Product Quality Engineer

The posting, as Vulcan Elements wrote it

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Integrity.

About the Role

As a Product Quality Engineer , you will own the translation and execution of customer product quality requirements from initial development samples through production qualification and ongoing supply. You will ensure that customer drawings, specifications, quality requirements, and acceptance criteria are clearly understood internally; that appropriate inspection and testing are completed; and that objective evidence demonstrates product conformance before customer release.

Sitting within the Commercial Development team, you will serve as the primary technical quality interface between customers and Vulcan's R&D, Manufacturing, Process Quality, and Commercial teams. While Process Quality owns manufacturing process control and capability, you own whether the delivered product meets customer requirements, is supported by the required evidence, and is ready for customer qualification and release.

This role will be located at our Pilot Operations Facility in Durham, NC.

Responsibilities

Customer Requirements & Qualification

• Own customer qualification from requirements intake through customer approval, including PPAP, FAI, validation plans, customer-specific requirements, and supporting documentation.
• Build and maintain qualification plans for each customer part, including required samples, tests, documentation, owners, dependencies, approval gates, and objective evidence required for customer approval.
• Translate customer drawings, specifications, quality manuals, and supplier requirements into defined inspection, test, acceptance, documentation, and traceability requirements; ensure they are incorporated into applicable inspection methods, production control plans, and quality procedures.
• Establish and maintain the authoritative record of customer product quality requirements for each part number, including drawing and specification revisions, customer-specific requirements, special characteristics, inspection and testing requirements, approved deviations, qualification status, and required shipment documentation.
• Lead quality onboarding for new customers, including supplier portals, quality questionnaires, certifications, process-control evidence, and customer-specific documentation.

Sample, Test & Delivery Execution

• Own quality execution of customer sample and qualification builds from build planning through release, ensuring required inspections, tests, and documentation are complete before shipment.
• Define inspection requirements, sampling plans, acceptance criteria, and release criteria based on customer drawi

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ctive action, and documented closure.

• Working knowledge of manufacturing quality systems and standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949.
• Ability to work directly with engineering and production teams to resolve technical and quality issues on physical hardware.

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Desired Skills

• 5+ years of experience in hardware manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, defense, or other high-reliability applications.
• Experience owning or supporting customer qualification packages such as PPAP, FAI/AS9102, validation plans, control plans, or customer-specific quality documentation.
• Experience developing inspection plans, sampling strategies, measurement methods, and acceptance criteria for manufactured components.
• Experience working with external laboratories or suppliers to execute material, dimensional, mechanical, or performance testing.
• Experience with 8D, CAPA, MRB, deviations/waivers, and other formal nonconformance processes.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and dimensional inspection methods.
• Ability to analyze manufacturing and quality data using Excel, Minitab, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Experience working directly with customers on technical quality requirements, qualification, or product issues.

Physical and Environmental Requirements

The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.