Customer Quality Engineer at INFICON – East Syracuse, New York

INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 software solutions that enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes, and complete factories. These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration and automotive manufacturing.

They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications.

Other users of our vacuum-based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental health and safety.

INFICON is headquartered in Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Customer Quality Engineer is an integral member of the Quality department, responsible for driving quality performance and improvement within both product and process areas. This role requires a strong background in structured problem solving, customer and supplier interfacing, and cross-functional quality leadership. The successful candidate will collaborate with various teams to ensure robust quality planning, process controls, and readiness for manufacturing and product launches. Experience in semiconductor and/or cleanroom manufacturing is highly valued.

Role Description & Goal

• Monitor and analyze product and process quality performance using dashboards, and lead cross-functional teams to address and improve key issues identified through Continuous Improvement Processes (CIP).
• Support Product Development and New Product Introduction (NPI) activities to facilitate rapid time-to-market, product derivatives, and product transfers or relocations by ensuring comprehensive quality planning and manufacturing readiness.
• Establish, maintain, and implement control plans such as Quality Control Tables (QCT), and related process controls to uphold product quality standards.
• Lead structured problem-solving initiatives, such as 8D and Root Cause Corrective Actions (RCCA), ensuring thorough containment, root cause verification, corrective action implementation, and effectiveness assessment.
• Manage all aspects of customer complaint handling, including warranty-related topics, with a focus on timely communication, accurate documentation, and prompt resolution.
• Develop and review nonconformance (NC) Pareto dashboards and leverage insights to drive improvement actions for both the product portfolio and manufacturing processes.
• Organize and lead internal and customer product/process audits, including preparation, support during execution, and closing out findings.
• Support change control activities and introduction of second-source or alternate materials by performing risk evaluations (such as FMEA) and defining necessary verification and validation efforts.
• Provide training and coaching on problem-solving methods and the use of control plans/QCTs to enhance site-wide quality capabilities.
• Ensure serial production readiness by applying defined criteria, such as Statistical Process Control (SPC) capability targets (Cp/Cpk), and conducting readiness reviews or audits prior to initiating volume production.
• Key Responsibilities
• Customer Quality
• Act as the primary on-site contact for customer quality-related matters, addressing concerns and ensuring satisfaction.
• Lead the resolution of customer escalations, facilitate audits, and address issues through clear and timely communication.
• Conduct structured root cause analysis and corrective actions (using methods such as 8D and RCCA) to resolve issues and ensure timely closure.
• Ensure customer requirements are understood and effectively implemented throughout the organization.
• Prepare and present comprehensive customer reports, quality metrics, and improvement plans to stakeholders.
• Cross-Functional Quality Leadership
• Collaborate closely with the QMS Manager to ensure procedures, quality standards, and customer requirements are aligned and consistently met.
• Coordinate technical quality communication with suppliers as needed to support investigations, containment, and change implementation (without owning supplier qualification or supplier performance management).
• Partner with Production, Engineering, and other functions to enhance process stability, improve yield, and elevate product quality.
• Support cleanroom management and contamination-control initiatives where applicable.
• Participate in internal audits, risk assessments (such as FMEA), and contribute to ongoing continuous improvement activities.
• Ensure that quality processes and controls support reliable, scalable operations, including nonconformance management, Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA), change control, and maintenance of control plans.

• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Quality, Materials Science, or another relevant technical discipline.
• Extensive experience in customer quality or site quality leadership within a manufacturing environment.
• Solid working knowledge of ISO 9001, internal auditing practices, and structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D and DMAIC.
• Demonstrated ability to interface effectively with customers and suppliers, manage escalations, and influence cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in data-driven quality reporting, metrics development, and analytics.
• Experience in semiconductor and/or cleanroom manufacturing is highly desirable.
• Outstanding communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.

For Longmont, the expected salary for this position is $ 110,00 Annual Salary In addition, INFICON employees are eligible for a profit- sharing bonus with a target of 10%. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.

INFICON provides a dynamic work environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees experience ongoing green initiatives, flexible work hours, and a variety of health and wellness programs.

INFICONs forward-thinking approach offers countless opportunities to design, support, and manufacture a diverse product portfolio that expands globally. Our Lean and Agile work environment offers competitive compensation, relocation assistance, a discretionary bonus, and generous employee benefits; major medical, dental, health, vision, 401K, vacation and sick time, tuition reimbursement, and more!

INFICON is committed to ensuring that our online application process provides an equal opportunity to all job seekers that apply without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, age, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. A notice describing Federal equal employment opportunity laws is available here to reaffirm this commitment. Any contact that would like to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact us.careers@inficon.com.

INFICON, Inc. strictly complies with all aspects of the Export Administration Regulations ('EAR'), including those sections dealing with deemed exports to foreign nationals.

INFICON provides a dynamic work environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees experience ongoing green initiatives, flexible work hours, and a variety of health and wellness programs.

INFICONs forward-thinking approach offers countless opportunities to design, support, and manufacture a diverse product portfolio that expands globally. Our Lean and Agile work environment offers competitive compensation, relocation assistance, a discretionary bonus, and generous employee benefits; major medical, dental, health, vision, 401K, vacation and sick time, tuition reimbursement, and more!

INFICON is committed to ensuring that our online application process provides an equal opportunity to all job seekers that apply without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, age, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. A notice describing Federal equal employment opportunity laws is available here to reaffirm this commitment. Any contact that would like to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact us.careers@inficon.com.

INFICON, Inc. strictly complies with all aspects of the Export Administration Regulations ('EAR'), including those sections dealing with deemed exports to foreign nationals.