Quality Warranty Engineer

Stabilus•Gastonia, NC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Warranty Engineer is based at Stabilus’s U.S. Corporate Headquarters in Gastonia, North Carolina. The role advances continuous improvement in the quality system and manufacturing and assembly processes, ensuring gas spring products meet internal drawing specifications and are produced under controlled, capable conditions. The engineer serves as a quality expert and customer advocate for an assigned functional area and the facility, managing customer concerns and portal submissions, including warranty claims, 8D responses, and 5Why analyses. The position uses quality tools and methods—including Design of Experiments (DoE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA)—to improve process capability, reduce scrap and rework, investigate product returns and failures, and monitor quality performance. The engineer leads corrective-action and quality meetings, conducts audits and capability studies, communicates trends through monthly reporting, and supports production teams through technical guidance and training. The role also includes laboratory and failure-analysis work, customer visits, and required domestic and international travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, or 5 to 10 years of related experience and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Certification in at least one of the following: Six Sigma, CQE/CQM, Reliability, or Quality Lead Auditor.
In-depth knowledge of variation-reduction practices, including SPC, MSA, PFMEA fundamentals, quality Core Tools, and standard quality practices.
Knowledge of proper use and care of standard in-process gauges and specialized test equipment.
Ability to read and interpret Stabilus engineering drawings and specifications.
Ability to perform routine laboratory procedures and part teardown and failure analysis as needed.
Ability to assist production areas with training and problem solving and to support launch activities.
Ability to generate technical reports and determine root causes and solutions to off-standard situations.
Ability to follow established guidelines and design specifications for quality audits.
Fluency in English.
High-level MS Office skills and experience with SAP and customer-specific web portals and downloads.
Strong analytical, numerical, reasoning, strategic-planning, and problem-solving skills; resourcefulness, initiative, and proactive thinking.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities and identify opportunities.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present complex business reports and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse personalities, exercise tact and mature judgment, and support team-based management.
Ability to establish credibility, make decisions, listen effectively, and communicate across foreign affiliates with awareness of cultural differences.
Care and accuracy when working with sensitive measurement equipment, gauges, finished products, and audits, where errors may affect measurement accuracy, product quality, customer relations, or company revenue.
Ability to travel to customer sites domestically and internationally.

Nice To Haves

German language skills.

Responsibilities

Manage and respond to customer concerns through customer portals, email, and phone.
Monitor production processes to verify conformance with procedures.
Submit timely and accurate customer portal information, including failure modes, responsibility, and Technical Factors.
Conduct capability studies, evaluate data, report issues, and follow up on corrective actions.
Collect, organize, and report quality performance data, including monthly trend reports.
Lead corrective-action and quality meetings, including Controls Plans (CP), PFMEA, and 8D activities.
Analyze and initiate scrap-reduction efforts.
Train associates on changes to QAPs and on the proper use and care of new quality inspection equipment.
Read and interpret customer drawings and Stabilus standards, and perform validation testing as required.
Use laboratory technician teardown analyses to determine causes and prepare customer reports.
Provide technical guidance and direction to Quality Technicians, Auditors, and Inspectors.
Attend to and manage customer-site visits; travel to domestic and international locations as required.
Follow existing procedures and work instructions.
Maintain technical skills through training, courses, seminars, exhibits, and trade shows as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Improve the Quality System and manufacturing and assembly processes using appropriate quality tools.
Determine and quantify causes of product returns or failures and assess Quality System effectiveness through audits.
Assess the effectiveness of the assigned functional area through capability analysis, QAP monitoring, and quality principles.
Perform routine laboratory procedures, teardown and failure analysis, and launch support as needed.
Assist production areas with training and problem solving, and generate technical reports.
Maintain quality-related databases and QM systems, including concerns and supplier databases and analysis databases.