Senior Quality Engineer — On‑Floor Problem Solver

Gilder Search Group; South Bend (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Gilder Search Group in the South Bend, IN area is seeking a hands-on Quality Engineer to drive product quality, process improvement, and continuous improvement across operations on the shop floor. This role requires close collaboration with production and engineering teams to implement sustainable solutions.

The position emphasizes on-floor problem solving, data-driven decisions, and involvement with Kaizen and Six Sigma initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Quality, Manufacturing, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of quality engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications.
• Experience with root-cause analysis and corrective actions in a production setting.
• Comfortable working on the shop floor and collaborating with production and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Investigate manufacturing and quality issues on the shop floor and drive resolution.
• Lead structured root-cause analysis using A3, 5 Whys, 8D, and fishbone methods.
• Collect and interpret quality data to identify trends and improvements.
• Develop and maintain quality and inspection plans, control plans, procedures, and work instructions.
• Interpret drawings, specs, statements of work, and contract requirements.
• Support product testing, first article, in-process, and final inspections.
• Manage nonconformance investigations, containment, corrective actions, and verify effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Engineering on process improvements and new product introduction.
• Support PPAP/APQP, PFMEA, SPC, MSA, and capability studies as applicable.
• Monitor quality metrics and participate in internal and supplier audits.

Skills

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis

On-floor presence

Process improvement

Quality systems

Documentation writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Quality/Manufacturing/Engineering

Tools

Metrology basics

Gage calibration

APQP/PPAP familiarity

Job description

Gilder Search Group in the South Bend, IN area is seeking a hands-on Quality Engineer to drive product quality, process improvement, and continuous improvement across operations on the shop floor. This role requires close collaboration with production and engineering teams to implement sustainable solutions.

The position emphasizes on-floor problem solving, data-driven decisions, and involvement with Kaizen and Six Sigma initiatives.