Qualification Engineer

Summary

The Qualification Engineer acts as the bridge between the customer and the manufacturing organization, ensuring that new products, material changes, equipment modifications, and process improvements are successfully qualified, approved, and implemented. Their success is measured by achieving timely customer approvals while maintaining product quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction. They are responsible for ensuring products, materials, processes, or manufacturing changes meet customer requirements and obtain customer approval before implementation. They serve as the key interface between the customer and internal teams, ensuring successful qualification, validation, and ongoing compliance.

Essential Functions

* Lead customer qualification and approval activities.

* Coordinate product, material, and process qualification programs.

* Ensure all customer requirements are understood and satisfied.

* Manage qualification timelines and deliverables.

* Act as the primary technical contact for qualification-related activities.

* Communicate project status, risks, and qualification results.

* Coordinate customer audits, visits, and technical reviews.

* Address customer questions and concerns regarding product performance and compliance.

* Develop qualification plans and protocols.

* Coordinate laboratory, pilot, and production trials.

* Analyze qualification data and prepare reports.

* Ensure testing demonstrates compliance with customer specifications.

* Prepare qualification packages and technical documentation.

* Manage customer submissions and approval records.

* Support compliance with industry and customer standards.

* Maintain traceability of qualification activities and approvals.

* Assess customer impact from material, process, equipment, or supplier changes.

* Lead customer notification and approval processes.

* Manage requalification activities when changes occur.

* Ensure customer-required change control procedures are followed.

* Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Engineering, Sales, and Supply Chain teams.

* Coordinate activities required to achieve customer approvals.

* Drive issue resolution during qualification activities.

* Support new product introductions and customer launches.

* Investigate customer complaints and qualification failures.

* Conduct root cause analysis.

* Implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

* Identify opportunities to improve qualification efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Additional Responsibilities

• Manage new customer product qualifications.
• Support product and process validation.
• Coordinate production trials and sample submissions.
• Track qualification status and approvals.
• Prepare technical presentations and reports.
• Participate in customer meetings and audits.
• Respond to technical inquiries and requests.
• Support commercial teams during product introductions.
• Qualification reports.
• Control plans.
• Process capability studies.
• Material certifications.
• Change notifications.
• Quality documentation packages.

Qualifications

Competencies

* Product and process qualification

* Statistical analysis and data interpretation

* Root cause analysis

* Quality systems and auditing

* Technical documentation

* Change management

* Manufacturing process knowledge

Education and Experience

* Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Materials Engineering, Engineering, or a related technical field; OR 2-5 years of relevant technical, manufacturing, laboratory, materials, quality, or data-analysis experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree.

* Basic to intermediate knowledge of materials science, metallurgy, metals processing, or manufacturing principles.

Special Skills

* Customer relationship management

* Communication and presentation skills

* Project management

* Negotiation and influencing

* Problem-solving

* Organization and attention to detail

Additional Notes

* Proof of US citizenship, nationality, and/or permanent resident status in order to comply with all applicable export and import laws and regulations

Physical Dimensions

PHYSICAL DEMANDS - THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS DESCRIBED HERE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THOSE THAT MUST BE MET BY AN EMPLOYEE TO SUCCESSFULLY PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS JOB. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE MADE TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.

Ability to work in industrial surroundings.

WORK ENVIRONMENT - THE WORK ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIBED HERE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THOSE AN EMPLOYEE ENCOUNTERS WHILE PERFORMING THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS JOB. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE MADE TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.