Senior Quality Engineer

Sterling Engineering; San Fernando (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in California seeks a Senior Quality Engineer to drive manufacturing quality, lead investigations, and advance continuous improvement across operations.

You will partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, and Supply Chain, applying 8D/ DMAIC, PFMEA, APQP, and PPAP, while ensuring ISO 9001 compliance and traveling up to 10%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field
• 5+ years of Quality Engineering experience in manufacturing
• 2+ years working directly with customers on quality issues
• Lean and Six Sigma experience
• Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent experience
• ISO 9001 knowledge is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead customer complaint investigations, containment, root cause analysis and corrective actions
• Drive structured problem-solving using 8D, DMAIC, and A3 methodologies
• Support new product launches via APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, and process validation
• Conduct process audits, Gemba walks, and quality assessments to identify risks
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Engineering to reduce defects and cost of poor quality
• Support MRB and non-conformance activities, including disposition and CAPA
• Coordinate with suppliers to resolve quality issues and implement corrective actions
• Analyze quality metrics, customer complaints, warranty trends, and COPQ to drive improvements
• Ensure ISO 9001 and internal QMS compliance

Skills

8D problem solving

DMAIC

A3

PFMEA

Control Plans

APQP

PPAP

SPC

MSA

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Science or related field

Tools

ERP

MES

QMS

Job description

Must have Skill Set: Ability to travel 10%

Overview:

We are seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to support manufacturing operations by driving quality improvements, reducing defects, resolving customer and production issues, and improving overall process performance. This role will work closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality teams to support production, new product launches, supplier quality initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.

Job Duties:

• Lead customer complaint investigations, containment activities, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Drive structured problem-solving initiatives utilizing 8D, DMAIC, A3, and other quality methodologies.
• Support new product launches through APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, and process validation activities.
• Conduct process audits, Gemba walks, and quality assessments to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering teams to improve product quality, reduce defects, and lower the cost of poor quality.
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) and non-conformance activities, including disposition and corrective action implementation.
• Collaborate with suppliers to resolve quality issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Analyze quality metrics, customer complaints, warranty trends, and cost of poor quality data to identify systemic issues and drive improvement projects.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 and internal quality management system requirements.
• Utilize ERP, MES, and Quality Management Systems (QMS) to manage quality data, reporting, and documentation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Science, or a related technical field preferred, equivalent professional experience is acceptable.
• 5+ years of Quality Engineering experience within a manufacturing environment.
• 2+ years of experience working directly with customers on quality-related issues.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is not required, but it would be a huge plus.
• Six Sigma green belt or strong Lean and 6 Sigma experience
• Strong experience with:
• 8D, DMAIC, and A3 Problem Solving
• PFMEA and Control Plans
• APQP and PPAP
• Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
• Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies
• Combination of office and manufacturing floor environment.
• Regular standing, walking, and facility inspections.
• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Up to 10% travel to customer and manufacturing locations.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.