Quality Engineer

Position: Quality Engineer

Location: Santa Ana, CA

Department: Quality

Reports To: Quality Manager

Classification: Exempt

Shift: Full-Time

Compensation: $61,878 $120,789 annually

Now Hiring: Quality Engineer

FLAG's mission is to show our contractors & clients the best this industry can offer by upholding our principles of leadership, service, and exceptionalism.

A confidential manufacturing company is seeking an experienced Quality Engineer to ensure products and manufacturing processes consistently meet customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements. This position will have significant responsibility for PPAP, APQP, FMEA, root cause analysis, quality auditing, supplier quality, and continuous improvement within a sheet metal fabrication environment.

1. Job Summary

The Quality Engineer is responsible for identifying, investigating, and resolving product and process quality issues while supporting defect prevention, waste reduction, and continuous improvement. This position manages the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), supports new product introductions, monitors quality performance, and ensures incoming materials and finished products meet established requirements.

This role works with minimal supervision and collaborates closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, suppliers, and customers. The Quality Engineer will lead complex quality projects, implement corrective actions, and provide technical guidance to ensure quality issues are resolved quickly and effectively.

2. Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Quality Engineering & PPAP

• Manage the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), including first-off sample approvals.
• Support Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) activities for new and existing products.
• Develop and maintain Control Plans and associated quality documentation.
• Participate in the development and refinement of Design and Process FMEAs.
• Write product testing procedures and establish appropriate inspection requirements.
• Support new product introductions to ensure manufacturing processes and product builds are robust.

Root Cause & Corrective Action

• Investigate internal, supplier, customer, and warranty-related quality issues.
• Perform root cause analysis and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve quality concerns quickly and minimize customer impact.
• Lead problem-solving activities related to nonconforming products and manufacturing processes.
• Exercise authority to stop production when unacceptable products or processes present a quality concern.

Quality Systems & Auditing

• Ensure compliance with applicable AS9100D and ISO 9001 Quality Management System requirements.
• Conduct and lead product, process, and quality system audits.
• Maintain quality documentation and ensure established procedures are consistently followed.
• Support quality awareness training throughout the organization.
• Assist with applicable ISO 14001, health, safety, and environmental requirements.

Quality Metrics & Supplier Performance

• Monitor and report quality KPIs, including scrap, rework, PPM, and cost of quality.
• Manage supplier quality performance and supplier KPIs.
• Monitor customer PPM and supplier PPM performance.
• Coordinate supplier corrective actions, cost recovery, and warranty-related quality issues.
• Analyze quality data and present findings, trends, and improvement recommendations to management.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead and support process and product improvement initiatives.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques including Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Poka-Yoke, and Measurement System Analysis (MSA) .
• Identify opportunities to reduce variation, defects, scrap, and waste.
• Conduct benchmarking activities to identify manufacturing and quality best practices.
• Stay current on manufacturing, engineering, and quality trends.

Cross-Functional & Customer Support

• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, customers, suppliers, and other departments to resolve quality concerns.
• Participate in cross-functional teams supporting new products and changes to existing products.
• Conduct quality meetings and develop action plans for improving performance.
• Communicate quality requirements and corrective actions throughout the shop floor and with customer management.
• Prepare technical reports and present project progress and quality performance.
• Provide technical guidance and quality training to team members.

3. Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline .
• Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing and/or quality engineering experience .
• Sheet metal fabrication experience .
• Strong working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and Control Plans .
• Experience performing root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Knowledge of AS9100D and ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and manufacturing specifications.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and quality measurement techniques.
• Experience conducting product, process, or quality system audits.
• Strong understanding of quality KPIs and manufacturing quality data.

Preferred

• Aerospace or precision manufacturing experience.
• Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma experience.
• Experience with Poka-Yoke and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).
• Supplier Quality Engineering experience.
• Knowledge of ISO 14001 requirements.
• Experience with Global Shop Solutions ERP.
• Experience supporting new product introduction and cross-functional APQP activities.

4. Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Frequent computer use and review of technical documentation and engineering drawings.
• Regular walking and standing throughout the manufacturing facility.
• Ability to conduct shop-floor product and process inspections.
• Occasional bending and reaching as required to inspect manufacturing processes and products.

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