Product Quality Engineer

Laars Heating Systems•Rochester, NH

19h

About The Position

Laars Heating Systems Company is seeking a Product Quality Engineer to drive measurable improvement in product quality and process performance across its boiler and water heater manufacturing operation. The role uses data analysis, engineering principles, and structured problem-solving methodologies to identify and eliminate root causes of quality issues. It emphasizes proactive prevention and upstream process control rather than reliance on inspection to find defects after they occur. The Product Quality Engineer is a primary point of responsibility for customer-facing and supplier-facing quality matters. The role works with Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Production, Procurement, Service, suppliers, and external customers to turn field issues, supplier nonconformances, and process variation into sustainable corrective actions. These efforts aim to reduce scrap, rework, and warranty costs while improving throughput, delivery reliability, and customer experience.

Requirements

3–7 years of experience in a quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, or supplier quality role.
Demonstrated experience applying structured root cause and problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, A3, 5-Why, DMAIC, or Six Sigma.
Working knowledge of statistical process control, measurement systems analysis (gauge R&R), and process capability studies (Cpk/Ppk).
Experience with supplier quality management, including supplier audits, SCARs, and PPAP or first article inspection processes.
Familiarity with FMEA development and control plan creation.
Experience working with ISO 9001 or a similar quality management system.
Strong data analysis skills, including comfort working in Excel and/or quality or statistical software such as Minitab or equivalent.
Excellent cross-functional communication skills and ability to work effectively with engineers, production personnel, suppliers, and customers.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and independently drive corrective actions to closure.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Quality, Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related field); an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Manufacturing experience in HVAC, appliances, heavy equipment, or a similar regulated or mechanical-product industry.
Experience with ASME, UL, or other boiler or water heater industry codes and standards.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP), or willingness to obtain one.
Training or certification in core quality tools such as FMEA, SPC, MSA, or APQP/PPAP.

Responsibilities

Analyze quality, scrap, rework, and warranty data to identify trends, prioritize improvements, and quantify cost of poor quality.
Lead and participate in root cause analysis and structured problem-solving for internal nonconformances, field failures, and customer complaints.
Develop, implement, and maintain control plans, PFMEAs, and process control methods, including SPC, gauge R&R, and capability studies.
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to design and validate process improvements, error-proofing, and inspection methods that prevent defects.
Drive corrective and preventive action plans through verified, sustained closure.
Reduce reliance on incoming inspection by qualifying supplier processes, implementing source inspection or certified supplier programs, and validating supplier capability.
Serve as the primary supplier quality contact, leading supplier corrective action requests, supplier audits, and capability assessments.
Collaborate with Procurement on supplier quality performance, onboarding, and ongoing supplier scorecards.
Work with suppliers on PPAP or first article approval, process validation, and continuous improvement related to incoming material quality.
Serve as the quality team's primary contact for external customer quality concerns, field issues, and warranty trends, partnering with Service to investigate and resolve them.
Translate field and warranty data into actionable internal improvement projects.
Support customer audits, quality documentation requests, and complaint resolution with timely, data-driven responses.
Communicate quality performance, corrective actions, and improvement plans to internal stakeholders and external customers.
Work daily with Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Production, Procurement, and Service to align quality priorities and resolve issues.
Participate in new product introduction and design change processes to address manufacturability and quality requirements early.
Support internal and external audits and maintain relevant quality documentation and records.
Work with quality inspectors to report quality metrics, including defect rates, scrap, rework, warranty, and supplier performance, and present findings to leadership.