Lead Engineer, Materials Quality Engineering

Lead Engineer, Materials Quality Engineering 

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Engineer to join our Materials Quality Engineering (Supplier Quality) team supporting our regional Korea supplier base and Korea manufacturing operations. In this role, the Lead MQE will be responsible for end-to-end ownership of supplier risk, capability, and quality performance for critical inorganic raw materials used in IC Polishing consumables, deposition and etch applications, and other advanced materials applications. 

This position supports the Materials Solutions Division and Korea manufacturing operations, with primary office location in Suwon, Korea and partnership with the Oseong and Jangan plants as needed. The ideal candidate will work with autonomy and sound engineering judgment to lead supplier development, drive continuous improvement, and maintain robust quality systems for critical chemical and advanced material suppliers. The role requires strong collaboration with Commodity Management, Operations, R&D, Customer Quality, and global MQE teams to ensure continuity of supply and resolution of internal and customer issues. 

In this role you will: 

• Lead supplier quality activities for Korea-based and regional suppliers supporting new product development and sustaining operations for primarily inorganic and organic material portfolios. 

• Analyze material-related issues and lead structured root cause investigations (8D, 5-Why, fishbone, etc.). 

• Own supplier quality performance, risk assessments, and improvement roadmaps for critical and strategic suppliers. 

• Drive supplier performance improvement through audits, corrective and preventive actions, and process capability reviews. 

• Lead material qualification, supplier change management, and technical risk assessments. 

Technical & Materials Engineering Responsibilities: 

• Understand supplier chemical manufacturing processes and how material variation impacts downstream manufacturing and customer applications. 

• Serve as a technical subject matter expert in raw material quality management and process control. 

• Lead advanced quality planning activities including Supplier POR documentation, FMEA, control plans, SPC strategies, and capability studies. 

• Review and approve supplier SPC systems, metrology approaches, and measurement system capability. 

• Partner with R&D to support material development, technical reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Apply SPC, statistical analysis, FMEA, and structured problem-solving independently. 

• Analyze and synthesize complex technical data to support clear, data-driven decisions. 

Cross-Functional Leadership: 

• Act as a technical leader and escalation point for complex supplier and material quality issues for your owned suppliers. 

• Partner with Business Units, Procurement, R&D, Korea Operations, and global MQE teams to ensure continuity of supply for critical materials. 

• Monitor supplier performance metrics and communicate risks, trends, and mitigation plans. 

• Participate in Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and lead supplier risk mitigation efforts. 

• Train suppliers on Entegris quality requirements including Change Control and quality system expectations. 

• Mentor and technically guide MQE peers to strengthen capability and consistency. 

Qualifications / Traits: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical discipline 

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) preferred with focus in inorganic or polymeric nanomaterials 

• 7–10+ years of experience in chemical manufacturing, semiconductor, automotive, or other high-tech industries 

• Strong knowledge of chemical manufacturing, inorganic materials, colloidal silica, aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, polymeric nanomaterials, or related materials 

• Experience in supplier quality engineering or manufacturing environment strongly preferred 

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred; proficiency with Minitab, JMP, or SAS 

• Strong communication, project management, and organizational skills 

• Fluency in Korean and English required; additional fluency in Japanese or Chinese is a plus 

• Ability to work independently and lead cross-functional initiatives 

• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically or internationally, including travel to Korea manufacturing sites, regional suppliers, and global meetings as needed 

Location: Suwon office, Korea