Staff Quality Engineer

At Rite-Hite, your work makes an impact. As the global leader in loading dock and door equipment, we design and deliver solutions that keep our customers safe, secure, and productive. Here, you’ll find innovation, stability, and the chance to grow your career as part of a team that’s always looking ahead. 

Rite-Hite is seeking a Staff Quality Engineer to join our team out of our Dubuque, IA facility. In this role, you will be a key member of the expanding Rite-Hite Operational Excellence Journey, supporting the development, implementation, standardization, and continuous improvement of the company’s Quality Management System across all business units and manufacturing locations.

In this role, you will leverage quality engineering, project leadership, and data analysis to drive improvements, support New Product Development (NPD), refine PPAP processes, and lead or participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR) activities. You will provide technical support across Quality, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and leadership teams to ensure compliance, solve problems across sites, and share best practices.

This is a hybrid role out of our Dubuque, IA manufacturing facility with up to 35% travel.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Safety Responsibilities

• Promote a culture of safety and follow all Company and OSHA safety policies and procedures.
• Use required personal protective equipment (PPE) and promptly report hazards, near misses, and incidents.

Job Responsibilities

Corporate Quality Management System

• Support the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the corporate Quality Management System (QMS).
• Develop and maintain quality policies, procedures, standards, templates, and operating requirements.
• Promote consistent quality practices across manufacturing sites and business units in alignment with ISO 9001, customer requirements, and applicable industry standards.

Audit & Compliance

• Develop and support risk-based internal audit programs and conduct or lead corporate, site, process, product, and supplier audits.
• Evaluate compliance with corporate quality requirements and applicable external standards.

Corrective Action & Problem Solving

• Provide technical leadership for complex, high-risk, and cross-site quality issues.
• Lead or facilitate root-cause analysis using tools such as 8D, DMAIC, 5 Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree Analysis, and Is/Is Not.
• Support containment, corrective action implementation, and effectiveness verification.
• Evaluate customer complaints, nonconformances, supplier issues, warranty claims, and audit findings to identify systemic issues and deploy corrective actions and lessons learned across affected locations.

Quality Planning & Risk Management

• Establish consistent expectations for quality planning and product/process risk management.
• Support DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, APQP, PPAP, FAI, validation, and product launch readiness.
• Ensure quality risks are addressed through effective prevention, detection, controls, and reaction plans.
• Assess quality impacts of engineering changes, process transfers, supplier changes, and new product introductions.
• Standardize inspection, testing, validation, and acceptance methods while promoting prevention-based quality practices throughout the product lifecycle.

Quality Analysis & Manufacturing Support

• Monitor manufacturing performance, investigate quality issues, and drive timely resolution.
• Analyze quality data, including scrap, rework, defects, returns, process capability, and customer performance, to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support new product development, engineering changes, and product transfers through quality planning, first article inspection, validation, and documentation.
• Prepare and maintain PPAP, FAI, and other customer-required quality documentation.
• Interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and customer requirements to establish appropriate inspection and testing methods.
• Partner with suppliers to resolve material quality issues, evaluate corrective actions, and improve supplier performance.
• Train and coach employees on quality requirements, inspection methods, problem-solving tools, and process controls.
• Promote customer focus, data-driven decision-making, prevention, and continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• More than six years of progressive experience in quality engineering, quality systems, manufacturing, or a related field.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Working knowledge of quality management systems and standards, preferably ISO 9001.
• Experience with root-cause analysis, corrective action, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and inspection requirements.
• Experience using common measurement and inspection tools.

Preferred Qualifications

Certifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement experience.
• Quality-related certifications such as CSQP, CQE, CQA, LQA, CQIA, or CQPA.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience with APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and capability studies.
• Experience with ERP, QMS, document control, and data analysis systems.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to successfully pass a background check.
• Eligibility to work in the United States.

Work Location, Schedule & Environment

• Location: Dubuque, IA
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid, with up to 35% travel.

Office Environment: Requires frequent computer use, sitting, close vision, and the ability to adjust focus, along with regular communication, hand use, standing, and walking. Occasional bending, stooping, reaching, and lifting up to 25 pounds may be required.

Production Environment: Requires regular standing and walking, frequent use of hands and tools, and bending, stooping, crouching, and reaching. Employees may need to lift up to 50 pounds independently and up to 100 pounds with assistance. The role requires close, distance, peripheral, and depth vision and may involve exposure to typical manufacturing fumes or by-products. Required PPE must be worn in accordance with facility safety policies.

Disclaimer: Responsibilities and requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This description is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of duties. The Company reserves the right to modify job responsibilities as needed.

What We Offer

At Rite-Hite, we take care of our people – because when you’re supported, you can do your best work. Our benefits are designed to support your health, your future and your life outside of work:

• Health & Well-being: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus life and disability insurance. A robust well-being program with an opportunity to receive an extra day off and more.

• Financial Security: A strong retirement savings program with 401(k), company match, and profit sharing.

• Time for You: Paid holidays, vacation time, and personal/sick days each year.

Join us and build a career where you’re supported – at work and beyond.

Rite-Hite is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. In accordance with VEVRAA, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for protected veterans. We are also committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace for the safety of our employees and customers.