Metallurgical Lab Supervisor

Career Area: Manufacturing

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The Large Power Systems Division in Lafayette, IN has an opening for a Metallurgical Lab Supervisor. In this role you will supervise personnel responsible for preventing quality problems through the development and maintenance of laboratory measurement standards and laboratory analysis. Day to day management of quality inspection team includes priority setting and problem resolution to support production requirements. Primary responsibility is to provide support for quality initiatives in facility operations, supplier quality, and materials technology.

Position will ensure conformity to global quality processes defined in the Caterpillar Quality Management System (QMS), day to day management of metallurgical resources, and ensure resources are trained and competent in all aspects of Metallurgical & NDT Analysis.

The incumbent is accountable for conformity to global quality processes and reporting to management on QMS process execution. The role is responsible for setting priorities, establishing review schedules for product and equipment quality control, managing material inspection controls for the lab.

The incumbent in this position is responsible for overseeing the execution of laboratory processes, plans and tools that support global quality systems or related processes i.e. Cost of Poor Quality, PPAP, Lab quality certifications (CQMS), etc. The incumbent must also ensure alignment to CPS (Caterpillar Production System) principles.

The goal of quality assurance is to contribute to the prevention of product defects by eliminating the cause and maintaining quality standards by providing proper inspection gaging tools, procedures and tests. Incumbent and staff are responsible from the planning stage of the lab where proper tooling, machines and inspection equipment are essential to produce desired quality. Incumbent and staff will ensure their customers investigations are conducted per the instructions created by the Metallurgical Engineers in the Lab.

Incumbent is responsible for coordinating acceptance criteria used for conducting capability studies of new machine tools being purchased from suppliers or produced locally. Defines method acceptance criteria priorities, alternative equipment and gage certification and recertification in conjunction with the gage lab.

Responsible for procedures such as machine capability studies and inspection practices in order to measure plant quality levels, to cause improvement and to reduce costs to the business, including preventing warranty expenses.

Incumbent and staff assist in the proper dispositioning of non-conforming material through analysis of defects and identification of cause. Takes necessary steps to isolate defective material and to ensure uninterrupted shipments to customers if possible. Considerations include scrap, rework or deviation. Incumbent ensures proper procedures are adhered to in "fitness for use" decisions. Incumbent will also support 3rd party sorts and 3rd party training of Metallurgical/NDT methods to ensure sorts are conducted to print specifications.

Incumbent is responsible for assisting and providing resources to internal certification teams. Interfaces with other facility and corporate coordinators and plant contacts for customer/corporate approval of certification.

The incumbent is responsible for the training, motivation and development of agency lab employees. This position instructs personnel on how to determine the quality of work with the aids of inspection gauges, Metallurgical Testing tools, and blueprints. The incumbent provides…