Lead Quality Engineer

Selinc; Post Falls (ID); On-site; USD 108,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Medical insurance

Paid holidays

Tuition assistance

Engineering development programs

Job summary

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is seeking a self-driven Lead Quality Engineer to build and scale quality systems at our new Idaho manufacturing facility. You will lead a team of quality professionals, partner with manufacturing, engineering and site leadership, and drive preventive quality strategies while shaping the quality culture.

The role emphasizes technical depth and people leadership, with responsibilities including audits, tests, supplier collaboration, and process

Qualifications

• A B.S. degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 6+ years of experience in an engineering discipline.
• Experience managing a team of technical personnel.
• Strong leadership, organization, and communication skills.
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of quality tools and process improvement techniques (FMEA, Six Sigma, PDCA).

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical advisor to production operations; troubleshoot material, design, and assembly issues.
• Plan, design, and implement tests to monitor quality. Analyze data to facilitate understanding of product defects.
• Partner with suppliers to identify and eliminate the cause of component failures.
• Drive improvements in product design, assembly, and component quality to increase product reliability.
• Serve as subject matter expert in audits and certification activities.
• Supervise, coach, and teach a quality team.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Problem solving

Team management

Education

B.S. in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

FMEA

Six Sigma

PDCA

DOE

Job description

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is seeking a self-driven and forward-thinking leader to join our Manufacturing Quality Assurance team. This is a unique opportunity to build and shape quality systems from the ground up while leading a team of technical professionals at SEL's newest manufacturing facility. As a Lead Quality Engineer within the Manufacturing Quality Assurance team, you will partner closely with manufacturing, engineering, and site leadership to establish and strengthen the quality culture, build robust quality systems, improve process capability, implement preventive quality strategies, and help scale manufacturing operations as production grows. You'll lead a team of quality professionals and engineers, developing their capabilities while creating a high-performing quality organization. This role combines technical depth with people leadership.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a visible impact, develop people, solve complex manufacturing challenges, and help define the future of a growing facility, this is the role for you. The strongest candidates will bring demonstrated leadership experience, familiarity with SEL design and/or manufacturing processes, a solid engineering foundation, and a commitment to modeling and promoting SEL Values. Success in this role requires strong collaboration, adaptability, and the ability to effectively influence across functions while utilizing exceptional problem-solving, facilitation, and negotiation skills.

This role offers a unique opportunity to launch and scale quality operations within a new manufacturing facility while gaining experience that prepare you for future leadership growth opportunities within SEL.

As a Lead Quality Engineer, a typical day might include the following:

• Serve as a technical advisor to production operations; troubleshoot material, design, and assembly issues.
• Plan, design, and implement tests to monitor quality. Analyze data to facilitate understanding of product defects.
• Partner with suppliers to identify and eliminate the cause of component failures.
• Drive improvements in product design, assembly, and component quality to increase product reliability.
• Serve as subject matter expert in internal/external audits and certification activities.
• Supervise, coach, and teach a quality team.

This job might be for you if you have:

• A B.S. degree in Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience
• 6+ years of experience in an engineering discipline
• Experience managing a team of technical personnel
• Strong leadership, organization, and communication skills
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of quality tools and process improvement techniques (FMEA, Six Sigma, PDCA)
• Knowledge/experience in any of the following: design for manufacturability/assembly, tolerance studies, plastic and metal part design, Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Experience using metrology and statistical methods
• Ability to work cooperatively in a diverse team environment

Competitive pay. Superior benefits. Inspiring work.

People are at the core of our company and we hire employee-owners. We welcome you to learn more about how we support employees.

Benefits

• We're 100% employee owned. Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.
• We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer: 10 paid holidays, annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days, 9 paid sick days, and paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.
• We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.
• Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.

Pay Range Data

Lead Quality Engineer: $107,600 - $161,500 per year. Our compensation ranges are based on the responsibilities of the role. Starting pay is determined individually and considers factors such as relevant experience, skills, knowledge, and training. Candidates may be considered at different levels based on their background. As a result, pay may vary to align with the level of the role.

SEL is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled.