
Quality Engineer IV
Wabtec · Buffalo Grove, IL
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 8+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 13 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior quality role at Wabtec (industrial) in Buffalo Grove, IL. You’ll lead complex 8D and DMAIC initiatives, support APQP/PPAP readiness, facilitate FMEA/PFMEA risk mitigation, support lean manufacturing and error proofing, and evaluate New Product Introduction (NPI) from cradle to grave.
- They ask for
- 8+ years · degree preferred · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Green Belt, Root cause, DMAIC
- Day to day
- about 10% travel · relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
At a glance
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Your game plan for this job
Most people just hit Apply. Do these first and you show up with someone on the inside.
- 1
Find 2–3 people on the Quality team at this site
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply most.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
Ask about the work, not for a referral. We write it for you.
- 3
Have a 15-minute chat
Good questions for this role:
- 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?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 4
Apply, ideally with a referral
Ask if they'd refer you or introduce you to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link and tell them the day you apply.
- 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.
About the role
requirements
are met. Employment requires legal authorization to work in the U.S. and successful completion of applicable screenings.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
As a Quality Engineer IV, you’ll serve as a senior technical resource for quality engineering, quality systems, customer quality, and manufacturing process improvement. You’ll lead high-impact initiatives that improve product quality, customer confidence, manufacturing performance, and cost of poor quality.
This role supports bus transit technologies including doors, lifts, ramps, e-Bus charging systems, driver protection barriers, windows, and related subsystems. You’ll work across manufacturing, customers, suppliers, engineering, operations, sales, and supply chain to solve complex quality issues and drive practical improvements.
How will you make a difference?
You’ll lead complex 8D and DMAIC initiatives, support APQP/PPAP readiness, facilitate FMEA/PFMEA risk mitigation, support lean manufacturing and error proofing, and evaluate New Product Introduction (NPI) from cradle to grave.
What do we want to know about you?
- •Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or related field preferred; equivalent quality/manufacturing experience accepted as outlined below.
- •Minimum 8 years in Quality Engineering roles within industrial manufacturing environments, including customer-facing quality experience.
- •Automotive experience preferred.
- •Candidates without a degree may qualify with 10 years of relevant quality experience, including 4 years of customer-facing quality experience.
- •Expert-level knowledge of quality engineering, quality systems, customer complaint management, ISO 9001, ERP/MES, and digital QMS platforms.
- •Strong working knowledge of 8D, DMAIC, A3, FMEA/PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, DOE, APQP/PPAP, lean manufacturing, Six Sigma Green Belt, error proofing, statistical analysis, analytics, and available BI tools is required.
- •Lean Practitioner/Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent experience preferred.
What will your typical day look like?
- •Lead complex customer complaints, containment, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and executive-ready updates.
- •Drive systemic improvements using 8D, DMAIC, FMEA/PFMEA, DOE, SPC, MSA, analytics, and data-based problem solving.
- •Support NPI from cradle to grave, including quality planning, process validation, launch support, and post-launch monitoring.
- •Lead and support lean manufacturing, error proofing, process simplification, and process lean-out efforts to reduce waste and prevent defects.
- •Mentor quality engineers, coach cross-functional teams, and provide oversight on complex technical quality decisions.
- •Support supplier quality, field quality, warranty, rework, and FMI-related issue resolution as applicable.
- •Use KPIs, COPQ, scorecards, QMS data, statistical knowledge, and available BI tools to identify systemic risks and prioritize actions.
- •Align quality priorities with leadership and support execution of the quality roadmap.
What about the physical demands of the job?
- •Work in an office environment with regular shop floor presence.
- •Stand, walk, navigate manufacturing facilities, and use a computer for extended periods.
- •Occasionally lift or move up to 25 lbs.
- •Travel up to 10% to customers and manufacturing sites and suppliers.
- •May be asked to travel internationally >5%.
- •Assist with building, testing, and inspecting electro-mechanical systems as needed.
You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.
Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility
