Quality Engineer

Wabtec Corporation is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for freight and transit rail. Drawing on nearly four centuries of collective experience across Wabtec, GE Transportation and Faiveley Transport, the company has unmatched digital expertise, technological innovation, and world-class manufacturing and services, enabling the digital-rail-and-transit ecosystems. Wabtec is focused on performance that drives progress, creating transportation solutions that move and improve the world. Wabtec has approximately 27,000 employees in facilities throughout the world. Visit the company’s new website at: http://www.WabtecCorp.com. It’s not just about your career… or your job title…it’s about who you are and the impact you are going to make on the world. Do you want to go into uncharted waters…do things that haven’t been done to make yours and someone else's life better? Wabtec has been doing that for decades and we will continue to do so! Through our people, leadership development, services, technology and scale, Wabtec delivers better outcomes for global customers by speaking the language of industry. *Relocation assistance may be available to those who qualify SUMMARY The Quality Engineer is responsible for evaluating, recommending, and implementing strategies to enhance organization performance, leadership effectiveness, associate engagement, and overall consistent, predictable quality. In this role you will champion effective change management and have a broad understanding of the design, development, and execution of Quality strategies that align with business and organization goals. Ultimately your work will create a company culture that sees quality as a strategic advantage. You’ll also take the company’s strong brand to the next level by achieving ISO certification as well as meeting and surpassing other relevant local and global quality standards. REPORTING Solid line: Manufacturing Quality Leader Dotted line: Manufacturing Leader ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Culture Shape, monitor and nurture a culture of quality and continuous improvement. Challenge status quo. Inspire leaders and employees to continually improve performance, teamwork, and results. Work with leaders and employees to foster an environment of trust, rich feedback, and high performing teams through standard work, flow, and continuous improvement. Transform thinking patterns such that standard work, root cause, mistake proofing, continuous improvement and other quality concepts are at the forefront. Impact Put in place a sustainable Quality Management System that achieves ISO certification. Enhance the company’s strong brand. Make Quality a source of pride for the company, our employees, and our customers. Eliminate waste. Drive poor quality down. Meet operational and financial targets. Make a significant positive impact on key metrics – i.e., supplier quality, rework, tact time, warranty, etc. Ensure product and process quality meets and exceeds customer specs and expectations. Tackle the elusive inter-departmental handoffs inefficiency through emphasis of customer value chains. Be a budget hawk. Ensure expenditures have a solid ROI. Prepare and manage budget such that the business values every dollar spent in the pursuit of quality. Technical / Functional Excellence Be the go-to person for all matters Quality-related. At the same time, avoid the temptation to be the keeper of all knowledge. Instead, empower employees and leaders. Make QMS knowledge ubiquitous and/or easily referenced and understood. Instil a passion for quality. Identify process risks, implement appropriate control points and preventive measures. Execute process audits to ensure effective process control and evidence of such. Lead containment, interim and permanent corrective action efforts Standardize and document work processes in alignment with Wabtec quality processes and systems. Apply Wabtec quality tools and modules to Nordco systems. Bring a LEAN fluency as well as a toolkit of various continuous improvement tools to the table. Educate leaders and employees on how to utilize the right tool for the job. Continually expand your own expertise and suite of tools. Create a contagious sense of urgency to respond to quality turnbacks and escapes. Relentlessly pursue root cause and when applying mistake proofing practices, avoid the knee-jerk temptation to write more processes thereby creating a heavier burden, but rather strive to “engineer” mistakes out of the system. Measure to the correct standard. Ensure up to date compliance with all regulatory requirements. Ensure calibration of tools and test equipment. Keep document revisions up to date with current practice. Lead quality initiatives to achieve key quality metrics for assigned manufacturing locations. Provide quality leadership for new product development, supplier development and PPAP processes. Productivity Work closely with office, plant, and field employees on areas of focus. Create plans for resolution and execute timely. Lead Kaizen events and champion solutions from flip charts and sticky notes into reality. Balance and prioritize: strategy with tactics, company needs with employee needs and customer needs, thinking with action, future planning with real time work, office with shop and field, policy with common sense. Do the work. Approach all facets of the role as critical (administrative, working the floor, monitoring metrics and systems, leading continuous improvement efforts, influencing others, etc) and avoid spending too much time in any one area at the expense of other areas. Apply the Plan, Do, Check, Act model to your own effectiveness. Coaching Partner with business leadership. Take lead on Quality processes. Support business processes. Work collectively to improve employee and customer experience. View your role as neither superior to or subservient to other areas, but rather as an equal peer who succeeds or fails via your own ability to influence others. Provide context. Help employees and leaders anticipate the changing needs of the business, industry, and regulatory world and adjust accordingly. Strategy Learn the business. Design, implement, and assess Quality programs that help propel the business forward. Develop and maintain health metrics for the business. Put into dashboard form. Ensure that metrics are meaningful and add value. Move the focus from lagging indicators to leading indicators. Interpret and present data compellingly so leaders can make decisions. Make it worth the company’s time to have at least one quality initiative be at the top level of our strategic initiatives. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Education A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Quality or a related field (experience in lieu of may be considered). ASQ Certifications a plus Experience A minimum of five years of experience in a Manufacturing setting. Experience supporting Office, Plant and Field employees. Technical Skills Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office programs. Prior experience using Business Management Systems. Current on industry and legislative trends. Behavioral Attributes The ability to develop and maintain relations. Exceptional oral and written communication skills. The ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of different situations. A high degree of adaptability and flexibility to operate in a fast-paced work environment. The ability to have an impact and influence on people and outcomes. TRAVEL The ability to travel up to 25% of the time. WORKING CONDITIONS Work is primarily light duty and requires the ability to regularly lift and carry objects weighing up to 20 pounds. This position requires the ability to sit, stand and walk unassisted. Requires the use of hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to talk and hear. Normal correctable vision is required. In-office 5 day’s per week Wabtec Corporation is committed to taking on the world’s toughest challenges. In order to fulfill that commitment we rely on a culture of leadership, diversity and inclusiveness. We aim to employ the world’s brightest minds to help us create a limitless source of ideas and opportunities. We believe in hiring talented people of varied backgrounds, experiences and styles…people like you! Wabtec Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, or protected Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. Want to move the world? Want to innovate and bring that innovation to life? At Wabtec, we are in the business of realizing potential – that of the transportation industry, and yours! Drawing on nearly four centuries of collective success across the vibrant portfolios of Wabtec, GE Transportation and Faiveley Transport, we offer employees hands-on opportunities all over the world to shape the future of transportation – as well as their own. Wabtec is focused on performance that drives progress, leveraging our digital expertise, technological innovation, and world-class manufacturing and services to create transportation solutions that move and improve the world. Along with our industry-leading portfolio of products and solutions for the rail and transit industries, Wabtec is a leader in mining, marine, and industrial solutions. Wabtec celebrates thinkers and doers. Our values included in the About Us page are rooted in innovation, collaboration, inclusiveness, and continuous improvement to solve our customers’ toughest challenges. Whether your talents lie in digital solution development, next-gen manufacturing, advanced service delivery, or the spectrum of business functions that support them, Wabtec literally has a world of opportunity for you across our global network. Our employees are the architects of the future. Where will you be tomorrow?