Technical Quality Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

The Technical Quality Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership in product quality, extrusion process performance, corrective action, and customer-related quality support across extrusion and converting operations. This elevated role applies engineering principles, process knowledge, and quality data to determine product conformity, troubleshoot complex defects, reduce scrap and recurring quality issues, and support product development and customer requirements. The position collaborates with Operations, Sales, Product Development, Quality, customers, and other technical resources to improve process capability, product performance, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  

• Extrusion Process & Technical Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of extrusion processes, materials, equipment capabilities, and operating parameters to interpret quality data, troubleshoot defects, and support informed production decisions. 

• Quality Analysis & Corrective Actions: Evaluate product testing results, specifications, and process trends to identify root causes, determine product conformity, implement corrective actions, and reduce scrap and recurring quality issues. 

• Customer Technical Support & Product Development: Support customer technical inquiries, product trials, specification reviews, and complaint investigations while collaborating with Sales and Operations to ensure product performance, manufacturability, and customer requirements are met. 

• Apply root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, SPC, process capability analysis, and other quality-engineering tools to improve process control and prevent recurrence. 

• Monitor critical product and process characteristics and communicate developing risks after significant nonconforming material is produced. 

• Provide technical support for customer inquiries, specification reviews, product performance concerns, and complaint investigations. 

• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to confirm customer requirements, product manufacturability, and technical feasibility. 

• Lead or support product development, customer qualification, and manufacturing trials by defining test requirements and documenting process conditions, measurements, observations, results, and technical recommendations. 

• Perform or oversee required finished-product testing, raw-material inspection, sample control, and verification activities. 

• Support product hold, release, segregation, traceability, and disposition decisions based on objective quality data. 

• Maintain accurate testing records, specifications, trial documentation, nonconformance records, corrective-action evidence, and other quality documentation. 

• Analyze historical quality and manufacturing data to identify recurring defects, process variation, yield loss, scrap, and continuous-improvement opportunities. 

• Provide technical guidance to production employees and leaders regarding quality standards, testing requirements, and process-related quality concerns. 

• Participate in customer, internal, and quality-system audits as assigned. 

• Lead or support cross-functional improvement initiatives and perform other related technical projects as assigned. 

Quality Engineering & Continuous Improvement  

• Partner with Operations, Sales, Product Development, Quality, customers, and suppliers to resolve technical issues and improve manufacturability and product performance. 

• Lead cross-functional projects focused on quality improvement, scrap reduction, process optimization, product performance, and customer satisfaction. 

• Support process validation, product and equipment qualification activities, and the implementation of sustainable quality improvements. 

• Lead or support corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities, including root cause analysis, action planning, implementation, and effectiveness verification. 

• Analyze manufacturing and quality data to identify sources of variation, process risks, and opportunities to improve quality, yield, and operational performance. 

• Participate in Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) reviews and risk assessments for new and existing products and processes. 

• Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of Control Plans, work instructions, inspection methods, and quality standards. 

• Lead Statistical Process Control (SPC) initiatives and monitor process capability using appropriate quality and manufacturing data. 

Key Working Relationships  

• Operations and Production Leadership 

• Sales and Customer-Facing Teams 

• Product Development and Technical Resources 

• Customers and Suppliers, as assigned 

• Quality Leadership and other manufacturing locations 

Qualifications  

• Bachelor's degree in quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, plastics engineering, engineering technology, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent relevant manufacturing and quality experience may be considered. 

• Experience in extrusion, converting, plastics, films, or a related manufacturing environment strongly preferred. 

• Working knowledge of product specifications, quality inspection, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions, SPC, process capability, and process troubleshooting. 

• Ability to analyze technical and manufacturing data, identify trends, reach sound conclusions, and communicate practical engineering recommendations. 

• Ability to work effectively across Operations, Sales, Product Development, and customer-facing functions. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and applicable quality or manufacturing systems. 

Preferred Knowledge and Skills  

• Extrusion process parameters, polymer materials, equipment capabilities, and common extrusion defects. 

• Quality tools such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, corrective and preventive action, SPC, and process capability analysis. 

• Product testing methods, measurement equipment, calibration awareness, specification control, and sample traceability. 

• Customer complaint investigation, technical report writing, and presentation of findings. 

• Continuous-improvement methods focused on quality, yield, waste reduction, and operational performance. 

Core Competencies  

• Technical and analytical problem-solving 

• Quality ownership and sound judgment 

• Customer focus 

• Cross-functional collaboration 

• Clear written and verbal communication 

• Attention to detail and documentation discipline