Quality Engineer II

About the role

The Quality Engineer at Benchmark is responsible for designing, installing, and evaluating Quality Assurance (QA) process sampling systems, procedures, and statistical techniques. They also design or specify inspection and testing mechanisms and equipment, analyze production and service limitations and standards, monitor manufacturing processes, and recommend revisions to specifications.

• Designs or specifies inspection and testing mechanisms and equipment.
• Analyzes production and service limitations and standards.
• Makes recommendations for revisions to specifications.
• Formulates or helps formulate QA policies and procedures and conducts training on QA concepts and tools.
• Interfaces with all other engineering functions in Benchmark and with customers and suppliers on quality-related issues.

Responsibilities

• Aids in the analysis of routine contract requirements to determine what quality characteristics are to be controlled; manufacturing, inspection, test equipment required; special controls of special processes and special skills needed to ensure their proper application.
• Validates Statistical Process Control (SPC) limits and controls.
• Audits processes to ensure proper use and corrective action when out-of-control limits are reached.
• Reviews contract data item descriptions and requirements and assists with establishing necessary controls to ensure compliance.
• Creates control plans that align to customer, product, regulatory, and sector requirements.
• Participates in pilot runs and preproduction runs; assists with a basic analysis of results.
• Reviews production and manufacturing specification processes to ensure conformance to drawings specifications and contract requirements.
• Participates in the generation and review of various types of specifications, drawings, and Acceptance Test Procedures.
• Performs, when applicable, measurement capability and correlation studies to ensure continual adequacy and capability.
• Makes recommendations for adjustments to process conditions to Methods Department and/or adjustments to production specifications to Production Engineering to create an economical and compatible relationship between processes and the products.
• Participates in design reviews to ensure designs permit and facilitate productivity, repeatability, and inspectability, and that related quality considerations are obtained in order to ensure product quality.
• Participates in Engineering evaluations and Change Control Boards to ensure design and proposed changes are within the scope of contract definitions and requirements.
• Generates and reviews various types of specifications, drawings, and Acceptance Test Procedures to ensure they contain sufficient quality requirements and comply with contract requirements.
• Prepares quality program plans defining the responsibility and authority of all functions necessary to comply with provisions of all specifications and contract requirements.
• Provides technical assistance in the preparation of workmanship standards, instructions, and inspection criteria.
• Assists in resolving fabrication, test, and inspection problems.
• Aids in the establishment of formats for the collection of inspection data.
• Reviews procurement documents to ensure that all provisions necessary for suppliers to achieve control of the quality of the product being procured are included; makes recommendations for review of any requirements needed to ensure product quality, as necessary.
• Participates in special testing to ensure that units or assemblies are compatible to system end use requirements.
• Analyzes reported defects and failures; reviews discrepancies and may approve dispositions and corrective action.
• May participate as an active member of the MRB Board in the Receiving, Inspections, and Production areas.
• Investigates, disposes, and takes corrective actions to prevent recurrence of non-conforming materials, processes, and products; follows up for completion and measurement of effectiveness.
• Performs, when applicable, measurement capability and correlation studies to ensure continual adequacy and capability in cooperation with Production Engineering or others.
• Takes corrective action to assist in the solution of measurement problems, as required, with guidance from senior engineering.
• Coordinates activities of manufacturing and test with Program Quality Assurance, Production Control, Production Engineering, Inspection, and various internal and external laboratories.
• Meets and discusses problems relative to the production cycle.
• Makes recommendations for special test programs on assemblies, components, special processes, etc. due to design changes and/or problems developing during the manufacturing cycle.
• Performs inspection and testing on preproduction equipment to ensure compliance with drawings, specifications, and contract requirements prior to submittal for customer acceptance.
• Participates in the verification (First Article Configuration Inspection) of hardware versus drawing/specifications and coordinates this effort with customer personnel.
• Reviews procurement documents to ensure that all provisions necessary for the suppliers to achieve control of the quality of the product being procured are included; adds any requirements necessary to ensure product quality.
• Prepares reports and corrective action documentation in answer to Customer inquiries or complaints regarding inspection, test, and production activities; may/may not present material directly to customers.
• Maintains state-of-the-art knowledge by keeping abreast of new QA techniques and methods through contacts with other industries, current publications, advanced education, and membership in professional societies/organizations.

Qualifications

• 4 year Engineering or Technical degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience as approved by executive management.
• Proven ability to complete projects in a timely manner.
• Ability to support a 24/7 global business operation as required.
• Understanding of and ability to use metrics and continuous improvement tools (e.g. Defect per Million Opportunities (DPMO), First Pass Yield (FPY), Defects per Million (DPM), Six Sigma, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), etc).
• Demonstrates knowledge of domestic and international requirements, standards, and regulations such as Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Quality System Regulation (QSR) Part 820, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), International Automotive Task Force (IATF), etc.
• Supports internal, corporate, notified body, FDA, customer, and other audits.
• 5+ years of electronics manufacturing experience; familiarity with advanced technologies and applications.
• Accredited certification preferred.
• Master of advanced technologies and applications.
• Able to travel up to 10% of the time, including day and overnight as required.