Quality Engineer I

Fairbanks Morse Defense•Chesapeake, VA

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Quality Engineer is a critical member of the Fairbanks Morse Aftermarket Team leading in the development and enforcement of our Quality Management System. This individual will support the continual improvement and maintenance of the ISO 9001 registered Quality Management System. At Fairbanks Morse Defense, quality is mission critical. Our engines, systems, and aftermarket service solutions support some of the world’s most demanding naval and defense operations — and we are seeking a driven, technically strong Quality Engineer to help ensure those systems perform at the highest standard. This is an opportunity for someone who thrives in fast-paced technical environments and wants to make a direct impact across field service operations, supplier quality, manufacturing support, and continuous improvement initiatives. We are especially interested in candidates with military leadership experience, heavy industrial maintenance backgrounds, naval engineering experience, or strong technical quality systems expertise. The Quality Engineer is a highly dynamic position that requires effective front line leadership skills, cross-functional communication skills, proficient technical and analytical expertise to sustain our Quality Assurance Objectives. The Quality Engineer is responsible for designing quality standards; inspecting materials, equipment, processes, and products; developing quality corrective measures; creating and implementing quality documentation; and testing systems and procedures to ensure they meet technical standards; as well as identifying technical issues and proactively recommending solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Manufacturing, or an Engineering or related technical field.
Minimum of 3 years of experience as a Quality Engineer, Quality Assurance Officer (Military) or Reliability Engineering in a manufacturing or service environment.
Proven leadership of small groups and project teams focused on Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement initiatives; demonstrated ability to transform conflict to results.
Demonstrate a high degree of problem solving and critical thinking; calmly evaluate and identify risks and drive projects to mitigate all forms of costs and risks.
Outstanding communication skills (written and oral) with demonstrated ability to effectively communicate/interact with all levels within the organization to achieve immediate and long-term results.
Action-oriented with ability to establish working relationships with people at all levels, internally and externally.
Highly effective writing skills: producing written communication that is timely and instrumental to effective decision making.
Experience in performing supplier quality audits.
Experience auditing military or nuclear welding program quality requirements.
Proficient in Windows and MS Office applications.
This position requires access or potential access to Unclassified Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information, which is Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals (NOFORN) data. Therefore, to meet NOFORN requirement, you will have to provide proof of US Citizenship and attest that you do not have dual citizenship. Acceptable proof of US Citizenship is a US Passport, US Birth Certificate or Naturalization Certificate.

Nice To Haves

ASQ Certified Quality Engineer is a plus.
Experience with Oracle or other ERP software preferred.
Lean manufacturing experience and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt a plus.
Proven results in supply chain improvement.
Demonstrated ability to implement new processes into the ISO9001:2015 quality management system that result in breakthrough improvement of supplier performance.

Responsibilities

Lead Quality Engineering initiatives across workshop and field service operations
Drive root cause analysis investigations and corrective action implementation
Support and strengthen the ISO 9001 Quality Management System
Conduct internal audits at service centers and customer job sites
Create and improve SOPs and Standardized Work Instructions
Collaborating with operations, leadership, suppliers, and customers
Review supplier quality documentation and material certifications
Support supplier quality improvement initiatives and audits
Present quality findings and corrective actions to leadership teams
Identify operational risks and implement process improvements
Ensure compliance with technical, military, and customer quality standards
Track multiple quality projects while maintaining timelines and deliverables
Support field service teams with quality-related technical guidance
Investigate non-conformance issues and drive sustainable resolutions
Analyze data and trends to improve performance and reliability
Assist in maintaining audit readiness and compliance initiatives
Serve as a key technical resource for quality assurance matters
Travel to support audits, projects, inspections, and customer requirements
Leadership of all Service Region Quality Engineering initiatives to meet prescribed objectives to support Service Region Team Members in all work capacities including workshop operations, field service operations, and customer meetings.
Facilitation of cross functional teams in root cause analysis, development of corrective action plans and effective verification of those plans.
Catalyst for organizational change. Ability to influence and lead teams in support of organization initiatives.
On-Site leadership of QMS is paramount; travel is expected as needed to support projects.
Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Service Region and Aftermarket Quality Assurance information, projects, and process improvement initiatives.
Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Standardized Work Instructions (SWIs).
Communicate with the Quality Director key information pertaining to Quality Engineering Projects, Customer Interruptions and Focused Quality Campaigns.
Lead all Quality Assurance communication with internal and external customers; serve as the focal point for scheduling any on-site quality activities.
Ensure Quality Engineering and evaluation of workshop and field service processes are performed correctly using appropriate tools, materials, and processes.
Coordinate and effectively communicate present corrective actions presentations to company leaders including Quality Leadership, Region Service Directors, Service Supervisors, and other company team members.
Facilitate and/or conduct internal audits at Service Centers, Customer Job Sites, and provide recommendations including Corrective Actions, SOPs, and Standardized Work Instructions to eliminate defects and improve holistic processes.
Ensure on-time and accurate submission of quality audit reports; take immediate corrective actions on non-conformance occurrences.
Manage the external audit schedule to ensure audits are completed within specified intervals.
Review and approve supplier material certifications.
Assess supplier process controls to ensure product is manufactured to meet requirements.
Track multiple projects simultaneously to ensure adherence to schedule.
Perform product source inspections at supplier sites.