Advanced Product Quality Engineer

Advanced Product Quality Engineer

Our Beauty & Wellness division empowers consumers with trusted products that support self-care, from salon-quality styling tools to wellness devices like humidifiers and air purifiers. Our innovative products and solutions promote healthy living, elevating the lives of consumers every day. This business unit includes Braun, PUR, Honeywell, Vicks, Hot Tools, Drybar, Curlsmith, and Revlon brands, and this role may support one or more of these brands.

Look around your home, and you'll find us everywhere, in your kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. We are already making your everyday lives better. We are powered by knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and forward-thinking people committed to developing a culture of inclusion. Whether you are just starting your career or in need of a challenge, we recognize, develop, and empower talent!

Position: Advanced Product Quality Engineer

Department: Engineering – Beauty & Wellness

Work Location: Marlborough, MA, Hybrid (work 3 days onsite)

Hybrid Schedule: At Helen of Troy, we embrace a flexible hybrid work model designed to support collaboration and productivity. For roles eligible for hybrid work, our standard schedule includes in-office collaboration from Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays. Any updates to this model will be communicated in advance. Please note that hybrid eligibility and schedules may vary based on business needs and manager expectations.

What you will be doing:

As Advanced Quality Engineer, you will serve as the quality lead who will collaborate with new product development teams to capture consumer feedback and ensure built-in quality in our next generation of Beauty and Wellness products. You will also be supporting continuous improvement teams to drive down field return rates by working on quality improvement initiatives and provide technical expertise to solve complex problems.

• Reduce return rate and ensure 4.5+ online star rating by ensuring quality deliverables are fulfilled as part of the new product development process and launch products that meet consumer expectations.
• Create lessons learned document which includes a list of quality issues to be addressed by analyzing all available sources of data to develop an expert understanding of consumer needs from both a functionality and a usability perspective and work with product design teams to come up with engineering solutions on key quality issues on similar products and competitor products.
• Develop design qualification test plans in collaboration with engineering team that are representative of consumer use cases.
• Define critical to quality (CTQ) characteristics in product & manufacturing specification.
• Create risk management documents (DFMEA, Hazard analysis, Risk management plan and Risk management reports). Ensure product quality and safety risks are mitigated in a timely manner before launch.
• Perform product teardowns of engineering build samples to critically evaluate the design and provide inputs in design reviews.
• Review manufacturing quality control plans (IQCP, IPCP) and work closely with contract manufacturing vendors to ensure robust assembly processes.
• Review manufacturing readiness review checklist to verify all risks are mitigated and the product is ready for mass production.
• Make technical recommendations to drive improvements by identifying, analyzing, and interpreting quality trends. Work closely with engineering & supplier quality teams and manufacturing vendors in identifying root causes and corrective actions.
• Lead periodic quality review meetings with cross-functional teams and follow up on identified improvement initiatives to drive cost of quality improvements.
• Review and approve engineering change orders and document change orders.
• Co-ordinate with cross functional teams to resolve ad-hoc customer issues and field quality issues and maintain timely and effective communication with management teams on risks and status.
• 10-15% travel may be required (international and domestic)
• Perform other tasks as needed.

Skills needed to be successful in this role:

• Must possess effective problem solving, root cause analytical skills, and have the ability to lead and influence others to drive change.
• Strong leadership in execution of all phases of new product development
• Ensure all projects, initiatives, and processes are in conformance with established policies and objectives.
• Demonstrated abilities with small appliance design, manufacturing and other practices including plastic design, molding, and electrical appliances.
• Pro-active attitude, leadership, project management and teamwork skills needed to interact with a cross-functional global team and direct them in achieving assigned goals and objectives.
• Ability to handle multiple projects and remain flexible and adaptable.
• Strong communication and presentation skills including the ability to provide concise and accurate status of projects on a periodic basis.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting ability to identify issues, assess technical and project alternatives and risks, and implement solutions while keeping the projects on track.
• Strong understanding of root cause analysis methods and ability to lead cross-functional team to find feasible solutions to complex technical issues.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Electrical engineering.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience working in a product quality engineering role with a high-volume consumer products, small appliances, or household appliances manufacturing company.
• Quality Engineering background with experience in statistical data analysis.
• Proficient in advanced excel skills.
• Experience in statistical analysis software like Minitab.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

Preferred Qualifications:

• ASQ certifications – CQE, CRE, Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt certification
• Masters degree.

In Massachusetts, the standard base pay range for this role is $82,000 - $100,000 annually. This base pay range is specific to Massachusetts and may not be applicable to other locations. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to location, experience, skill level, and performance. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees.

Benefits: Salary + Bonus, Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, 401(k) with company match, Basic Life Insurance, Short Term Disability (STD), Long Term Disability (LTD), Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Charitable (volunteer) Leave, and Educational Assistance.

Wondering if you should apply? Helen of Troy welcomes people as diverse as our brands! Have the confidence to come as who you are because your point of view, skills, and experience will make us stronger. If you're eager to share new ideas and try new things, we want to hear from you.

Founded in 1968, Helen of Troy is a prominent player in the global consumer products industry, offering diverse career opportunities across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. We boast a collection of renowned brands such as OXO, Hydro Flask, Osprey, Honeywell, PUR, Braun, Vicks, Hot Tools, Drybar, Curlsmith, Revlon, and Olive & June – many of which rank #1, #2, or #3 in their respective categories, making the Helen of Troy name synonymous with excellence and ingenuity.

At Helen of Troy, our strategy involves acquiring brands that we can integrate and enhance, amplifying their unique attributes to drive growth and profitability. Embracing a culture of collaboration internally and externally, we are committed to providing innovative solutions tailored to consumers, operational excellence, global scalability, and exceptional shared services to support our brand portfolio. This dedication to fostering development and success sets Helen of Troy apart as a pioneer in the industry, propelling our brands to unparalleled heights of success and recognition worldwide.