ensure consistent execution of incoming inspection processes
Supplier Quality Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary conduit between the Cedar Rapids plant and the broader Supplier Quality team
- Partner with suppliers and internal teams to ensure quality parts are delivered to production in a timely manner
- Lead supplier problem solving, corrective actions, and improvement plans
- Review and approve supplier PPAPs, including control plans, FMEAs, and capability studies
- Perform supplier qualification, audits, and quality-at-rate assessments
- Support early production containment and supplier readiness for new product launches
Plant Quality Responsibilities
- Support the development and implementation of the Cedar Rapids Quality Management System
- Lead problem identification, root cause analysis, and corrective actions
- Work cross-functionally to develop, qualify, and audit manufacturing processes
- Support trial builds and pilot runs, collecting and analyzing quality data
- Establish KPIs and visual management systems to track quality performance
Ongoing Production Responsibilities (Post-Startup Focus)
As operations stabilize, this role will transition into a dedicated path aligned to strengths:
Path 1 – Supplier Quality Engineer
- Own supplier quality performance for assigned commodities
- Lead supplier development, audits, and improvement strategies
- Manage supplier change control and lifecycle quality processes
Path 2 – Plant Quality Engineer
- Own internal quality systems and production quality performance
- Lead continuous improvement of manufacturing processes
- Support layered audits, control plans, and standard work adherence
Leadership & Culture Expectations
- Build a culture that surfaces and solves problems, not hides them
- Take ownership of results and continuously look for ways to improve
- Communicate clearly and consistently with both plant teams and suppliers
- Model integrity, accountability, and a strong team-first mindset
We value our employees by providing:
- Competitive compensation based on skills
- Industry leading health, dental, and vision plans
- Generous 401 (K) savings and profit sharing
- Education assistance and internal training programs
- Maternity & paternity leave
- Interested in learning more on our robust benefits package we offer? Click here!
This position requires a pre-employment drug/alcohol test and background check, which will be administered after a conditional job offer is extended. A negative drug/alcohol test result is required for employment. Refusal to take the test or a positive result may disqualify a candidate from further consideration. All drug testing will be conducted in accordance with federal and state laws.