Quality Assurance Engineer

Join Kyocera International, Inc.

We’re hiring a Quality Assurance Engineer at our San Diego, CA location!

Join a stable, long-term opportunity where your work matters. We’re hiring a Quality Assurance Engineer to support production and ensure high-quality output in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.

Pay Range - $79,000 to $90,000 annually (Actual base pay based on factors such as relevant experience, education, market, qualifications, and skills.) 

With nearly 80,000 employees globally, Kyocera is a leading manufacturer of high-tech ceramics in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, Medical applications, and semiconductor processing. Our innovative materials are found in everything from smartphones to space shuttles! Check out our profile video!     

Look at these PERKS!     

• Competitive pay, benefits, and hours
• 120 hours of vacation accrued per year to start (that's 3 weeks/year for regular 8-hour shifts!)
• 10 Paid Holidays per year
• 401(k) with company match
• Pension
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible schedules
• Tuition reimbursement 

We have a long-tenured staff (many with over 30 years of service!), a vital company mission, and an excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, paid time off to volunteer, paid leave options, tuition reimbursement, an employer-paid Pension and a 401(k) with both Roth and a healthy company match. Our larger locations also feature onsite gyms, walking tracks, exercise rooms, and employee gardens! 

We strive to have a diverse workforce from all backgrounds, including minorities, women, and veterans, who bring their experience to support the innovation and quality that Kyocera is known for.    

Kyocera International, Inc. also has a robust corporate culture and philosophy based on the experiences and writings of our founder, Dr. Kazuo Inamori, which you can learn more about here: https://global.kyocera.com/inamori/philosophy/. Our company motto is “Do the right thing as a human being,” and we try to use that motto constantly in our decision-making.    

Exempt: Yes

Safety Sensitive: No

Department: Not indicated

Reports To: Quality Manager

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

Responsible for supporting the Quality Manager in the implementation, maintenance and improvement of the Quality Management System and for performing customer representative duties as assigned by the Quality Manager. This position also participates as a quality representative in regulatory and customer audits of the QMS.

(Tasks listed are intended to be descriptive and not restrictive. An employee in this position may perform any of the tasks listed; however, these examples do not include all the tasks which an employee may be expected to perform.)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.           Understand customer specifications and contract requirements to be able to confirm whether KII is compliant to them.

2.           Communicate effectively and timely with KII field sales engineers or customer for resolution in the case that KII products do not meet specification or customer expectation.

3.           Work with design/engineering/production members to manage and control recurrence of issues by analyzing root causes by use of quality tools (8D, 5-Whys Analysis, FTA and etc.)

4.           Prepare 8D reports for major in-process issues and customer claims working with production and/or process engineers/technicians.

5.           Understand company yearly and monthly output and various CSI targets, and support to meet these goals without compromising quality.

6.           Improve product quality and quality systems by using quality techniques such as Control Plan, PFMEA, SPC.

7.           May often work in clean room (production area) to understand actual production issues and support resolving or improving quality of products.

8.           Participate in required training and monthly scheduled meetings to understand not only quality area but also KII’s unique business challenges. 

9.           Work closely with customers and other Kyocera sites for adherence to defined quality requirements.

10.        Assist Process Engineers with coordination of statistical process Control (SPC) on the manufacturing floor.

11.        Create and maintain quality reports.

12.        Assist with internal and supplier audits.

13.        Participate in design reviews.

14.        Provide inspection support for incoming and/or outgoing product and supplies.

15.        Responsible for periodic FAI's on new and/or revised customer product.

16.        Assist quality manager with implementation and maintenance of systems for compliance to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, AS9100, Nadcap, etc.

17.        Maintain current status for required training.

18.        Contribute to improved training methods and training material content.

19.        Assist in development and revision of Work Instructions.

20.        May use SAP software to further implement QMS into SAP format.

21.        Other duties may be assigned.

Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

•             Four-year technical degree (e.g. Bachelor's in Engineering or other technical field), and 2+ years of experience in manufacturing OR 6+ years of experience in manufacturing OR equivalent combination of education and experience.

•             Must have a thorough understanding of company processes and appropriate technical knowledge, or experience in a related industry.

•             Good working knowledge of quality systems.

•             Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to relay technical information to a wide audience.

•             Adept with Microsoft Office especially Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.

•             Capable of understanding mechanical drawings, customer specifications, and SOWs.

•             Ability to positively influence various resources without direct line management responsibility.

•             Proficient with statistical software for data analysis and visualization, including pareto analysis, control charts, boxplots, trend charts, etc. 

•             Eligible to work in an ITAR Environment.

•             Experience working directly with customers, including working on customer audits and quality issues, and providing corrective action and improvement plans strongly preferred.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

May directly supervise Quality Assurance Technician or other subordinate.  In this case, responsibilities may include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, addressing complaints and resolving problems.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to write routine correspondence, reports, work instructions and other documentation. Ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions in person-to-person and small group situations with customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, and customers.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Should have a sound understanding of basic statistical concepts such as mean, median, mode, variance, standard deviation, and probability distributions.  Should understand geometric concepts such as angles, shapes, areas, and volumes, and be able to interpret geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) as used in engineering drawings.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with nonverbal, logical or scientific symbolism such as formulas, scientific equations, and graphs. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Reports to Quality Manager, but expected to set up own standards of performance. Largely self-supervising.

PLANNING

Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or

sequence of performance of own work, in addition, the organization and delegation of work operations for a group of employees engaged in widely diversified activities.

DECISION MAKING

Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance which would have considerable effect on the final attainment of multiple major activities and the organization's projects of a large organization component and organization's clientele.

MENTAL DEMAND

Very close mental demand. Operations requiring very close and continuous attention for control of operations which require a high degree of coordination or immediate response. Operations requiring intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

Oversight. Activities covered by expansive policies and objectives, and oversight as to execution and review. High order of analytical, interpretative, and constructive thinking in varied situations covering multiple areas of the organization.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT, AND/OR COMPUTERS

Regular use of complex machines and equipment (desktop/laptop computer and software, production equipment, etc.)

EMPLOYEE CONTACT

Contacts with other departments or offices and also frequently with individuals in middle level positions;

consulting on problems which necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs, plus frequent contact with senior level internal officials.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Able to pass an eye exam with corrected eyewear, if needed.

Ability to read, write and understand directions in English.

Ability to write quality related procedures using correct grammar.

Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings at the blueprint level;

Ability to work well with other people, both externally and internally.

Ability to train staff and execute process improvement procedures.

Ability to pass a criminal background check and drug screen.

Basic math skills with ability to convert American standard to metric.

PREFERRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Comprehensive GD&T understanding is highly desirable.

SPC experience is a plus.

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED

Intermediate: Alphanumeric Data Entry, Contact Management, Spreadsheet, Word Processing/Typing

Basic: 10-Key, Accounting, Enterprise Resource Planning, Other, Presentation/PowerPoint

ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE SKILLS

Laptop computer, printer, fax and copy machines, FPI Lab equipment, and computer software including: MS Office, Adobe, and SAP, e-mail, scanners, calculators and telephones.

Computer software including MS Office, Adobe, e-mail, SAP, customer websites.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, sit, talk or hear; frequently required to stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms; and occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and color vision.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee

encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts, work in high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The above statements are intended to describe the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. The duties and responsibilities of this position are subject to change and other duties may be assigned or removed at any time.

This position may require exposure to information subject to US Export Control regulations, i.e.: the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be US persons within the meaning of US regulations.

Kyocera International, Inc. values diversity in its workforce, and is proud to be an AAP/EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact Kyocera International, Inc.'s Human Resources team directly.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.