The Senior Quality Engineer will serve as a technical and strategic leader driving world-class quality performance across manufacturing and assembly operations. They will also lead long-term quality improvement strategies, influence design and operational decisions, and act as a senior subject-matter expert ensuring compliance with all regulatory and customer expectations.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as the senior technical authority for quality engineering across manufacturing and assembly operations, driving quality-by-design principles.
- Lead advanced Quality Engineering initiatives including APQP, PPAP readiness, process control plan governance, and senior-level risk mitigation.
- Drive organizational performance through ownership of site-level KPIs including FPY, PPM, COPQ, and audit readiness.
- Oversee MRB analytics and systemic reduction of scrap and rework through validated corrective actions.
- Lead supplier escalations, implement supplier development strategies, and participate in supplier performance reviews.
- Define and manage critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics, advanced gaging strategies, and metrology improvements.
- Lead major containment activities for high-severity issues, provide executive-level updates, and validate long-term corrective actions.
- Develop and implement quality programs using dashboards, predictive analytics, and cross-functional leadership.
- Lead CAPA governance ensuring data-driven root cause analysis and sustainability of corrective actions.
- Oversee analysis of warranty and customer return data to identify systemic issues and drive cross-functional countermeasures.
- Champion Lean/Six Sigma initiatives and large-scale cost savings aligned with quality improvement.
- Represent Quality with senior influence during product launches, engineering changes, and manufacturing readiness reviews.
- Own process validation strategy (IQ/OQ/PQ) and ensure revalidation triggers are embedded in change processes.
- Apply advanced statistical analysis including DOE, capability modeling, SPC automation, and complex MSA.
- Lead customer complaint management for escalated issues, acting as the primary quality representative for major customers.
- Oversee nonconforming product and digital traceability ensuring process discipline and repeat-issue elimination.
- Govern site-level Corrective Action processes ensuring thorough investigation, containment, and verification.
- Lead risk management activities ensuring integration between DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, and validation.
- Develop and mentor Quality Inspectors, Technicians, and Engineers; provide technical coaching across operations.
- Lead internal/external audits and ensure rapid closure of findings with supporting data packages.
- Facilitate cross-functional communication and provide leadership reporting including dashboards, KPIs, and deep-dive analyses.
- Provide senior-level influence, leadership, and support across engineering, operations, and supply chain.
- Perform other duties in support of organizational excellence
- Drives cross‑functional alignment for CAPA process. Coordinating proper documentation of actions and timing to address quality issues.
- Evaluates complex issues to determine root cause and systemic solutions, acting as the problem solver specialist for the team
Education and Experience Requirements
- BS in Engineering or Engineering Technology; advanced degree preferred; or equivalent of 10+ years progressive technical experience.
- Minimum 5–8 years progressive experience with demonstrated leadership in Quality or Manufacturing Engineering.
- ASQ CQE/CQA, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Lead Auditor certification strongly preferred.
Preferred Skills and Abilities
- Advanced statistical methods including DOE, regression modeling, SPC/MSA automation, and capability analysis.
- Leadership in product and process development applying quality-by-design principles.
- Comprehensive risk management integrating PFMEA/DFMEA, control plans, and validation.
- Expert-level root cause proficiency including A3/8D/DMAIC methodologies.
- Advanced Lean/Six Sigma leadership with measurable cost savings and process improvements.
- Ability to lead with minimal direction and influence cross-functional decision-making.
- Strong analytical competencies using digital dashboards and advanced data tools.
- Advanced troubleshooting of complex manufacturing and assembly systems.
- Proficient in Microsoft 365, digital QMS platforms, and data visualization tools.
- SAP proficiency; ability to analyze quality and production data.
- CAD proficiency for reviewing designs (AutoCAD/SolidWorks).
- Advanced GD&T and metrology expertise with capability to coach others.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Travel Required
Minimal
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What We Do
Nordson is a team of 7,300 global employees thriving in an environment where they are supported and encouraged to be their best. Working side by side, we build meaningful connections with each other and our customers.
Together, we deliver products that are solutions, and they’re likely touching your life every day. Have you ever changed a diaper? Opened a box of cereal? Used a smart phone or driven a car? Then we’ve already met.
At Nordson, we take pride in being an outstanding corporate citizen and strongly believe in sharing our success with the communities where our employees live and work. Whether you’re working in one of our labs, offices or manufacturing facilities, your efforts will enable our customers to succeed and our company to continuously improve and grow.
We engineer, manufacture and market differentiated products and systems used for precision dispensing and processing in a variety of end markets, from packaging to transportation and medical to electronics.
Founded in 1954, we operate under the values of integrity, respect for people, customer passion, energy and excellence. Nordson is headquartered in the United States in Westlake, Ohio, and has direct operations in more than 30 countries to support our products and systems with application expertise and a direct global sales and service organization
