Principal Field Quality Engineer

Principal Field Quality Engineer

The Field Quality Engineer serves as the primary liaison between customers and internal manufacturing operations regarding product quality concerns. This position investigates field failures, analyzes warranty and customer complaint data, identifies root causes, and leads corrective and preventive actions to improve product quality and customer satisfaction. The role works cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Service, and Suppliers to resolve issues quickly while driving continuous improvement.

• Investigate customer complaints, warranty claims, and field failures.
• Perform root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Lead containment activities to minimize customer impact.
• Coordinate corrective and preventive actions across manufacturing, engineering, suppliers, and customer service.
• Analyze field performance, warranty trends, and quality metrics to identify systemic issues.
• Support customer visits and respond to quality-related inquiries.
• Prepare technical reports detailing investigations, findings, and corrective actions.
• Verify effectiveness of implemented corrective actions.
• Participate in product launches to ensure field quality considerations are incorporated into new products.
• Review manufacturing processes and recommend improvements to reduce defects.
• Work with Supplier Quality to address component-related issues.
• Support internal and external quality audits.
• Develop and maintain quality documentation including work instructions, control plans, PFMEAs, and inspection criteria as needed.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering on product improvements based on field performance.
• Monitor key quality indicators including customer PPM, warranty costs, field failure rates, customer complaints, and corrective action closure.
• Provide technical guidance to manufacturing teams regarding quality concerns.
• Travel to customer locations, suppliers, or manufacturing facilities as required.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Quality Engineering, or related technical field.
• 3–5 years of quality engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with customer complaint resolution.
• Knowledge of quality management systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications

• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Workday, etc.)
• Experience with warranty systems
• Automotive or appliance manufacturing experience
• Knowledge of GD&T
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings
• Statistical analysis experience (Minitab preferred)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Root cause analysis
• Statistical process control (SPC)
• Failure analysis
• Risk assessment
• Data analysis
• Customer relationship management
• Continuous improvement methodologies
• APQP
• PPAP
• PFMEA
• Control Plans
• CAPA processes
• ISO 9001 and/or IATF 16949 quality systems
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities

Our work is centered on our People and Culture as reflected in our Zero Distance philosophy and we recognize the importance of reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D). This underscores our commitment to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, connected, and empowered to contribute, while positioning our organization to adapt seamlessly to the evolving needs of our workforce and communities.

This reflects our dedication to creating solutions that:
Empower colleagues by fostering an environment where all voices are heard, valued, and encouraged to contribute. Strengthen communities where we live and work. Reinforce a culture of belonging, purpose, and engagement. Reflect the diversity of the communities we serve through our workforce, products, and practices. By further embedding Zero Distance…