Quality Engineer

Houston, TX | Full-Time | Mid-Level | Reports to: Plant Manager | Direct Reports: 7

About the Role

Hultec is looking for a hands-on Quality Engineer to own quality assurance and control within our rubber seal manufacturing operation in Houston. You will apply structured problem-solving, support our ISO 9001 QMS, and collaborate daily with Production, Engineering, and Supply Chain to prevent defects and drive continuous improvement. This role directly manages a team of 7: 2 Quality Inspectors and 5 Trimmers responsible for trimming and inspecting finished products.

What You'll Do

Team Leadership

Directly supervise and develop a team of 7: 2 Quality Inspectors and 5 Trimmers.
Oversee daily inspection and trimming of finished rubber seal products, ensuring adherence to acceptance criteria.
Provide coaching, performance feedback, and on-the-job training to direct reports.
Coordinate workload and priorities across the team to meet production and quality targets.

Quality Management System

Execute and maintain quality procedures, work instructions, and documentation per ISO 9001 standards.
Support internal audits and prepare for external audits and customer assessments.
Maintain traceability records, inspection logs, and version-controlled technical documentation.
Identify QMS documentation gaps and propose updates to reflect process changes.

Quality Assurance

Apply preventive quality controls across materials, processes, and operations in a rubber seals manufacturing environment.
Review and validate material and process specifications including elastomer compounds, tooling, and molding parameters.
Develop and maintain inspection plans, sampling procedures, and control points for incoming, in-process, and finished goods.
Evaluate supplier quality performance and coordinate incoming material qualification activities.
Ensure compliance with customer requirements, safety standards, and applicable regulations.

Quality Control

Conduct and oversee dimensional, functional, and visual inspections of raw materials, in-process parts, and finished assemblies.
Disposition conforming and nonconforming materials per documented acceptance criteria.
Investigate deviations, customer complaints, and nonconformities; document findings and drive corrective actions.
Coordinate and implement CAPAs using structured methodologies (8D, DMAIC, 5 Whys).
Continuous Improvement & Reporting
Apply Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, FMEA, Pareto, and 5 Whys to identify root causes and reduce defects.
Monitor and report quality KPIs: scrap rate, first-pass yield, customer PPM, and CAPA closure rate.
Use statistical tools (Minitab, Excel) to evaluate process stability and support data-driven decisions.
Participate in APQP/PPAP activities and new product launch projects.
Partner with Production, Engineering, and Procurement to resolve quality issues and align on specifications.
Communicate quality requirements to operators and technicians through training and written instructions.

What We're Looking For

Required

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Process & Quality Engineering, or related technical field.
3-5 years of quality engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
Hands-on experience with ISO 9001 quality management systems.
Proficiency in FMEA, SPC, MSA, control plans, 8D, DMAIC, and Pareto analysis.
Experience with metrology and inspection equipment (CMM, calipers, durometers, optical comparators).
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and material specifications.
Working knowledge of APQP and PPAP processes.
Proficiency with MS Office (Excel, Word); Minitab or equivalent statistical software.
Professional working proficiency in Spanish (written and verbal).
Ability to Travel to our Costa Rican Manufacturing for Training or customer review
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a small team in a manufacturing environment.

Strongly Preferred

Experience in rubber, elastomer, polymer, or sealing products manufacturing.
Familiarity with compression molding, injection molding, transfer molding, and vulcanization processes.
ERP/MES experience (SAP or similar).
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Six Sigma Green Belt, or ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification.

What We Offer

Health Insurance - PPO, HMO, and HSA plans with employer contributions
Dental & Vision Insurance
2 Weeks of Paid Time Off
401(k) with 6% Company Match
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage

Equal Opportunity Employer

Hultec is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.