Incoming Inspector Lead

General Purpose

The Incoming Inspector Lead performs incoming inspection activities while serving as the lead technical resource for incoming inspection processes. This role provides day-to-day guidance, training, and support to Incoming Inspectors; reinforces consistent inspection and business practices; and helps ensure incoming materials meet engineering drawings, specifications, purchase order requirements, supplier certifications, company standards, and applicable quality system requirements. The position remains actively involved in daily inspection work while supporting nonconforming material control, accurate documentation, supplier quality follow-up, audit readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives within the Quality Department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily incoming inspection activities, including work prioritization, inspector guidance, and inspection record review.

• Perform receiving inspection activities in support of purchased components, materials, assemblies, and supplier-provided products.

• Perform visual, dimensional, mechanical, and documentation-based inspections of incoming materials, components, assemblies, purchased parts, and supplier-provided products.

• Verify product conformance to engineering drawings, specifications, purchase orders, bills of material, approved supplier requirements, inspection plans, and applicable quality requirements.

• Utilize precision measuring and inspection equipment including calipers, micrometers, height gauges, pin gauges, thread gauges, go/no-go gauges, torque tools, multimeters, and other inspection equipment as required.

• Review supplier documentation including certificates of conformance, material certifications, test reports, mechanical data, special process certifications, and other quality records.

• Maintain accurate inspection records, traceability documentation, lot/serial number records, supplier quality documentation, and controlled quality records.

• Identify, segregate, and control nonconforming material to prevent unintended use and support material review, return-to-vendor activities, supplier corrective actions, and containment efforts.

• Communicate inspection findings and material quality concerns to Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Warehouse, Production, Inventory, and other cross-functional teams.

• Support root cause investigations, corrective and preventive actions, supplier performance monitoring, and recurring defect analysis.

• Support internal, supplier, customer, and third-party audits by providing inspection records, traceability documentation, and objective quality evidence.

• Verify calibration status of inspection equipment and ensure non-compliant equipment is removed from service and escalated appropriately.

• Assist with the development and improvement of inspection plans, work instructions, checklists, inspection methods, first article inspections, engineering evaluations, and new product qualifications.

• Train and guide incoming inspection personnel on inspection techniques, documentation requirements, quality procedures, safety practices, and business processes.

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position does not have direct employee management responsibilities or direct reports.

The Incoming Inspector Lead provides technical guidance, training, mentoring, and day-to-day work direction to Incoming Inspectors.

Education/Experience Required

• High School Diploma or GED required.

• Associate Degree or technical certification in Quality, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing, Electronics, Mechanical Inspection, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in incoming inspection, quality inspection, supplier quality, manufacturing inspection, or a related quality role.

• Prior Lead Inspector, Senior Inspector, or technical leadership experience preferred.

• Experience working within manufacturing, industrial equipment, electromechanical, precision machining, or regulated production environments preferred.

• Experience utilizing ERP systems for inspection records, traceability, inventory transactions, or quality documentation preferred.

• Working knowledge of ISO 9001:2015 required.

• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, GD&T, inspection plans, and material requirements.

• Experience with supplier quality documentation, traceability requirements, nonconforming material control, corrective actions, and audit support preferred.

Preferred Certifications

• ASQ Certified Quality Inspector (CQI)

• ASQ Certified Quality Technician (CQT)

• GD&T Training or Certification

• Internal Auditor Training

Computer Skills Necessary

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.

• Ability to enter, maintain, and retrieve inspection data in ERP and quality management systems.

• Experience with quality databases, document control systems, and supplier quality records preferred.

• Experience analyzing and reporting quality metrics and inspection data is a plus.

Physical Demands/Requirements

• Ability to work in an inspection, warehouse, receiving, and manufacturing environment.

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and perform inspection activities throughout the workday.

• Ability to frequently handle small components, inspection equipment, measuring devices, and documentation.

• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with assistance when necessary.

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