Quality Engineer

Socket.dev; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Pretium Packaging seeks a hands-on Plant Quality Engineer to join the Salt Lake City, UT team and solve manufacturing challenges at the source. You will act as a technical resource for structured problem solving, SPC, measurement systems, risk analysis, and validation, partnering with Operations, Process Engineering, Maintenance, and suppliers.

This on-site role emphasizes safety, quality, and teamwork. You’ll lead root-cause investigations, verify improvements with data, and drive robust

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Plastics, or related engineering discipline preferred.
• 3–5 years of experience in quality engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or technical quality preferred.
• Experience solving manufacturing problems and improving process capability in a production environment.
• Experience in rigid packaging, plastics processing, food-contact packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, or another regulated manufacturing environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead structured investigations into customer complaints, nonconformances, recurring defects, process failures, and adverse trends.
• Apply tools such as 5 Why, fishbone analysis, data stratification, hypothesis testing, and cause verification.
• Distinguish occurrence, escape, and systemic causes, then implement corrective actions that address verified root causes.
• Verify effectiveness through objective evidence and sustained performance data.
• Develop SPC strategies for critical product and process characteristics.
• Select appropriate control charts, rational subgrouping methods, and reaction plans.
• Analyze process capability and performance using Cp, Cpk, Pp, and Ppk where appropriate.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to translate statistical signals into timely process action.
• Plan and execute measurement system studies for gauges, test equipment, inspection methods, and attribute evaluations.
• Conduct Gauge R&R, bias, linearity, stability, resolution, and attribute agreement studies as applicable.
• Confirm measurement systems are suitable for validation, capability analysis, process control, and product acceptance.
• Improve measurement methods, fixtures, calibration practices, training, and consistency.
• Lead or support Process FMEA and related risk assessments for new and existing processes.
• Identify failure modes, effects, causes, controls, and risk-reduction priorities.
• Translate FMEA outputs into control plans, inspection standards, work instructions, maintenance requirements, and validation activities.
• Update risk assessments based on validation results, complaints, process changes, and lessons learned.
• Help qualify new or changed resins, colorants, additives, packaging components, molds, tooling, machines, and auxiliary equipment.
• Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ protocols with defined scope, sampling, test methods, acceptance criteria, and deviation handling.
• Use risk assessment, MSA, SPC, capability analysis, and designed trials to demonstrate consistent conformance.
• Document results, resolve deviations, recommend approval status, and transfer validated settings and controls into production documents.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Written communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Plastics, or related engineering discipline

Tools

CAPA

SPC

MSA

FMEA

IQ/OQ/PQ

Excel

Job description

Grow boldly with Pretium and Build Quality into Every Process!

At Pretium Packaging, quality is more than an inspection at the end of the line—it’s built into every process, product, and partnership. We’re looking for a Plant Quality Engineer to join our Salt Lake City, Utah team and help us solve manufacturing challenges at their source, strengthen process capability, and deliver packaging our customers can rely on.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on, analytical engineer who enjoys turning data into action. You’ll serve as a technical resource for structured problem solving, statistical process control, measurement systems, risk analysis, and validation. Working closely with Operations, Process Engineering, Maintenance, Tooling, Corporate Quality, and suppliers, you’ll help qualify changes, reduce variation, prevent recurring issues, and improve manufacturing performance.

This is an on-site plant role with regular plant-floor presence and consistent on-site working hours. You’ll work in a manufacturing environment where safety, quality, and teamwork are essential.

If you’re energized by finding root causes, validating solutions, and seeing your improvements make a measurable difference on the plant floor, this role is for you.

Who We Are:

Pretium Packaging, founded in 1992, is a leading supplier of injection-blow molded plastic containers, renowned for our commitment to superior quality, value, and customer service. With 21 manufacturing facilities across North America, we provide innovative packaging solutions that meet the diverse needs of brand owners in the United States and Canada.

What You’ll Do:

Lead Root Cause Analysis & Corrective Action:

• Lead structured investigations into customer complaints, nonconformances, recurring defects, process failures, and adverse trends.
• Apply tools such as 5 Why, fishbone analysis, data stratification, hypothesis testing, and cause verification.
• Distinguish occurrence, escape, and systemic causes, then implement corrective actions that address verified root causes.
• Verify effectiveness through objective evidence and sustained performance data.

Strengthen Statistical Process Control:

• Develop SPC strategies for critical product and process characteristics.
• Select appropriate control charts, rational subgrouping methods, and reaction plans.
• Analyze process capability and performance using Cp, Cpk, Pp, and Ppk where appropriate.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to translate statistical signals into timely process action.

Ensure Measurement Systems Are Reliable:

• Plan and execute measurement system studies for gauges, test equipment, inspection methods, and attribute evaluations.
• Conduct Gauge R&R, bias, linearity, stability, resolution, and attribute agreement studies as applicable.
• Confirm measurement systems are suitable for validation, capability analysis, process control, and product acceptance.
• Improve measurement methods, fixtures, calibration practices, training, and consistency.

Drive Risk-Based Quality Planning:

• Lead or support Process FMEA and related risk assessments for new and existing processes.
• Identify failure modes, effects, causes, controls, and risk-reduction priorities.
• Translate FMEA outputs into control plans, inspection standards, work instructions, maintenance requirements, and validation activities.
• Update risk assessments based on validation results, complaints, process changes, and lessons learned.

Support Material, Tooling & Machine Validation:

• Help qualify new or changed resins, colorants, additives, packaging components, molds, tooling, machines, and auxiliary equipment.
• Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ protocols with defined scope, sampling, test methods, acceptance criteria, and deviation handling.
• Use risk assessment, MSA, SPC, capability analysis, and designed trials to demonstrate consistent conformance.
• Document results, resolve deviations, recommend approval status, and transfer validated settings and controls into production documents.

Improve Process Control & Manufacturing Performance:

• Use Pareto analysis, trend analysis, capability data, and defect mapping to prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Lead projects that reduce scrap, rework, complaints, variation, and cost of poor quality.
• Develop and improve control plans, sampling plans, inspection methods, reaction plans, and mistake-proofing controls.
• Sustain improvements through standard work, training, monitoring, verification, and clear ownership.

What You’ll Bring:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Plastics, or a related engineering discipline preferred.
• Three to five years of experience in quality engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or technical quality preferred.
• Experience solving manufacturing problems and improving process capability in a production environment.
• Experience in rigid packaging, plastics processing, food-contact packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, or another regulated manufacturing environment is preferred.

Technical Expertise:

• Demonstrated knowledge of Root Cause Analysis, CAPA, SPC, process capability, MSA, and FMEA.
• Working knowledge of IQ/OQ/PQ, risk-based sampling, test-method selection, and acceptance criteria.
• Ability to analyze data using Excel, statistical software, SPC systems, or comparable tools.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, tolerances, control plans, standards, and inspection results.

Professional Strengths:

• Strong analytical thinking and evidence-based decision making.
• Ability to lead technical work through cross-functional influence without direct supervisory authority.
• Clear technical writing, protocol development, and report-writing skills.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and follow-through.
• Customer focus, plant-floor presence, curiosity, accountability, and a continuous-improvement mindset.

Preferred Certifications:

• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or equivalent training in statistical methods, quality engineering, and structured problem solving.