Quality Engineer (Operational Excellence)

About the Role

Morton Industries, LLC is adding a Quality Engineer – Operational Excellence to support Destination 2030, the company's multi-year strategic quality roadmap spanning all six facilities. This is a net-new role dedicated to Operational Excellence activities across the full arc of the strategy, rather than a single facility or objective. The Quality Engineer designs and scales error-proofing solutions, leads structured root-cause analysis for recurring and cross-facility defect drivers, and partners with Process Engineering, the Continuous Improvement Lead, and facility Quality Circles to convert standardized defect data into measurable, sustained improvement — supporting Employee Development, Reduced Defects, and On-Time Delivery.

Responsibilities

• Design, pilot, and scale poka-yoke (error-proofing) devices and in-process checks at the highest-risk process steps identified through standardized defect data (Destination 2030 Action #8)
• Lead structured root-cause analysis — 5-Why, fishbone, A3, and 8D methodologies — for recurring and cross-facility defect drivers
• Partner with the Process/Manufacturing Engineering on standard work documentation, process control plans, and quarterly Kaizen events
• Support supplier quality agreements, monitoring incoming-material inspection standards, and supplier corrective-action requests (Action #9)
• Provide engineering support to monthly Quality Circle sessions, helping cross-functional teams apply the A3 method to top defect drivers
• Analyze standardized defect data in Epicor's Quality module to identify and prioritize top defect drivers by facility using Pareto analysis
• Support the On-Time Delivery objective indirectly by reducing scrap- and rework-driven schedule variance
• Support the Employee Development objective by training operators, technicians, and Quality Circle members on error-proofing methods, root-cause tools, and standard work
• Maintain non-conformance, corrective-action (CAPA), and process control plan documentation to audit-ready standards
• Report on assigned Destination 2030 action items and defect-reduction metrics to the Steering Committee and quarterly scorecard as needed
• Travel periodically across MNO, MSO, MTN, MTX, MEP, and MDAL to support facility-specific defect-reduction initiatives (estimated 20–30%)

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and hands-on manufacturing experience
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Six Sigma Green Belt, or Six Sigma Black Belt preferred
• 3–5 years of quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, or process engineering experience in a machining, welding, or metal fabrication production environment
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with structured root-cause analysis (5-Why, fishbone diagrams, A3, 8D)
• Experience designing, piloting, and validating poka-yoke/error-proofing solutions on the shop floor
• Experience with ERP-based quality or non-conformance systems; direct Epicor experience is a strong plus
• Multi-site manufacturing experience is a plus, given this role's scope across six facilities

Skills

• Working knowledge of GD&T, blueprint/drawing interpretation, and standard inspection equipment (calipers, micrometers, gauges, CMM)
• Proficiency with statistical process control (SPC) and basic process capability analysis (Cpk/Ppk)
• Familiarity with Lean and Six Sigma tools: Kaizen events, value stream mapping, 5S, and standardized work
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills; familiarity with Power BI or similar reporting/visualization tools is a plus
• Working understanding of common failure modes in machining, welding, and fabrication processes (tool wear, weld defects, dimensional drift, material-handling damage)
• Strong facilitation skills — comfortable leading or co-leading cross-functional Quality Circle and Kaizen teams that include operators, technicians, and supervisors
• Clear written and verbal communication across audiences ranging from shop-floor operators to plant and executive leadership
• Self-directed and comfortable prioritizing across multiple facilities and competing requests
• A coaching orientation — genuinely invested in building others' problem-solving skills, not just solving problems personally
• Data-driven but practical; able to translate Pareto charts and control plans into shop-floor action

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Primarily based at an assigned Central Illinois facility, with regular, sustained presence on the production floor (safety glasses, hearing protection, and other PPE required per site policy)
• Periodic travel (estimated 20–30%) to other Morton Industries facilities (MNO, MSO, MTN, MTX, MEP, MDAL)
• Ability to stand, walk, and move through production areas for extended periods; occasional lifting up to 25 lbs