Principal Engineer, Master Black Belt

Principal Engineer, Master Black Belt

The Principal Engineer, Master Black Belt will lead enterprise-wide quality and operational excellence initiatives across our high-performance, liquid-cooled server products and related manufacturing processes. The Principal Engineer, Master Black Belt will drive continuous improvement, mentor Black Belts and Green Belts, and ensure the highest levels of product reliability and operational performance, while maintaining critical business metrics such as customer delivery, cost efficiency, and process effectiveness.

The role requires influencing cross-functional teams, embedding a data-driven, quality-focused culture, and aligning improvement initiatives with organizational strategy.

What You Will Do

• Lead or contribute to transformation initiatives, helping set new standards for how ZT approaches manufacturing risk analysis, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Define and implement new systems, processes, or frameworks that support the smart factory vision, including automation, metrology, advanced inspection and testing, and predictive analytics.
• Leverage deep, data-rich environments and tools to generate insights that improve yield, reliability, and throughput.
• Collaborate across design, quality, manufacturing, test, and supplier engineering to drive solutions that integrate seamlessly into production.
• Apply advanced statistical and analytical methods to identify, quantify, and control risk in complex manufacturing environments.
• Translate DFM and PFMEA outputs into actionable process controls, ensuring proactive prevention of variation rather than reactive correction.
• Coach and mentor Black Belts and Green Belts to develop technical skills, leadership capabilities, and project execution excellence.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making across all levels of the organization.
• Lead cross-functional teams to resolve complex operational issues and implement enterprise-level improvement initiatives.
• Define, monitor, and analyze key operational and quality metrics to drive continuous improvement and sustain performance gains.
• Establish and standardize Lean Six Sigma methodologies and best practices across the organization to ensure consistent application and continuous improvement.

What You Bring

The right person for this role is an agent of change and has exceptional analytical capabilities, thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves problem-solving, is a good communicator, and is passionate about enabling the future of cloud computing.

• MBA or exposure to business, finance or economics is advantageous.
• 10–15 years of experience in high-volume, high-complexity manufacturing, with at least 5 years in leadership or transformation roles (not necessarily people management).
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical and analytical methods such as regression analysis, correlation analysis, DOE, SPC, PFMEA, Gauge R&R, and commonality studies.
• Proficiency with data-driven tools such as Minitab, JMP, Python, R, SQL (or equivalent) to analyze and interpret large, complex datasets.
• Track record of driving measurable improvements in yield, reliability, or process robustness.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage at both executive and technical levels.
• Background in electronics assembly, PCBA, servers, or other high-reliability industries (e.g., aerospace, medical devices, automotive, etc.).
• Experience coaching or mentoring technical teams to upskill in data-driven decision-making.
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Nice to Haves

• Exposure to or knowledge of AI/ML toolsets for statistical problem solving, predictive analytics, or anomaly detection.
• Proven success driving enterprise-level quality or operational excellence programs.
• ISO 9000 / ISO 9001 familiarity — knowledge of quality management systems.
• MBA or exposure to business, finance or economics is advantageous.
• Experience leading across a variety of functions.

ZT Systems assesses market data to ensure a competitive compensation package is created for all our employees. The typical base salary for this position is expected to be between $141,000 and $188,000 annually. If hired, the final base salary will be determined on an individual basis taking into consideration experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications.

Base salary is just one component of ZT Systems total rewards philosophy. We take pride in offering a wide range of benefits and perks that appeal to the variety of needs across our diverse employee base. Other rewards may include bonus, paid time off, generous 401k match, tuition reimbursement, wellbeing resources, and more.

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.