Customer Quality Engineer II

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary

Customer Quality Engineer II is responsible for supporting customer-facing quality activities that drive product reliability, issue resolution, and continuous improvement across the customer lifecycle. This role serves as a key liaison between customers and internal functions to ensure timely response to quality concerns, effective root cause analysis, corrective action implementation, and sustained customer satisfaction. The position works closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Field Service, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional teams to improve product and process quality, support escalations, and strengthen quality systems. This role is aligned to customer advocacy, issue resolution, KPI management, QMS, and cross-functional quality improvement expectations

Key Responsibilities

Customer Quality Support

• Serve as a point of contact for customer quality issues and support timely, professional communication with internal teams and customers.
• Help represent the voice of the customer by identifying recurring issues, field trends, and opportunities to improve product and service quality.
• Support customer audits, business reviews, and quality-related meetings as needed.

Issue Resolution & Escalation Management

• Lead or support investigation of customer-reported product quality issues, including containment, problem definition, root cause analysis, and corrective/preventive action implementation.
• Drive structured problem solving using methodologies such as 8D, RCA, FMEA, SPC, and other quality tools.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Field Service to ensure effective closure of corrective actions and prevention of recurrence.
• Track customer complaints, escalations, and action plans to closure with urgency and transparency.

Cross-Functional Quality Improvement

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Service teams to improve product quality, reliability, and field performance.
• Support new product introduction (NPI), design reviews, process changes, and change control activities by providing quality input and risk assessment.
• Participate in initiatives focused on design for reliability, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction improvement.

Metrics & Reporting

• Track and analyze quality KPIs (defects, response time, field failures, CAPA effectiveness)
• Develop dashboards and reports for internal reviews and customer communication

Continuous Improvement

• Identify systemic issues and drive continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, and other structured improvement methods.
• Recommend process, documentation, and product improvements based on customer feedback, failure analysis, and data trends.

Quality Management Systems, ISO Auditing & Compliance

• Support and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) in alignment with ISO 9001 requirements, including document control, records, procedures, and process compliance.
• Coordinate internal ISO audits, support external registrar/customer audits, and ensure audit readiness, evidence review, and timely response to findings.
• Manage audit findings and nonconformances through root cause analysis, CAPA closure, and verification of effectiveness.
• Track audit schedules, action closure, trends, risks, and improvement opportunities for Quality leadership review.
• Partner cross-functionally to strengthen audit readiness, process discipline, standard work, and overall QMS maturity.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3–6+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, supplier quality, customer quality, or a related technical role in semiconductor capital equipment, electronics, or high-tech manufacturing environments.
• Working knowledge of quality tools and methodologies such as 8D, RCA, FMEA, SPC, CAPA, and problem-solving techniques.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and/or Field Service teams
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive closure on customer quality concerns in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed (20%)

Preferred:

• Experience in semiconductor manufacturing or semiconductor capital equipment.
• Familiarity with customer complaint handling, field failure analysis, and customer-facing quality processes.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, APQP, or structured continuous improvement methods.
• Knowledge of reliability, contamination control, cleanroom practices, or regulated manufacturing environments.
• ASQ CQE, Six Sigma certification, or related quality certification.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

It is the policy of Axcelis to provide equal opportunity in all areas of employment for all persons free from discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, color, national origin, disability status, medical condition (including pregnancy), veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.  Axcelis will provide reasonable accommodation necessary to enable a disabled candidate or employee to perform the essential functions of the position, unless the accommodation would create an undue hardship for the Company.
 

U.S. BASE SALARY RANGE

This base salary range reflects the typical compensation for this role across U.S. locations.

Our salary ranges are determined by role and level; individual pay is determined based on

multiple factors, including job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, work

location, and internal equity. The range provides the opportunity for growth and progression as

you develop within the role.

Base pay is one part of our U.S. total compensation package which includes eligibility in the

Axcelis Team Incentive bonus plan, and comprehensive benefits package (for regular

employees working 20+ hours a week).