Job Title: Commodity Supplier Quality Engineer
Location: Waterloo, IA
Shift: 1st shift, 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Overtime: May be scheduled at the end of the shift)
Pay Rate: $38/hour (W2 through KellyOCG for John Deere)
Assignment Length: 24 Months
Visa Sponsorship: Visa sponsorship is not available now or in the future for this position.

Position Summary

The Commodity Supplier Quality Engineer will lead quality solutions for urgent shop-floor and customer issues involving externally manufactured parts and assemblies. This role focuses on implementing permanent and systemic corrective actions to prevent recurring quality concerns.

Primary quality-planning responsibilities will focus on fluid conveyance, with potential support for hydraulics, metal fabrication, and fasteners. The engineer will collaborate with suppliers, manufacturing, engineering, and other cross-functional teams to support product quality, sourcing activities, process improvements, and supplier development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate quality solutions for urgent shop-floor and customer issues.
• Identify and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Prevent recurring issues through systemic corrective-action processes.
• Perform quality planning for:
  • Fluid conveyance
  • Hydraulics
  • Metal fabrication
  • Fasteners
• Support quality planning for:
  • Current products
  • Supplier change requests
  • Cost-reduction initiatives
  • Resourcing activities
  • Temporary sourcing
• Execute Design Process and Assembly Reviews (DPARs).
• Conduct print reviews and design reviews for new and current products.
• Use Six Sigma and other quality tools to identify and resolve quality concerns.
• Apply statistical analysis, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and 8D methodology.
• Lead Supplier Quality Improvement Teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional teams and supplier quality initiatives.
• Support the identification, implementation, and verification of corrective actions.
• Communicate quality concerns, findings, and recommendations to suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Technology, Engineering, Communications, Business, Computer Science, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• Experience or working knowledge of project management.
• Ability to facilitate, lead, and manage cross-functional teams.
• Experience with quality-management principles and tools, including:
  • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
  • Statistical Process Control (SPC)
  • Root-cause analysis
  • Control plans
  • Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gauge R&R)
  • Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
  • Capability studies
• Experience reading and interpreting complex part drawings.
• Functional knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Experience with advanced data-gathering and analysis techniques, including statistical analysis.
• Previous experience in Supplier Quality Engineering and/or Quality Engineering.
• High level of self-motivation and initiative.
• Ability to work comfortably in a factory and shop-floor environment.

Recent graduates may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to learn new processes, products, and technologies.
• Experience with fluid-conveyance components or related manufacturing commodities.
• Experience with hydraulics, metal fabrication, fasteners, or externally manufactured assemblies.
• Experience with Six Sigma projects or methodologies.
• Experience with supplier quality improvement teams and 8D corrective-action processes.

Work Environment and Requirements

• Fully onsite; remote work is not available.
• Requires regular time on the shop floor.
• Candidates must be comfortable working in an active factory environment.
• Occasional intra-facility travel is required.
• Business casual dress code.
• Metatarsal safety boots are required on the first day.

Transportation and Driving Requirements

• The employee may operate a John Deere-owned Gator inside the factory to travel between connected office areas.
• Gator operation requires successful completion of John Deere safety training.
• The Gator may be used to transport a computer, parts, tools, or other work materials.
• Other employees may ride along when traveling to the same area due to the limited number of available Gators.
• The Gator will not be driven outside the facility.
• The employee may occasionally use a personal vehicle to travel to other facilities within a 20-mile radius.
• Rental cars are not used for this travel.