Quality Engineer: Pilot Manufacturing & Digital Quality

Vulcan Elements; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements, a leader in American rare-earth permanent magnets, seeks a Quality Engineer to establish and maintain robust Pilot-quality processes. You will integrate with Manufacturing, R&D, Process Engineering, and Analytical Lab to ensure ISO 9001-aligned quality systems and scalable practices as we expand to Benson or RTP sites.

Join a team focused on Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency, driving continuous improvement, data integrity, and readiness for future production

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, production engineering, or quality systems.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 principles and Quality Management Systems.
• Experience supporting production operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience writing SOPs, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.
• Experience with root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Excellent statistical analysis and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary Quality representative for Pilot manufacturing operations.
• Support daily production activities by ensuring quality requirements are understood and consistently applied.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering to resolve production issues and implement corrective actions.
• Lead root cause investigations and drive CAPA to closure.
• Review and disposition nonconforming material in collaboration with Engineering and Operations.
• Develop and maintain quality procedures, forms, and records for Pilot operations.
• Implement quality processes aligned with ISO 9001 requirements for Pilot readiness.
• Support document control, change management, and risk-based thinking across manufacturing.
• Participate in internal audits and management reviews and track actions to closure.
• Develop production quality plans and inspection requirements for Pilot manufacturing.
• Define CTQ characteristics with Engineering and Manufacturing.
• Create and maintain Control Plans with inspection points and acceptance criteria.
• Collaborate with Metrology and Analytical Lab Leads for measurement methods.
• Support digital quality systems (MES, ERP, LIMS, eQMS) and data integrity.
• Help define system requirements for inspections, deviations, and CAPA.

Skills

Quality engineering

ISO 9001

Root cause analysis

CAPA

Statistical analysis

Documentation

Analytical thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

MES

ERP

LIMS

eQMS

Job description

Vulcan Elements, a leader in American rare-earth permanent magnets, seeks a Quality Engineer to establish and maintain robust Pilot-quality processes. You will integrate with Manufacturing, R&D, Process Engineering, and Analytical Lab to ensure ISO 9001-aligned quality systems and scalable practices as we expand to Benson or RTP sites.

Join a team focused on Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency, driving continuous improvement, data integrity, and readiness for future production