Quality Engineer

Location: Ephrata, Pennsylvania 

Reports to: Engineering Manager 

Position Summary

Stauffer Diesel is seeking a practical, people-oriented Quality Engineer to own quality assurance, prevent recurring defects, and make sure problems lead to lasting corrections. You will work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and suppliers to improve the quality of incoming parts, production processes, and finished products.

The position reports to the Engineering Manager and has direct access to the CEO at all times to raise quality concerns, including concerns involving Engineering or unresolved disagreements. You will be expected to exercise independent quality judgment and hold teams accountable for corrective actions.

You will begin with substantial hands-on inspection to learn about our products and failure modes. As repeat checks are documented and qualified employees are trained, your focus will expand toward prevention, supplier improvement, minor engineering and drafting changes, and oversight of the quality process. Manufacturing engineering support is part of solving quality problems; quality assurance remains the primary responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Own practical inspection plans and product QA checklists, including acceptance criteria, revision control, filing, and consistent use on the shop floor.
• Perform and oversee incoming and in-process inspections and support independent finished-product checks. Train qualified employees to perform repeat checks while retaining quality oversight.
• Document nonconformances, contain affected material, coordinate approved dispositions, and verify rework before release.
• Lead root-cause investigation and corrective-action follow-through for internal, supplier, and customer-reported quality problems. Confirm that fixes work on later receipts and builds.
• Work with Purchasing and suppliers to improve performance, document rework costs, support appropriate recovery, and evaluate alternate sources when needed.
• Track quality issues and associated engineering changes through closure. Prepare the Engineering–Manufacturing review every two weeks using upcoming builds, open issues, owners, and due dates.
• Make sure corrections reach affected stock and work in process as well as future orders, drawings, bills of material, and shop instructions.
• Verify that suppliers and production receive current drawings, models, DXF files, revisions, and requirements. Coordinate controlled minor corrections within approved authority.
• Make changes to BOMs and perform small CAD tasks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, or a related engineering discipline; equivalent directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Hands-on quality engineering or quality assurance experience in manufacturing, ideally with low-volume, high-mix equipment or fabricated products.
• Experience with nonconformance control, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, supplier quality, and follow up verification that problems do not recur.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, tolerances, revisions, and bills of material; use common measurement tools; and focus inspection on critical requirements and likely failures.
• Ability to review 3D models and controlled engineering information and coordinate or perform practical drawing or BOM corrections with design engineers.
• Clear communication with shop employees, engineers, buyers, suppliers, and customers, including the ability to lead issue reviews and challenge decisions constructively.
• Sound judgment under schedule pressure, willingness to escalate unresolved quality concerns, and disciplined follow-through on owners, due dates, and verified closure.

Preferred Experience

• Welded assemblies, formed sheet metal, machined parts, pipe or tube fabrication, powder coating, or engine and equipment integration.
• Risk-based inspection planning, first-article checks, product QA checklists, supplier development, and training or auditing routine inspection work.
• SolidWorks, PDM or other controlled document systems, and Epicor or similar ERP systems. Ability to make controlled minor CAD or BOM changes is useful.
• Practical gauges, fixtures, inspection methods, and process improvements that prevent defects or reduce rework.

Work Environment

This position is based on-site at our Ephrata, Pennsylvania facility. 

Hybrid work flexibility available.

Occasional travel to customers or supplier sites may be required. 

This is an on-site role managed by Engineering. You will work closely with Manufacturing and Purchasing and organize fixes, improvements, product and part quality with all three departments.

What we Offer:

· Competitive Wages

· Company Paid Training Programs

· Health/Dental/Vision Insurance available

· 401k with Company Match

· Company paid Life & Disability Insurance. 

· Supplemental Life & Accident Insurance available

· Paid Holidays

· Paid Time Off

· Established Safety Program

· Opportunities for Career Advancement

What Success Looks Like

Repeat defects and rework decline. Quality checks are consistent, and catch defects that affect assembly or quality. Engineering, Manufacturing, and suppliers complete corrective actions, affected inventory is addressed, and later builds demonstrate that problems stay fixed. Assembly issues decline as designs receive improvements initiated by Manufacturing.

How to Apply

Submit a resume and a brief description of a quality or supplier problem you helped solve, including how you verified that the correction prevented recurrence.