Supplier Quality Engineer

Role Purpose

Corning is seeking a Supplier Quality Engineer to support supplier quality and incoming material performance within our Solar Modular manufacturing operation. This role is responsible for working with suppliers and internal cross-functional teams to ensure purchased materials and components meet established quality, technical, and manufacturing requirements.

The Supplier Quality Engineer will partner closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and suppliers to investigate quality issues, support supplier qualification and development, implement corrective actions, and improve incoming material quality. This role provides an opportunity for an early-career engineer to develop hands-on experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality systems, structured problem solving, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

•    Support supplier quality activities to ensure purchased materials and components meet established specifications, quality standards, and manufacturing requirements.
•    Participate in the qualification and approval of new suppliers, materials, and components.
•    Monitor supplier quality performance and use data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for improvement.
•    Partner with suppliers and internal teams to investigate incoming material and component quality issues and identify root causes.
•    Support Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) and other corrective and preventive action activities to ensure issues are effectively addressed.
•    Verify implementation and effectiveness of supplier corrective actions and support resolution of recurring quality concerns.
•    Partner with Supply Chain, Quality, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, and Operations to evaluate supplier-related issues and determine appropriate actions.
•    Support the disposition and investigation of nonconforming incoming materials and components.
•    Support supplier audits, assessments, and ongoing supplier-performance reviews as applicable.
•    Review supplier quality documentation, specifications, inspection results, certifications, and other technical information.
•    Support development and maintenance of incoming inspection requirements and sampling strategies based on supplier and material performance.
•    Apply structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, 5 Why, root-cause analysis, or similar tools to supplier and material quality issues.
•    Use statistical and analytical tools to evaluate supplier performance, material variation, and manufacturing impact.
•    Participate in PFMEA, Control Plan, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), and other quality-planning activities as applicable.
•    Support new product, material, supplier, and manufacturing-process introductions by helping identify and address supplier-related quality risks.
•    Participate in continuous improvement and cost-reduction efforts while ensuring changes maintain appropriate product and process quality.
•    Maintain appropriate supplier-quality records, documentation, metrics, and corrective-action information.

Required Qualifications
•    Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Quality, Manufacturing, or another related technical discipline.
•    2+ years of experience in Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or another related technical environment.
•    Demonstrated technical aptitude and ability to apply engineering or quality principles to manufacturing and material-related problems.
•    Basic understanding of quality systems, root-cause analysis, corrective action, or manufacturing quality principles.
•    Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to support technical decisions.
•    Basic understanding of statistical and data-analysis concepts and their application in manufacturing or quality.
•    Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with suppliers and internal cross-functional partners.
•    Strong written and verbal communication skills.
•    Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
•    Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
•    Ability to work independently as well as within a cross-functional team.

Desired Qualifications
•    Internship, co-op, or other experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, engineering, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
•    Experience in solar module, wafer, semiconductor, glass, electronics, automotive, or other technically complex manufacturing environments.
•    Familiarity with ISO 9001 or other manufacturing Quality Management Systems.
•    Familiarity with supplier qualification, supplier audits, incoming inspection, nonconforming material, or supplier corrective-action processes.
•    Exposure to 8D, DMAIC, 5 Why, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, or other quality and structured problem-solving tools.
•    Experience with data analysis or visualization tools such as Excel, Minitab, or Power BI.
•    Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
•    Six Sigma Green Belt certification or related continuous-improvement training.
•    Exposure to supplier development, new-product introduction, new-material qualification, or manufacturing start-up activities.

Travel Requirements
Travel may be required based on supplier, project, audit, and business needs.

Work Schedule
Core work hours are generally Monday through Friday. Flexibility may be required to support supplier issues, manufacturing needs, audits, material qualifications, or other quality activities outside normal working hours.