Position Overview:The Quality Engineer will be a member of the process engineering team based in Mountain Pass, California. This role is primarily responsible for driving process quality, improving product consistency, and supporting plant operations through data-driven quality engineering practices. The successful candidate will be highly organized and detail-oriented with experience in the plant operations quality control, and the sustainment of Quality Management Systems (QMS) in compliance with internal, customer, and certification body requirements.
Position Responsibilities:- Apply and promote industry best practices in the implementation and sustainment of the Quality Management System (QMS) for the Mountain Pass Mine and Processing Facility
- Collaborate with plant process engineers and operations to understand the specific elements, compounds, ratios, and purity requirements for feed sources and product streams; track critical inputs and outputs to ensure on spec product packaging, approaching 100% first time, on-spec production
- Ensure the QMS is compliant with all required third party standards/requirements, primarily ISO 9001 certification
- Lead the internal audit program, including participating in audit planning, execution, and reporting, and actively contribute with third-party certification and audit activities
- Collaborate closely with customer reps to ensure that the QMS is compliant with all customer requirements and integrated as needed with customer systems
- Lead non-compliance corrective action activities from internal and external (customer, supplier, and certification) audits
- Ensure that all in-house systems and procedures are updated, revised, and modified as needed to meet the needs of internal workforce, customers, and external certification bodies
- Drive improvements to the internal document control program, ensuring all policies, procedures, and other document types that impact safety, environmental compliance, and production quality are controlled per internal and ISO 9001 requirements
- Coordinate and execute the Management Review process, including preparation of inputs, reporting, and record retention, in compliance with ISO 9001
- Maintain and update controlled documents, including the Quality Manual & Policy, Risks and Opportunities, and Interested Parties review
- Responsible for ensuring the latest ISO 9001 standard revision and amendments are obtained, reviewed, and integrated with the mine site QMS
- Develop and implement quality systems learning and training tools
- Any other task as directed by management
Basic Qualifications:- BS or MS in chemical engineering or similar engineering discipline
- 3+ years of quality systems experience under relevant quality regimes in a manufacturing environment
- ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification
- Experience managing both internal and external (customer and surveillance) audits
- Understanding of standard manufacturing and safety compliance processes
- Valid driver's license to drive company vehicles on and off property
Desired Qualities:- 3+ years experience in a quality or process engineering role in a heavy industrial chemical plant operation
- Experience implementing a QMS software solution
- Experience and management of root cause analysis, corrective, and preventative action programs
- Project management skills
- Accreditation by professional organizations
- Lean and Six Sigma experience
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
Safety Provision - Employees are responsible for following all company, industry and regulatory procedures and laws to ensure a safe work environment for themselves and the company. Employees must have a willingness to promote safety among the workforce, participate in Process Hazard Analysis procedures and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews.
(PPE) Personal Protective Equipment is required when performing work in a mine, manufacturing, outdoor, or plant environment. Required PPE may include, but is not limited to, hard hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves, and any other protective equipment as required.
Working Conditions - Our facility sits at an elevation of 4,700 feet. Employees may be subject to extreme weather conditions when working in an outdoor setting (heat and cold, wind). Work is at an open pit mine or manufacturing/chemical plant setting, which may include exposure to moving mechanical parts, toxic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, explosives, fumes, or airborne particles.
Physical Demands -Manual dexterity; sense of touch; sense of smell; speaking clearly; hearing-speech range; hearing - all ranges; seeing, reading and comprehensions; seeing - distant/near; depth perception; color vision. While performing the job responsibilities, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to stand and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel and to manipulate laboratory equipment. The employee is occasionally required to walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Employees must pass a full-face respiratory fit test. Employees must be able to lift 50 lbs. Must be able to work in PPE level C. These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and ability required of the employee.
