Supplier Quality Engineer

General Information:

Hitachi Energy is seeking a Supplier Quality Engineer within our North American Power Grid – Transformer (PGTR) organization. This position is responsible for pre-qualification of materials/products before installation as well as ensuring inspection and testing in accordance with the Contract Specifications and Quality Control Plans, to meet the final quality expectations. This individual will function as the primary contact with the testing and inspection laboratories, with a particular focus on preparation of test samples, sample transmission to official laboratories for analysis, and verification of compliance of the certificates to the defined standards and specifications. A Senior Professional (P3) applies advanced knowledge of job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience. Responsibilities may include Managing projects / processes, working independently with limited supervision. Coaching and reviewing the work of lower-level professionals. Problems faced are difficult and sometimes complex.

Your responsibilities:

• Proactively identify critical-to-quality components and prioritize risks based upon a Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) approach in collaboration with engineering, quality, operations, and supply chain.
• Partner with critical suppliers to ensure that effective process controls are in place and maintained for high-risk failure modes.
• Coordinate, monitor and report high-impact supplier nonconformances and drive resolution that contains the problem, identifies the root cause, and ensures that appropriate supplier process controls are implemented to prevent recurrence.
• Establish and execute a Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) to ensure that consistent parts are manufactured by suppliers.
• Establish effective verification activities of supplied material, including supplier audits and receiving inspection.
• Monitor and consolidate the supplier related in-process non-compliances, test failures and field concerns in close communication with the site quality organization.
• Establish and maintain an effective supplier performance data management system with inputs from supplier quality performance, as well as on site quality system evaluations.
• Develop and support suppliers to achieve conformance with Hitachi Energy requirements and continual improvement in quality, e.g., reduction of variation; sustainability, service/delivery performance.
• Collaborate with category teams, responsible buyers, Q&OPEX, Sustainability/HSE, R&D/Engineering and project tender teams, among others in providing input for sourcing strategies.
• Represent the “Voice of Supplier” to Hitachi Energy R&D, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Quality, and Manufacturing to ensure adequate definition of specifications and purchase order requirements are in place to assure high quality performance.
• Review / approve vendor and field quality assurance plans and practices, and (as applicable) suggest changes.
• Provide technical advice in specialized quality assurance technology such as nondestructive testing [NDT], metrology, statistical techniques (e.g., Statistical Process Control [SPC], fabrication techniques, quality codes, and regulations.
• Additional duties may be assigned, as required.

COMPLEXITY OF TASKS:

• Assignments require thorough understanding of standard engineering concepts / principles, and in-depth knowledge of quality assurance programs & procedures.
• This role also requires the ability to communicate effectively with suppliers, customers, and internal groups (this may be necessary to negotiate changes and influence decisions).
• It also requires the ability to make decisions on quality matters, subject to general overview.
• Errors typically result in minor loss of time and rework.
• Living Hitachi Energy’s core values of safety and integrity, which means taking responsibility for your own actions while caring for your colleagues and the business.

Your Background:

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering-oriented discipline.
• Candidate must already have work authorization that would permit them to work for Hitachi Energy in the United States.
• 5+ years of professional experience working in engineering, manufacturing, and/or quality.
• Experience working with transformer systems and/or related technologies (e.g., electromagnetics / magnetics, induction systems, power electronics, power products, inverters, or similar.)
• Recent professional experience focusing on supplier development and improving customer satisfaction.
• Recent professional experience working in Quality Engineering functions – experience working in Quality Assurance [QA] and/or Quality Control [QC] in a manufacturing environment is a plus.
• Strong analytical skills, especially with data analysis, is heavily preferred – proven experience working with failure analysis, FMEA (Failure Modes & Effects Analysis), FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects, & Criticality Analysis), test engineering, and/or product reliability is a plus.
• Recent experience working with data-driven analytical methodologies for industrial quality applications – especially Statistical Process Control [SPC], Six Sigma, Process Capability (Cp, CpK), and/or Process Performance (Pp, PpK) Analysis.
• Experience working with Process Improvement and/or Continuous Improvement practices (e.g., Kaizen, 4Q, DMAIC, Gemba, Root-Cause Analysis [RCA]).
• Familiarity with ISO-9001 standards is a plus.
• Experience working in product development and manufacturing.
• Excellent communication skills (written & verbal) in English.