Vendor Quality Engineering Lead

Reports to: Director of Operations

Is this you?

• Do you transform supplier chaos into stable, capable processes?
• Can you build a supplier quality system from the ground up—audits, scorecards, and all?
• Are PPAP, FMEA, CTQ, and 8D your everyday toolkit?
• Do you enjoy mentoring a team while partnering with production, procurement, and engineering?

If so, you could be the Vendor Quality Engineering Lead who ensures AMACO and Brent products start with exceptional incoming materials.

About AMACO

Since 1919, AMACO has led the way in ceramic innovation—commercializing clays, pioneering lead-free glazes, and enabling makers with electric kilns and potter’s wheels. As a fourth-generation family company, we believe art enriches lives and communities. Our culture centers on continuous improvement, innovation, and shared responsibility for safety, quality, customer care, teamwork, respect, and learning.

What You Will Do

• Own the supplier quality program: Establish qualification criteria, audit plans, monitoring cadence, scorecards, and quality agreements.
• Define incoming inspection: Create methods that verify CTQ specifications; train internal teams and suppliers on proper test methods and SPC.
• Lead discrepancy management: Act as first responder to supplier issues; execute root cause analysis and corrective actions; escalate to In-Process Quality when needed.
• Partner across functions: Work with production on line issues and with procurement/engineering on supplier selection and development.
• Drive system improvements: Implement AMACO and Brent Quality System standards; lead supplier Kaizen and A3 initiatives.

Leadership & Team

• Set direction for the supplier quality team—goals, schedules, and reviews.
• Be a hands-on coach, developing skills in quality fundamentals and ceramics.

How We'll Measure Impact (KPIs)

• Fewer supplier-driven defects and incoming failures.
• Lower production downtime caused by supplier quality issues.
• Higher supplier scorecard performance in defects, delivery, and compliance.
• Corrective actions that are timely and effective.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s in Ceramics, Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Technology, or similar (Associate’s plus significant experience considered).
• 5–7+ years in manufacturing-focused supplier quality or quality engineering.
• Experience designing and rolling out a Supplier Quality System.
• Fluency in ISO 9001; familiarity with IATF 16949, AS9100, or ISO 13485 a plus.
• SPC/statistics capability using tools like Minitab.
• Demonstrated success defining/documenting standards and turning attribute criteria into numeric limits.
• Preferred: ASQ CSQP, CQE, CQA, or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
• Track record in supplier audits, corrective action leadership, and supplier development.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Extended standing and heavy lifting required; work occurs in both hot and cold environments.
• Regularly: talk/hear. Frequently: stand, walk, handle/finger/feel, reach. Occasionally: sit, climb/balance, stoop/kneel/crouch/crawl.
• Frequently lift/move 50+ pounds. Vision: close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

Schedule & Travel

• Full-time, Monday–Friday, typically 40+ hours; occasional evenings/weekends as needed.
• Travel up to 30%.

EEO

EEO Statement:

AMACO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: AMACO is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at AMACO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the location where we operate. AMACO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Other Notes

This job description outlines key responsibilities and may evolve with business needs.

Proficiencies

• Quality Inspection Experience
• Continuous Improvement
• Troubleshooting Skills
• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
• Supplier Management
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Kaizen
• Quality Control Experience
• Quality Control Data Analysis