Quality Engineer – Data-Driven Manufacturing QA

Kendall Howard; Croix Estates (MN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supplemental insurance options

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Paid holidays

Job summary

Kendall Howard is seeking a Quality Engineer to support the development, implementation, and improvement of product and process quality controls across manufacturing. You will collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Production, Purchasing, and other departments to ensure quality standards are understood, measurable, and maintained throughout production.

The role covers inspection planning, first article requirements, GD&T interpretation, and leadership in root cause analysis and corrective

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, quality, industrial technology, or equivalent.
• 2-5 years of experience in quality engineering or related roles.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment involving assembly, sheet metal fabrication, machining, press brake/forming, welding, finishing, or related production processes.
• Working knowledge of blueprint reading, GD&T, inspection methods, root cause analysis, corrective action, quality data analysis, and basic quality management system requirements.
• Ability to communicate effectively with production, engineering, purchasing, suppliers, customers, and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of quality requirements for manufactured products, including fabricated components, machined parts, press brake/forming operations, welded assemblies, purchased components, and final assemblies.
• Develop and maintain inspection plans, control plans, check sheets, first article requirements, and quality documentation needed to verify product conformance to drawings, travelers, work orders, and customer requirements.
• Interpret engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, and GD&T requirements and translate them into practical inspection and process control methods for production and quality personnel.
• Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective action activities for internal defects, customer concerns, supplier issues, scrap, rework, and repeat nonconformances.
• Analyze quality data, inspection results, defect trends, scrap/rework activity, and process performance to identify systemic issues and recommend improvement actions.
• Support NPI, APQP-style planning, prototype builds, production readiness reviews, and the transition of new or revised products into manufacturing.
• Work with Engineering, Production, Purchasing, and Quality to resolve drawing, process, manufacturability, inspection, and workmanship concerns.
• Participate in material review activity and provide technical input for containment, rework, use-as-is, return-to-vendor, scrap, or corrective action recommendations.
• Support supplier quality activities by documenting supplier nonconformances, communicating technical issues, reviewing responses, and verifying corrective action effectiveness.
• Develop or improve measurement methods, gaging approaches, inspection fixtures, and data collection practices used to verify product quality.
• Conduct process audits, layered audits, and quality system checks to verify compliance with internal procedures, work instructions, inspection requirements, and customer expectations.
• Prepare quality reports, corrective action summaries, improvement plans, and other technical documentation for review by the Quality Manager and cross-functional leadership.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Quality Assurance Technicians, Quality Control Technicians, Inspectors, and production team members as needed.

Skills

Blueprint reading

GD&T

Root cause analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

Minitab

Excel

Job description

Kendall Howard is seeking a Quality Engineer to support the development, implementation, and improvement of product and process quality controls across manufacturing. You will collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Production, Purchasing, and other departments to ensure quality standards are understood, measurable, and maintained throughout production.

The role covers inspection planning, first article requirements, GD&T interpretation, and leadership in root cause analysis and corrective