The Quality Engineer works under the direction of the Quality Manager to provide technical quality assurance and performance leadership, guidance, and support in the development and deployment of quality systems, tools, and methods to facilitate accomplishment of research and operations organizational and/or project goals. This is a deployed role serving and working closely with leadership, line management, customers, and individual contributors (such as researchers, engineers, and support staff).

• Serves as advisor to directorate and division leadership on Quality program requirements, program implementation strategies, and quality issues and is the liaison between the Lab-wide Quality Assurance group and Directorate.
• Partners with project teams (scientists, engineers, project managers, procurement, etc.) and the lab-wide Quality Assurance group to ensure the products and processes fulfill DOE/ANL quality standards and requirements and satisfy. customer expectations.

Key Responsibilities:

The Quality Engineer is responsible for leading the application of quality principles and methodologies to key processes and technical work elements in the context of research and development to support the organization's mission, and organizational, contractual, and customer quality requirements and goals.

• Incorporates lab and customer/sponsor quality system elements and requirement changes in local processes, policies, and procedures.
• Applies quality engineering to design, maintain, monitor, measure, assess, analyze, and improve products and processes.
• Builds relationships and interfaces with project team members, lab personnel and DOE complex personnel to exchange feedback and lessons learned on quality-related issues and concerns.
• Contributes to local strategic planning activities with regards to quality by communicating emerging issues related to policy, procedures, programs, and assessments/reviews.
• Provides recommendations to management and line organizations using cost of quality, human performance, and environmental /safety considerations to manage and reduce risk.
• Contributes to the product design and development lifecycle (for example documenting design requirements, changes, participating in reviews, verification, and/or validation).
• Reviews product/technical drawings and/or specifications, customer requirements, acceptance criteria to determine if key /critical product characteristics are identified, measurable, verifiable, and controlled.  
• Determines quality levels in purchasing; supplier qualification, certification, evaluation, and performance improvement; receipt inspection; and inspection for suspect/counterfeit parts
• Evaluates the test method, measuring instruments, and the entire process of obtaining measurements to ensure the integrity of data used for quality analysis and to understand the implication of measurement error for decisions made about a product or process.  
• Leads and participates in causal analysis and corrective and preventive action implementation.

Position Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Ability to apply technical judgment to determine optimal application of engineering / technical practices to ensure the delivery of high-quality product.
• Experience and demonstrated skill in the design, development, implementation and analysis of technical, performance-based quality assurance systems.
• Skill in conducting benchmarking, investigating alternative solutions, and recommending solutions for problems that affect performance results using formal quality and analysis tools.
• Ability to interpret, apply and implement regulatory requirements in a research and development environment.
• Ability to implement processes that ensure that Quality Assurance requirements are properly reflected in procurement documentation for material and components.
• Strong verbal/written communication skills with the ability to conceptualize, document, and communicate major elements of quality and performance assurance to both technical and non-technical personnel in clear and understandable way.
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of personnel, including the ability to build effective working relationships and build and lead diverse teams across the laboratories.
• Ability to partner with team members in the implementation and compliance with QA program requirements.
• Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.
• Ability to persuade and show the value of quality in achieving organizational objectives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Quality Engineer (Ex: ASQ certified)
• Lean Six Sigma training (Ex:  Yellow, Green, Black, Master Black Belt)
• Auditing training or experience (Ex:  ISO9001, NQA-1, DOE O414.1D, 10CFR830)
• Causal analysis training (Ex:  Blue Dragon, TapRoot®, ThinkReliability, Cause and Effect, 8D, Ishikawa / Fishbone Analysis and 5 Why
• Experience with design and development processes and lifecycle
• Experience with data visualization and statistical analysis (Ex: Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Minitab)
• Experience with occupational hazards, risks, and safety

This position can be hired at one of two levels; the selected candidate will be placed at the appropriate level (PT4 or PT5) dependent upon the depth and breadth of relevant knowledge and skills. The minimum requirements of the two levels are as follows:

• PT4 Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree and 6+ years of experience, or equivalent
• PT5 Requirements: Bachelor's Degree and 8+ years of experience, or equivalent

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