Quality Specialist

Job Overview

Be a part of something BIG! We are seeking a highly skilled Quality Specialist to join our incredible team at Komatsu Longview Operations. As a key member of our quality assurance team, you will be instrumental in ensuring the highest standards of quality in the fabrication processes for the world’s largest front-end loader.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Partner with performance leaders and human resources to support learning and development activities.
• Collaborate with the Quality Manager and quality management personnel to reduce the cost of quality.
• Provide support to manufacturing operations in investigating problems identified during production or post-sale.
• Support Quality Management System (QMS) documentation, including procedures, work instructions, quality plans, manufacturing process plans, and inspection & test plans.
• Provide support to the Quality Engineering team for testing and validation to evaluate their suitability for the production environment.
• Analyze inspection data, nonconformance reports, and customer complaints to identify areas for improvement and corrective action.
• Work with the Quality Manager, Quality Engineers, and other departments to develop and coordinate the implementation of corrective actions.
• Develop and update QMS documentation as directed by the Quality Manager.
• Participate in the training of personnel in QMS requirements.
• Participate in various QMS audits and assist with in-process inspection systems, final audits, and team training and development, including equipment testing.
• Manage the Quality Notifications (QNs) process, including working, assigning, dispositioning, and closing quality notifications in conjunction with area leaders and engineers.
• Participate in continuous improvement activities such as Kaizens and QC circles.
• Undertake other projects or associated tasks as determined by the Quality Manager, provided they do not conflict with major responsibilities and other predominant tasks.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Education and/or Experience: Associate’s degree in a technical discipline plus a minimum of two years related job experience and/or training. With a Bachelor’s degree, one year of related job experience and/or training. Alternatively, certification by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) as a Certified Quality Technician (CQT).
• Language Skills: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.
• Mathematical Ability: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
• Quality Concepts and Quality Processes: Ability to define quality concepts and quality processes, including Six Sigma basics, cost of quality, etc.; apply quality tools; interpret information and data; and apply team concepts both as a member and leader.
• Statistical Techniques: Ability to define statistical techniques, including basic elements of design of experiments (DOE) and reliability; ability to determine what data to collect for a specific technique, how to apply it to various statistical methods, and how to analyze results.
• Measuring and Test Equipment: Must know which measurement and test equipment (M&TE) tools are appropriate for various tasks and how to assess tool accuracy and precision; and understand the concept of standards traceability for M&TE.
• Inspection and Testing Techniques: Understand and be able to apply basic inspection and testing techniques, including various types of sampling plans; ability to read and interpret blueprints (drawings), including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). Understand and be able to apply various quality audit types and their components, tools, and techniques.
• Corrective and Preventive Actions: Understand and be able to apply the elements of corrective and preventive actions, including root cause analysis, and the control of nonconforming material.

Additional Information