Summary: The Senior Quality Engineer is responsible for leading and continuously improving the Quality Management System (QMS) for a growing aluminum sand casting foundry. This position ensures compliance with customer requirements, industry standards, and internal quality objectives while driving defect reduction, process improvement, and customer satisfaction.
The Senior Quality Engineer serves as the primary quality resource for casting production, inspection, and customer quality matters. This role works closely with Operations, Engineering, Sales, and Customers to identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and improve manufacturing processes throughout the foundry.
This position may require access to export-controlled technology or software source code that is subject to export controls restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and will therefore be required to meet eligibility criteria under ITAR and EAR regulations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Maintain and improve the company's Quality Management System in accordance with ISO9001/ AS9100 requirements.
- Develop, revise, and control quality procedures, work instructions, and inspection standards.
- Lead internal, external, customer and certification audits.
- Manage corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes and ensure timely closure.
- Monitor quality metrics and prepare reports for management review.
- Support aluminum sand casting operations, including molding, core making, melting, pouring, heat treating, finishing, and machining.
- Oversee Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), dimensional inspections, and metallurgical evaluations.
- Analyze scrap, rework, and customer returns to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
- Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) utilizing methodologies like 5-Why, Fishbone diagrams, and FMEA to address internal foundry defects and customer complaints.
- Collaborate with Production and Engineering teams to improve process capability and reduce variation.
- Develop and maintain control plans, inspection plans, and process documentation.
- Train, and mentor quality inspectors, metrology technicians, and laboratory personnel.
- Foster a “quality-first” culture by training production floor employees on visual aids, check sheets, and standard operating procedures.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for customer quality inquiries, audits, and on-site visits.
- Collaborate with purchasing and engineering teams to evaluate supplier quality, handle non-conforming incoming raw materials, and drive supplier development.
- Continuously review KPIs for Quality and Manufacturing. Suggest metric changes to management as applicable to ensure the pulse of the business is fully understood.
- Keep management team informed of significant issues or developments identified during quality activities, while coordinating with production any stop-work, containment, or workarounds required.
- Perform other duties or assignments as directed by management.
Competencies
- Analytical: Synthesizes complex or diverse information; collects and researches data; uses intuition and experience to complement data; designs workflows and procedures.
- Problem Solving: Relentlessly pursues root causes with a significant sense of urgency; gathers and analyzes information skillfully to develop several solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
- Project Management: Develops and coordinates projects with little or no supervision; effectively communicates updates; completes projects on time and within budget.
- Technical Skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses, while continuously working to expand skillset; openly shares expertise with others.
- Interpersonal: Focuses on solving conflict, not assigning blame; maintains confidentiality as appropriate; listens without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things; treats everyone with dignity and respect; displays passion and optimism, while inspiring respect and trust; proactively challenges others to think creatively.
- Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in all situations; seeks clarification if needed; openly invites questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; leads and participates in meetings.
- Written Communication: Writes in a clear and concise manner to effectively communicate information, plans, requirements, etc. to all levels of the organization.
- Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; puts the success of team above own interests; builds morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; recognizes accomplishments of other team members.
- Strategic Thinking: Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
- Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
- Initiative: Volunteers readily; undertakes self-development activities; seeks increased responsibilities; takes independent actions and calculated risks; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.
Basic Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field.
- Minimum 7 years of quality engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in a metalcasting, foundry, machining, or related metals manufacturing operation.
- Strong, proven working knowledge of ISO9001/AS9100.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality reporting tools.
- Proficiency in interpreting complex technical drawings, ASME Y14.5, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), and operating metrology equipment like CMMs/3D Scanners.
Preferred Requirements:
- Experience in aluminum sand casting operations.
- Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or ISO Lead Auditor certifications strongly preferred
- Metrology experience
- Metallurgical training or experience
- Familiarity with metallurgical testing and foundry process controls.
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, industrial, or automotive customers.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Thorough understanding of foundry manufacturing processes and casting defects.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive corrective actions.
- Knowledge of statistical process control (SPC), PFMEA, control plans, and capability studies.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong customer-facing communication and relationship management skills.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and Ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The typical work environment for this role is an office-type environment. However, while performing the duties of this Job, the employee will be regularly exposed to manufacturing work near moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the manufacturing work environment is usually very loud and may fluctuate in temperature depending on the weather and/or work process.
Schedule: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm
The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.
PalmerFoundry also complies with federal employment eligibility verification lawsthrough the E-Verify process. To verify identity and legal authority to work inthe U.S., on their first day of employment, employees must present either adocument which establishes both identity and work authorization (e.g., a U.S.Passport or Permanent Resident Card), or provide one document for identity(e.g., a state-issued driver's license) and one for work authorization (e.g., aU.S. Social Security Card). All documents must be unexpired and presented inoriginal form to Palmer Foundry for the completion of Form I-9 and the E-Verifyprocess.
