The Senior Quality Engineer is responsible for leading and improving quality systems, processes, and product quality at the Suominen Bethune nonwoven manufacturing facility. This role ensures that the plant meets both internal and external quality requirements—customer specifications, regulatory standards, and company goals—while driving continuous improvement, reducing defects, and optimizing process consistency.

Key Responsibilities 

• Maintain and improve the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure compliance with ISO 9001, customer, and industry standards.

• Lead root cause investigations, CAPAs, and non-conformance management, ensuring effective corrective and preventive actions.

• Track and analyze quality KPIs (scrap, rework, defects, complaints) to identify trends and drive improvement.

• Support new product introductions, process validations, and design or process changes.

• Partner with operations and engineering to strengthen control plans, inspection methods, and process capability (CPK).

• Conduct internal, supplier, and customer audits to ensure compliance and identify improvement opportunities.

• Coach and mentor quality staff, fostering a culture of quality awareness and accountability.

• Manage supplier quality activities, including qualification, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.

• Participate in MRB reviews and ensure accurate documentation of quality processes and standards.

• Collaborate with HSE teams to align quality initiatives with safety and environmental requirements.

• Lead or support continuous improvement and lean initiatives focused on process stability, yield, and waste reduction.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, or related field) or equivalent.

• Several years (e.g. 5-8+) of experience in quality engineering in a manufacturing environment, preferably in textiles/nonwovens or related materials.

• Strong experience in root-cause analysis techniques (e.g. 5 Whys, Fishbone, DMAIC), process capability analysis, statistical process control (SPC), measurement systems analysis (MSA), control plans.

• Proficiency with quality systems and standards (ISO 9001, customer-specific standards, etc.).

• Good documentation skills: creation and maintenance of inspection plans, quality procedures, nonconformance reports, etc.

• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and manufacturing process flows.

• Experience auditing (internal or supplier) and working with suppliers to resolve quality issues.

• Effective communication skills—verbal and written—and ability to collaborate across functions.

• Problem-solving mindset, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple tasks/projects concurrently.