Quality / Manufacturing Engineer — Castings

Lever, Inc.; Blaine, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SQA Services seeks a seasoned quality/manufacturing engineer to lead a two-day on-site readiness assessment for a first-time casting supplier. You will drive RCR, evaluate process controls, and coordinate with both client and supplier to identify gaps and risks to specification and on-time delivery.

You will review PPAP readiness, coordinate APQP activities, and consolidate findings into a formal gap register with actionable recommendations for the client.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, metallurgical / materials, manufacturing, or industrial engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 7 years of hands-on quality or manufacturing engineering experience in metal casting operations (sand, investment, or permanent mold).
• Experience with casting failure mechanisms and process controls to prevent them.

Responsibilities

• Lead the on-site assessment as the castings commodity SME, including opening/closing meetings with supplier and client.
• Facilitate the Requirements Consumption Review (RCR) with supplier and client (virtual).
• Evaluate QMS effectiveness and readiness to execute PPAP/AIAG requirements.

Skills

Quality engineering

Technical writing

Engineering drawings

GD&T

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical/metallurgical/materials/manufacturing/industrial engineering

Tools

NDT methods (RT/PT/MT)

PFMEA

APQP/PPAP (AIAG)

Job description

Over 30 years, SQA Services has been a leading provider of managed supplier quality services, offering audits, assessments, remote surveillance, corrective actions, remediation, inspections, and engineering solutions to manufacturers across all industries. We deliver these services by deploying a network of highly skilled associates based throughout the United States and in over 90 countries worldwide, ensuring rapid on-site support at your supplier locations. Our associates are expert quality assurance professionals with extensive experience and local expertise, enabling us to represent our clients on demand and with greater speed and efficiency than our competitors.

Serve as SQA’s commodity subject matter expert and assessment lead for a two-day, on-site readiness assessment of a first-time casting supplier. Working alongside an SQA Technical Lead for FAI and metrology, you will lead the Requirements Consumption Review, the failure-mechanism-driven commodity assessment, and the PPAP readiness review, and author the final report identifying gaps and their risk to specification and on-time delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the on-site assessment as the castings commodity SME, including the opening meeting, daily out-briefs, and closing meeting with the supplier and client.
• Facilitate the Requirements Consumption Review (RCR) with the supplier’s cross-functional team and client (virtual), covering contract review, product definition, build plan, inspection and test, CAPA, general workmanship, and tooling / property management.
• Walk the casting process flow step by step — pattern and gating, melt and chemistry, pouring and solidification, heat treatment, cleaning and finishing, weld repair, NDT, and shipment — identifying credible failure mechanisms and evaluating the prevention and detection controls in place (reverse-PFMEA approach).
• Evaluate QMS effectiveness as applied to the part, including MRB, nonconformance handling, corrective action, traceability, and continuous improvement.
• Where PPAP is required, assess the supplier’s readiness to execute a compliant PPAP: APQP planning, process flow, PFMEA, control plan, capability studies, and submission process.
• Evaluate schedule feasibility and capacity against quoted lead times and identify risks to on-time delivery.
• Consolidate findings with the Technical Lead into a gap register, rating each gap by risk and state of control, and recommend actions for the client and supplier.
• Escalate any observation posing an immediate risk to conformance or schedule to SQA within one business day.
• Author the Supplier Readiness Assessment Report for SQA technical review within the required timeline and support the client readout.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, metallurgical / materials, manufacturing, or industrial engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and at least 10 years of directly related experience.
• Minimum 7 years of hands-on quality or manufacturing engineering experience in metal casting operations (sand, investment, or permanent mold).
• Demonstrated working knowledge of casting failure mechanisms (porosity, shrinkage, inclusions, hot tears, cold shuts, misruns, dimensional distortion) and the process controls that prevent them.
• Working knowledge of casting NDT methods (RT, PT, MT) and of chemical and mechanical property verification, including test bars and coupons.
• Hands-on experience developing or reviewing PFMEAs and control plans, and executing or reviewing PPAP / APQP per AIAG requirements.
• Prior experience leading supplier audits or assessments, with lead auditor training or certification to ISO 9001 or AS9100.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Strong technical writing skills; able to produce clear, evidence-based reports on deadline.
• Able to travel to and work on site at the supplier facility for the full two-day assessment, including shop-floor access with required PPE.

$50 - $65 an hour

SQA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment is based on merit and qualifications, and is not influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

This position requires access to ITAR-controlled technical data and/or defense articles.

Must be ITAR compliant.