Quality Engineer (New Ulm)

Careen•New Ulm, MN

10d•$75,000 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

If you are interested in becoming an Employee Owner , read on... Windings Inc. is a 100% employee-owned company where every team member shares in our success. Since becoming an ESOP in 1998, we've proudly supported critical industries like Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, and Medical. Our unique ESOP benefits can contribute 10-12% of your annual earnings to your retirement—at no cost to you—helping your savings grow through compound interest. For over 60 years, Windings has provided critical custom motors and components for the harshest applications, including outer space, military, downhole drilling, and motor sports to name a few. If you like to take on the “tough stuff”, join us and be part of a forward-thinking, people-focused company driven by our purpose: " Making our Customer’s Critical Mission Possible." Do you thrive on solving problems at the root cause—and making sure they never come back? We’re looking for a hands-on, results-driven Quality Engineer to own and elevate quality across key product areas in our facility. In this role, you’ll lead quality planning, compliance, corrective actions, inspections/testing methods, and reporting—while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain to drive supplier and production improvements. You’ll play a key role in strengthening our Quality Management System (QMS), improving process capability, and ensuring customer satisfaction through consistently conforming product and reliable manufacturing performance.

Requirements

Working knowledge of Quality Management Systems and quality function leadership within a manufacturing environment.
Solid experience with problem-solving methods, continuous improvement philosophies, and Lean/Six Sigma practices.
Strong written and verbal communication skills—you can clearly document issues and influence cross-functional action.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and deliver results.
Comfortable partnering with all levels of the organization—from the production floor to senior leadership.
Bachelor’s Degree in a related discipline (EE, ME, IE, BS, or similar), or equivalent training and experience.
3–5 years of experience in Quality Engineering, Quality Systems, and/or Engineering.
Experience in a manufacturing environment required.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting Aerospace, Defense, or Space products (preferred).
Certifications such as CQE, ASQ Green/Black Belt, or QMS certification are a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead Quality Performance & Continuous Improvement Drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) by identifying true root causes, implementing corrective actions, and validating long-term effectiveness using 8D and A3 methodologies.
Act as a change agent—implementing improvements that enhance production methods, product quality, equipment performance, and efficiency.
Establish and achieve quality performance targets for product conformance and process capability, proactively reporting variances and recommending corrective actions.
Use Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools to support process capability and problem-solving efforts.
Build and Maintain Strong Quality Systems Develop and maintain inspection, testing, calibration, and evaluation methods for incoming materials, in-process product, finished goods, returns, and equipment.
Create and implement sampling plans and systems for recording, evaluating, and reporting quality and reliability data.
Support and strengthen QMS processes aligned to applicable standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001:2015, and IPC J-STD.
Assist in performing gap assessments and translating findings into actionable improvement plans that close system and capability gaps quickly.
Partner Across the Organization Collaborate with coworkers and leaders to apply structured quality improvement methods: assessment ? planning ? implementation ? validation.
Work closely with Supply Chain to support supplier quality improvement and strengthen incoming quality performance.
Support mechanical/electrical testing for new and existing products, raw materials, warranty returns, and calibration activities.
Assist in developing and updating policies and procedures critical to the ongoing success of the Quality Management System.