Lead Quality Engineer

Job Description: Lead Quality Engineer

Job Title: Lead Quality Engineer

Location: Middlesex, NC 27557

Duration: 6 Months (Contract)

Start Date: Immediate

Pay Rate: $74.94/hour

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Lead Quality Engineer to lead quality initiatives across manufacturing operations, ensuring compliance with customer, regulatory, and industry standards. The ideal candidate will drive product and process quality improvements, support operational excellence, reduce defects, and provide technical leadership to cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead quality engineering activities across assigned products, value streams, suppliers, and customer programs.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100, ISO 9001, customer-specific requirements, and internal quality management systems.
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits, assessments, and corrective action activities.
• Deploy Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) methodologies and support PPAP submissions and approvals.
• Develop and maintain Control Plans, PFMEAs, inspection methods, validation activities, and launch readiness documentation.
• Drive manufacturing process improvements using Statistical Process Control (SPC), mistake-proofing, process capability analysis, and variation reduction techniques.
• Investigate customer complaints, product escapes, returns, and non-conformances.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, and Pareto Analysis.
• Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Supply Chain teams to improve supplier performance and product quality.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for quality systems, customer requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Quality Engineers and cross-functional teams.
• Support Cost of Non-Conformance (CONC) reduction and customer satisfaction initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Manufacturing, Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, or a related technical role.
• Experience working within a regulated Quality Management System (QMS) environment.
• Strong knowledge of quality tools, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 standards.
• Hands-on experience with APQP and PPAP.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher certification.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).
• Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor certification.
• Experience using program management tools and advanced quality methodologies.