Quality Specialist
A. O. Smith · South Carolina
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Quality
- Degree
- Preferred
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist quality role at A. O. Smith (industrial) in South Carolina. Performs assigned routine tests on materials, goods in process, or finished goods where results are compared with company quality standards.
- They ask for
- degree preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, SPC
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in South Carolina: typical posted base $95k–$120k.
Median of the low and high ends of 21 live postings that list pay, out of 43 quality engineer openings in South Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
South Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 42 other live quality postings in South Carolina.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $95k–$120k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 67%
- Supplier quality 44%
- FMEA 42%
- New product launch 40%
- ✓ Lean 37%
- ✓ SPC 37%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at A. O. Smith
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from A. O. SmithAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Performs assigned routine tests on materials, goods in process, or finished goods where results are compared with company quality standards. Reports results to line mechanic or supervisor who will make an analysis and take necessary action.
- ◆Inspects visually for obvious defects.
- ◆Performs detailed visual inspection when necessary to determine quality of product where limits are not clearly defined. Removes defectives and places acceptable product back on line.
- ◆Notifies line supervisor when inspection data exceeds acceptable limits or when major incidents of poor quality are noted.
- ◆Records results on inspection forms or charts and reports number of defects found. Posts and maintains forms and charts of inspection data, quality levels, or special quality studies.
- ◆Makes recommendation on disposition of questionable product to supervisor.
- ◆May act as quality control department clerk, maintaining all quality records for the facility.
- ◆May act as scrap collector, touring the facility and removing tested and product samples from Q C inspection stations.
- ◆Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering preferred
- ✓Strong knowledge of Quality processes, procedures, and tools (SPC, Six Sigma, and Statistical Analysis)
- ✓Familiar with ISO requirement
- ✓Familiar with Lean Manufacturing
- ✓Communication and leadership abilities
- ✓Excellent organizational skills
- ✓Ability to initiate change and continuous improvement
- ✓Able to achieve goals and results
- ✓Ability to work well with cross-functional team
- ✓Ability to facilitate blitzs and meetings
- ✓Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Education
High School Diploma or GED
Physical
Requirements
We Offer
ADA Statement & EEO Statement
In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
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Company / Location Information
A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Primary Function
Employee is responsible for performing all Quality related functions require. This employee will lead blitz/team activities, maintain and update action items generated by the activities, and lead QA projects/teams. Employee must communicate with upper management, peers, other department supervisors, engineers, etc. Employee will be responsible for manufacturing and/or Lab audits and reviews. To perform routine checks, tests, gaging, and instrument inspections of materials, goods in process, and finished goods.