Lead Quality Engineer
Middlesex, NC 
Pay: $77.00 - $78.00 per hour 
​​​​​​​26-09626

Job Summary

The Lead Quality Engineer serves as a technical leader responsible for driving product and process quality performance across assigned products, processes, customers, or suppliers. This role applies quality management systems, business improvement tools, and advanced quality methodologies to prevent defects, improve customer satisfaction, reduce the cost of nonconformance, and support operational excellence. The Lead Quality Engineer provides technical guidance to Quality Engineers and cross-functional teams while leading problem-solving, quality planning, risk mitigation, customer support, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

Ensure compliance with applicable customer, regulatory, and industry standards, including AS9100, ISO 9001, customer-specific requirements, and internal procedures.
Support internal and external audits, assessments, and corrective action activities.
Deploy APQP methodologies and support PPAP submissions and approvals.
Establish and maintain control plans, PFMEAs, inspection methods, validation activities, and launch readiness requirements.
Improve manufacturing process capability through SPC, mistake-proofing, and variation reduction initiatives.
Lead investigations of customer complaints, product escapes, and returns.
Drive containment, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
Facilitate structured problem-solving using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, Pareto analysis, and other quality methodologies.
Partner with Supplier Quality and Supply Chain teams to improve supplier performance.
Provide technical guidance to Quality Engineers and cross-functional teams.
Serve as a subject matter expert for quality systems, quality tools, and customer requirements.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on product quality, process performance, and operational excellence.
Job Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing, quality engineering, supplier quality, or a related technical role.
Experience working within a regulated quality management system environment.
Experience with quality planning, problem-solving, corrective actions, and process improvement.
Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, SPC, PFMEA, control plans, and process capability.
Experience with structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, and Pareto analysis.
Ability to interpret and apply customer, regulatory, and industry quality requirements.
Strong technical, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
Work Experience

Manufacturing, quality engineering, supplier quality, or related technical experience required.
Aerospace manufacturing experience preferred.
Experience with AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 preferred.
Experience deploying APQP and PPAP preferred.
Experience using program management tools and advanced problem-solving methodologies preferred.