Staff engineer- Quality

The Senior Project Engineer - Incoming Quality & Inspection is responsible for leading and improving all aspects of the incoming inspection and material quality processes. This role manages 1st and 2nd shift inspection teams, oversees ANE personnel assigned to 1098 rework, and owns the Material Review Board (MRB) process for 1098 nonconforming material, including inventory control and timely disposition. The Senior Project Engineer drives system improvements, implements robust inspection methodologies, and ensures that all incoming materials meet internal, supplier, customer, and regulatory requirements. This role requires strong proficiency in MSA, gaging systems, and broad quality engineering knowledge including Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Oversight:

• Manage daily activities of 1st and 2nd shift union inspectors, ensuring proper staffing, training, prioritization, and performance management.
• Lead and oversee two ANE team members supporting 1098 rework, ensuring safe, effective, and compliant repair activity.
• Provide technical and daily guidance to inspection personnel, developing capability in metrology, gage usage, and inspection techniques.

Incoming Inspection Management:

• Own and continuously improve the incoming inspection process, including workflows, inspection standards, acceptance criteria, documentation, and data collection.
• Implement advanced inspection methodologies using proper gaging, measurement system analysis, and statistical evaluation.
• Evaluate and select gages, measurement tools, and inspection technologies; maintain gage R&R compliance and gage calibration coordination with Metrology.
• Lead incoming inspection readiness for new products, new suppliers, and engineering changes.

Nonconformance & MRB Ownership:

• Manage all 1098 MRB inventory, ensuring accurate tracking, timely dispositions, and clear communication across operations, engineering, and supply chain.
• Serve as MRB lead for incoming material issues-driving containment, root cause analysis, and permanent corrective actions.
• Coordinate activity for 1098 rework, including routing, instructions, re-inspection, verification, and closure of work orders.

Quality Systems & Continuous Improvement:

• Develop and implement improvements to inspection procedures, standards, and quality controls to reduce variation and improve first-pass acceptance rates.
• Apply MSA, SPC, Six Sigma tools, and Lean methodologies to improve the inspection process and supplier material quality.
• Support supplier quality development by providing clear defect data, trends, and technical analysis.
• Lead or support Kaizen events focused on incoming quality and defect prevention.
• Partner with engineering, supply chain, and operations to define critical-to-quality (CTQ) requirements for purchased components.

Cross‑Functional Support:

• Collaborate with Supplier Quality to resolve supplier issues through structured problem solving.
• Provide inspection-based insights to engineering regarding design for manufacturability and design for inspection.
• Support internal and external audits related to incoming quality, metrology, and supplier controls.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related field preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in a quality engineering or incoming inspection leadership role in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience with MSA, gage R&R, metrology systems, and inspection equipment.
• Experience with problem solving, Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher preferred), and Lean tools.
• Experience managing people in technical or inspection roles strongly preferred.