Quality Engineer

Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOG), was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.  Apogee is a growing, profitable company with annual revenues approaching $1.5 billion.  We provide distinctive metal and glass solutions for enclosing commercial buildings, and glass and acrylic solutions for picture framing and display applications. To learn more visit: www.apog.com.

The Apogee Performance Surfaces segment has grown from $100M to $200M in revenue through a recent acquisition.  Our brands in the Performance Surfaces portfolio develop and manufacture high-performance coated materials for a variety of applications, including wall décor, museums, graphic design, architectural interiors, digital display, and industrial flooring markets.  We are the global leader in anti-reflective, conservation grade electrostatic dissipative, high-definition, and abrasion resistance coatings, that provide protection, innovative designs, and exceptional durability.

Position Summary

Develop, implement, and lead quality programs, including tracking, analyzing, reporting, and problem solving. Plan, control, and assure product and process quality in accordance with quality principles, acceptance sampling, and measurement systems. Drive continuous improvement of performance relating to increasing machine capability and throughput, decreasing unplanned downtime and maximizing yields using principles of “Lean Thinking” and Six Sigma.  Provide subject matter expertise and training of the visual inspection system to the quality resources assigned to production teams. 

Responsibilities

• Support the Quality Management System (QMS) components, including document control to manage work instructions, performing audits and completing audit reports, and following up on corrective actions.
• Responsibility and ownership for the use of, accuracy, and effectiveness of automated inspection systems. Includes learning software to classify and mark defects according to product cosmetic specifications.  
• Work closely with the quality team, support team and peers on quality initiatives.  Lead efforts to publish, understand, and improve OEE yield metrics.  Provide training and coaching on use of quality tools, process improvements and troubleshooting for day to day operations. Utilize statistical analysis and problem solving techniques to reduce the cost of poor quality and resolve quality issues. Support and train others on identification of root causes of failures and low productivity, and implementation of solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
• Lead projects to improve quality metrics.
• Work with Purchasing to establish supplier
• Perform process capability studies to evaluate the design of new products and processes to validate and qualify for production. Develop standards and methods for inspection, testing, and evaluation. Work with Engineering and Operations personnel to review, update, and maintain procedures related to development of products/processes.
• Investigate customer inquiries and complaints regarding product quality.
• Determine system capabilities and build supplemental quality processes to ensure customer requirements are met.
• Continuously improve inspection system capabilities by analyzing defects, systems classifiers, & systems enhancements.
• Ensure Quality Technicians, production leaders, and peers are adequately trained on SOP’s related to inspection systems.
• Maintain calibration & maintenance activities related to system performance.

Personal Attributes and Experience

• An undergraduate degree in engineering, quality, science, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3-5 years previous experience in a manufacturing quality preferred.
• Experience with coating and sublimation preferred
• Experience development of data bases (i.e. SharePoint, MS Access) and interface tools (i.e. Power BI) is a plus.
• Ability to work and interact effectively with a variety of people at all levels inside and outside the organization.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.  Proven ability to compile information and produce accurate written documents and reports in a professional format.
• Demonstrated skill in leading continuous improvement projects.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and document processes.
• Safely perform essential job responsibilities.

Work Environment

This job is primarily performed in an office environment.  The noise level in the office is generally moderate.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently interacts with individuals on the plant floor, near moving mechanical parts.  The noise level in the production environment is usually loud. This position will help support two Louisville facility sites. The role will be seated out of the Grassland facility with one to two days per week at the other Louisville facility expected as dictated by the needs of the business.

Apogee and our brands are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.