Quality Engineer - (Customer Facing)

Graham Packaging Company is seeking a Customer Quality Engineer in Hammond, LA, responsible for leading projects to enhance quality and customer relations. The role involves identifying quality issues, coordinating solutions across plants, and utilizing the DMAIC process for improvements. The engineer will develop customer relationships, lead cross-functional teams, and provide guidance on Quality Systems. The position emphasizes continuous improvement, operational excellence, and employee involvement.
Company StatementGraham Packaging is a people, planet and values-based company and a leader in sustainable packaging manufacturing. From the kitchen to the laundry room, Graham Packaging is part of your everyday life. For employees at Graham, our Blue Culture is part of their everyday lives, too. In other words, Blue is how we do things here. At Graham, we are united by a clear vision. We know our part and help those around us know theirs, encouraging one another to continuously improve. We create a safe, challenging environment to innovate by supporting creative ideas and new ways of thinking. We take the initiative to cultivate our individual growth and help others do the same, while keeping ourselves and one another accountable. And we actively promote cooperation, collaboration, integrity and respect across regions and teams to foster an engaged, diverse and connected workforce. We value our employees, and a Blue Culture allows for the most rewarding employee experience as part of the Graham family. Blue is how we feel about what we do—together—to create a better tomorrow. Working at Graham means you lead constructively with clear goals, use diverse thinking to drive excellence, accountability, innovation, as well as demonstrating collaboration, embracing learning, and taking action for continuous improvement and growth.
Overview
The Customer Quality Engineer is responsible for leading defined projects to drive continuous improvement within the plant and improve our customer relationships, utilizing data to drive to root cause and implementing robust and sustainable improvements that drive improvements in quality, cost and customer service. This position will report to the Plant Continuous Improvement Manager.


Responsibilities
Work closely with customers to identify and clarify quality issues, both existing and potential, and be the primary coordinator across all appropriate plant sites to drive solutions.


Reviews customer’s filling operation to understand interactions an requirements of Grahams containers on the customer’s filling lines.


Utilize the DMAIC process to drive step-change improvements in response to identified quality or cost issues. The process begins at our manufacturing site and extends to our customers product on the store shelves.


Develops strong customer relationships as all levels of the customer’s operational team.


Lead cross-functional (and cross-plant, when necessary) teams to implement quality-related problem solving initiatives within the plant.


Lead investigation of key complaints and drive to true root cause and sustainable corrective actions.


Network with colleagues across business units and functions to leverage their expertise and experience in driving rapid problem resolution.


Provides guidance and training to plant operations team on the subjects of Quality Systems and Statistical Process Control.


Drive operational excellence implementation using the proper tools (lean, TPM, six sigma) at the plant level.


Provide analytical support to continuously identify gaps, project opportunities, and solutions


Identify opportunities to integrate continuous improvement into the day to day operations of the site.


Share best practices with other plants and teams, and drive “read-across” benefits.


Support goal of total employee involvement in continuous improvement activities.


Accountable for the improvement of customer relations through the reduction of customer complaints, improved product quality and development of standard work / processes for the operation.


Qualifications
5 – 7 Years’ experience in Quality Systems in a manufacturing environment involving continuous flow process equipment. Additionally, all candidates must possess excellent understanding of industrial safety policies and practices.





Skills Required



Six sigma training, preferably to black belt level.
Exhibit a strong working knowledge of statistics and the ability to interpret data to make sound business decisions.
Strong analytical and problem solving skills
Multi-functional team leadership and project management


Minimum of 3 years quality management and/or continuous improvement experience in a manufacturing environment.
Results oriented.
Plastics Experience a plus.
(MSA) Measurement system analysis, Gage R&R?
Read engineering drawings and GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing)

Qualifications and Education Requirements



B.S. In a technical or engineering field is ideal.
In depth knowledge and experience utilizing SPC to control processes.
Experience utilizing Statistical Software Packages such as Mini-Tab and QI Macros to conduct data analysis.
Prior training and experience with Design of Experiments (DOE) practices.




Must be willing and able to travel to customers (30-50%).


Compensation StatementThe expected salary range for the position described in this posting is made in accordance with the legal mandates of certain jurisdictions within the United States. The final agreed-upon compensation is based on individual qualifications and experience.
Benefits StatementBenefits include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance. Employees are able to enroll in the company’s 401K Employee Saving Plan and may participate in its Employee Wellness Program. Employees will also receive paid time off in accordance with company policy and state law requirements.
EEO DisclaimerGraham Packaging is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.