Supplier Quality Engineering Lead

About AMACO

Since 1919, American Art Clay Company (AMACO) has helped makers, schools, and studios bring ideas to life. As a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer, we pioneered lead-free glazes, electric kilns, potter’s wheels, and both ceramic and non-ceramic clays. A founding member of the Arts and Creative Materials Institute, we’ve championed product safety standards for nearly a century. Our culture is rooted in continuous improvement, curiosity, and craftsmanship—where every voice can influence safety, quality, customer care, teamwork, and learning.

The Role

Reports to: Director of Operations

As our Supplier Quality Engineering Lead, you’ll architect and run the supplier quality ecosystem that ensures every incoming component and raw material meets AMACO and Brent standards. Picture this: you start your day reviewing incoming inspection trends, then jump into a root-cause session with a supplier, and finish by coaching your team on CTQ test methods. You’ll be the bridge between production, procurement, and engineering—solving problems fast and building supplier partnerships that last.

What You’ll Lead

• Program design: Build and maintain supplier qualification, auditing, monitoring, and scorecard systems. Define incoming inspection plans and train teams (internal and external) on CTQ methods.
• Rapid discrepancy response: Be first on the scene when issues arise. Drive investigations, lead 8D/root-cause analyses, implement corrective actions, and loop in the In-Process Quality Supervisor when process fixes are needed.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Partner with production to keep lines running, and with procurement/engineering on supplier selection and development.
• Continuous improvement: Deploy AMACO and Brent Quality System standards with suppliers. Lead corrective action systems, Kaizen events, and A3 problem-solving focused on supplier performance.

Your Team

• Directly manage supplier quality staff—set objectives, plan schedules, and conduct performance reviews.
• Be a hands-on coach, mentoring the team in quality fundamentals and the unique characteristics of ceramics.

How Success Is Measured

• Fewer supplier-caused defects and incoming inspection failures.
• Less production downtime linked to supplier quality.
• Rising supplier scorecard results across defects, delivery, and compliance.
• Corrective actions that are timely, effective, and sustained.

Core Capabilities

• Fluency in test methods, auditing, and supplier quality frameworks.
• Applied experience with CTQs, PPAP, FMEA, and 8D.
• Influence-first leadership and strong supplier negotiation.
• Practical judgment balancing quality, cost, and delivery.
• Project planning, organization, and crisp communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Ceramics, Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Technology, or similar. (Associate’s plus significant relevant experience considered.)
• 5–7+ years in supplier quality or quality engineering within manufacturing.
• Proven track record establishing a Supplier Quality System.
• ISO 9001 proficiency; exposure to IATF 16949, AS9100, or ISO 13485 is a plus.
• SPC/statistical analysis skills (Minitab preferred).
• History of developing and documenting quality standards, including converting attribute criteria to numeric specifications.
• Preferred credentials: ASQ CSQP, CQE, CQA, or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
• Demonstrated success with supplier audits, corrective actions, and development initiatives.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This role involves extended standing and lifting/heavy lifting. Ability to work in both hot and cold environments is required.

Physical Demands: Regular talking and hearing; frequent standing, walking, hand use, and reaching; occasional sitting, climbing/balancing, and stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling. Frequent lifting/moving of up to 50+ pounds. Vision needs include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment.

Schedule & Travel

Position Type/Hours: Full-time, Monday–Friday, 40+ hours per week, with occasional evenings/weekends as needed.

Travel: Up to 30%.

Inclusion & Accessibility

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

EEO Statement:

AMACO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: AMACO is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at AMACO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the location where we operate. AMACO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Other Notes

Duties and responsibilities may evolve as the business grows; flexibility to take on related tasks is expected.

Preferred Proficiencies

• Quality inspection
• Continuous improvement (Kaizen)
• Troubleshooting complex quality issues
• APQP
• Supplier relationship management
• Writing and maintaining SOPs
• Quality control and data analysis