Supplier Quality Engineer

INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation and solutions in the semiconductor industry. The Supplier Quality Engineer role focuses on ensuring supplier compliance with engineering requirements, managing quality programs, and driving continuous improvement through audits and corrective actions.

Responsibilities:

• Disposition nonconforming incoming and production material; determine accept-as-is, rework, or return-to-vendor (RTV) outcomes in coordination with the MRB coordinator and sourcing team
• Outline and document rework instructions for material that can be salvaged; communicate dispositions clearly to production technicians and supervisors
• Collaborate with inspectors to ensure consistent and complete MRB documentation in SAP
• Coordinate with the MRB coordinator on RTV ticket initiation, tracking, and closure
• Lead 8D investigations for significant quality escapes originating from suppliers or internal production processes
• Apply structured problem-solving tools (5-Why, fishbone, fault trees) to identify and document verified root causes
• Develop robust corrective action plans and drive closure through follow-up verification and effectiveness checks
• Partner with electrical quality engineers when issues span mechanical and electrical domains
• Issue, track, and formally close Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) in accordance with INFICON's corrective action process
• Maintain and continuously improve supplier scorecards tracking key metrics including Project portfolio management, on-time delivery (OTD), and SCAR response timeliness
• Collaborate with the sourcing team to address chronic underperforming suppliers and escalate where necessary
• Maintain supplier quality program documentation including procedures, approved supplier lists, and quality agreements
• Provide responsive quality support to production technicians and supervisors for build and test quality issues
• Perform containment activities to minimize production line stoppages caused by nonconforming material
• Identify and escalate systemic process quality issues to prevent recurrence
• Act as a liaison between production and engineering to communicate quality feedback on assemblies and components
• Perform Statistical Process Capability (SPC) studies on current production build and test processes
• Collect and trend historical quality data from SAP and other databases to identify improvement opportunities
• Identify design and test specifications that are poorly defined or over-constrained; collaborate with Design Engineering and suppliers to refine them
• Use data to prioritize quality improvement initiatives with the greatest business impact
• Plan and conduct periodic on-site quality audits at supplier facilities to assess process capability, quality management systems, and corrective action effectiveness
• Document audit findings in formal audit reports and issue findings to suppliers for corrective action
• Track and verify closure of audit findings through follow-up communication and, where warranted, re-audit

Requirements:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or closely related technical field
• 2+ years of experience in a quality engineering or manufacturing engineering role in a high-mix production environment
• Demonstrated knowledge of engineering drawing interpretation and GD&T
• Demonstrated experience leading 8D root cause and corrective action investigations
• Proficiency with mechanical measurement tools (calipers, micrometers, CMM interpretation)
• Experience conducting supplier quality audits or second-party quality system assessments
• Knowledge of statistical process control (SPC) methodologies and tools
• Familiarity with SAP or similar ERP systems, including MRB and purchasing workflows
• Experience in high cleanliness, tight tolerance, or precision manufacturing environments
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) certification is a plus