Quality Technician - Lead-US

Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. As such, it is the policy of Kennametal Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, veteran status, or other protected status, group, or characteristic under federal, state, and/or local law or regulation. It is Kennametal Inc.s policy to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

The Quality Technician Lead will cover job functions for the quality department on the floor performing product & process audits, confirming results & reporting conditions, supporting communication & acting as an extension of the QE group.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Complete designed roving product & process audits as defined by the quality department. In this task, the ability to communicate and coach closure of process and inspection non-conformances is required
• Collaborate with Kennametal's Quality and Engineering personnel to determine critical part features and review manufacturability as it relates to product quality
• Confirm measurements / results on floor in audit & MRB process. Assist with data entry (Excel, SAP) to track data long term. Communicate regularly with cross functions for execution on the floor day to day.
• Creates sort instructions for containment of scrap event efforts
• Support the regular control of documentation, gage calibrations, golden samples (creation, storage, calibration) on the floor
• Programming of automated measurement equipment (Keyence, OGP, CMM, Roboworker, etc.)
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure that orders are completed on time
• Train and Coordinate team member activities
• General assistance as needed for the quality engineering and management groups
• Provides technical support to the quality and quality engineering (QE) functions. May assist with general data entry for financial & QCPC management process. Some activities require partnership with cross functions (Production, Op Ex, Engineering, etc.)
• Programs automated measurement equipment and works with team to design / redesign / order & track inspection tooling and fixturing
• Schedules & oversees MSA study execution. Assists QE group with diagnosis of failed studies
• Creates golden samples for detection systems (vision & automated measurements). Manage the storage and calibration of golden samples for the entire manufacturing process
• Performs layered process audits (LPA) and works with cross functional team on root cause / corrective actions activities from findings
• Analyzes statistical data from processes to either confirm compliance with established standards or identify deviations from standards.
• Confirms out of spec conditions of product at MRB and makes disposition recommendations. Tracks MRB entry over time and results to support COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) analytics
• Writes sort instructions prior to sorting activities from MRB & customer complaints. Assists Quality Engineering with updating procedures, failure catalogs and control plans as well as document control activities after approval
• Assist QE with containment activities / transactions / reporting in customer complaints. May assist with root cause analysis activities. Creates & posts quality alerts at work centers after complaints as well as remove from floor after expiration
• SAP transaction assistance to support quality operations will be required.
• Leads training the team on measurement equipment and Quality best practices
• Daily work is determined by structure and needs of the Quality group. Additional tasks may include assistance with material handling (material transfer, fixture loading, physical scrap of material, etc)
• Responds to machine/line down scenarios when Quality review is relevant
• Participates in scrap/complaint reduction activities and projects with cross functional teams
• Assists with maintenance of QMS, document control, records, and ISO9001 auditing standards

Complexity of the Job

• Performs specialized technical tasks required to support operations (e.g., programming, fixture development)
• Must be able to understand functions & results from the inspection labs
• Must have a base knowledge of SAP or aptitude to be trained in the application
• Must be able to create process documents and audit processes to requirements, and openly communicates findings
• Must be able to work within cross functional teams through complex tasks exercising strong written and verbal communication skills

Education and Work Experience requirements

• Must have a High School Diploma or equivalent
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be able to use required computer software including but not limited to SAP, Microsoft Office.
• 3-5 years of experience required.
• Preferred Associates or Technical Degree or equivalent industry experience.
• Must be able to manage gages and measurement devices that determine compliance to drawing and product specifications. Must be able to retrieve and interpret drawings & specifications
• Must be able to read and understand insert identification chart, routings and operating procedures. Must be familiar and able to properly interpret insert defect criteria.
• Applies experience and skills to complete assigned work within own area of expertise
• Works within standard operating procedures and/or scientific methods

Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.