Customer Quality Engineer

Element Solutions Inc•West Haven, CT

11d

About The Position

The Customer Quality Engineer is the primary customer-facing quality representative for key and strategic accounts, responsible for managing all customer quality matters and maintaining strong, professional relationships. This role translates customer requirements into actionable plans for internal Quality, Engineering, Operations, and Product teams, ensuring alignment with customer expectations, quality agreements, and ISO/IATF standards. The CQE owns customer quality performance, including complaints, audits, new product introductions, and product/process changes. They lead structured problem-solving efforts (8D, CAPA, RCA), communicate progress and outcomes clearly, and ensure corrective actions address both technical issues and customer impact. This role requires strong cross-functional collaboration, effective communication across diverse stakeholders, and the ability to perform in high-pressure situations. The CQE proactively manages risk, supports product stewardship and change management, and partners with commercial teams to protect and grow business while maintaining customer confidence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
7 years of experience in a customer-facing quality, product engineering, or technical support role.
Experience within the semiconductor or electronic materials industry is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and IATF 16949; experience translating customer‑specific requirements into internal execution
Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at technical and leadership levels across global organizations.
Experience supporting NPI qualification, process change notifications or customer product launches.
Advanced quality tools expertise (SPC, FMEA, MSA, PPAP, APQP).
Demonstrated experience leading structured problem-solving (8D, 5-Why, DMAIC) with business impact.
Prior customer facing experience.
Demonstrated success leading customer audits, managing escalations, and driving cross‑functional corrective actions.

Nice To Haves

ASQ CQE, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or equivalent certification are a plus.
Ability to travel globally

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary quality interface for assigned strategic and global customers, building trusted relationships across engineering, supply chain, quality, and leadership levels.
Lead Voice‑of‑Customer (VOC) activities, including scorecards, customer quality agreements, and internal communications to ensure applicable awareness.
Own customer excursions and complaints from intake through closure, ensuring timely containment, robust root‑cause analysis, and effective corrective and preventive actions (8D, CAPA, RCA).
Participate in and support Line of Business team for the respective product or product group supporting strategic account. Support the execution of product launches.
Communicate and manage Product & Process Change Notifications, manage samples and data requests and gather customer approval.
Lead audit activities for customers including pre-audit checklists, and post audit action items
Support communication on behalf of engineering and quality functions (i.e. SPC, specifications, gage studies, customer complaints) as assigned and required by strategic accounts.
Own and maintain applicable customer specific requirements, customer quality agreements, scorecards, and best‑known methods. Ensure that all internal operating departments understand customer requirements through regular communication and periodic updates.
Assist in development of control plans/ limits, SPC requirements as well as white papers, process control systems, metrology systems analysis, continuous improvement plans, root cause analysis, CARs and PARs
Support technical and commercial interface with assigned accounts for product stewardship, technology exchange, and consistent customer satisfaction. Support the determination of opportunities for growth with existing products and potential new products and identifying quality‑enabled growth opportunities.
Lead cross‑functional, and where required global, problem‑solving teams to prevent recurrence and reduce systemic risk.
Lead and support customer audits (on‑site and remote), including preparation, execution, response development, and closure of action items.
Ensure adherence to customer‑specific quality requirements, ISO 9001, and IATF 16949 expectations, translating requirements into actionable internal controls.
Lead customer Product and Process Change Notifications, ensuring risk assessment, data readiness, sample coordination, and formal customer approval.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives related assigned accounts and communicate appropriately to customer on a regular basis.
Contribute to the evolution of Customer Quality strategy, tools, and standard work.
Performs other work-related duties as assigned by Customer Quality Manager
Own overall quality performance for assigned strategic customers as the primary customer facing representative, actively managing communication, expectations, and long term relationship health.