Kennedy Valve-Product Engineering & Quality Assurance Manager

Kennedy Valve, a member of the McWane family of companies, is a gray and ductile iron foundry and computerized machining and assembly company.  We have been an active community partner in Elmira, New York, for over 118 years.

People providing peace of mind water solutions.

To save lives, resources, and property by supplying the best waterworks and fire protection products in the world.

Our culture is important to us and forms the foundation for everything we do.  Successful Team Members will embrace and perform in accordance with our following core values:

Safety:  People First – Step Up

Environment:  Protect Our Communities – Keep It Clean

Leadership:  I am Always On Stage – First Manage My Own Words & Behaviors

Accountability:  Lead Myself Well – Own It, Correct It, Learn From It, Move On

Excellence:  Always Working To Be Better – Value & Add Value

Trust:  The Speed Of Trust – Build, Don’t Break

Teamwork:  Help Each Other Be Great – Win Together

Communication:  Clear, Candid, & Constructive – Right Words, Right Time, Right Way

WHY KENNEDY VALVE?

Kennedy Valve offers great wages and robust benefits packages, as well as stability and a sense of team!

• Highly Competitive Salary  $123,000-$152,559
• Prorated vacation for the first year of employment
• 12 Paid Holidays and Paid Sick Leave
• Retirement: 401(k) & Roth IRA options with company match
• Educational Reimbursement after one year of service
• Employer-paid life insurance with the option to supplement
• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental plan options

SUMMARY:

We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Engineering and Quality Assurance manager to join our team. In this position, the incumbent will play a key role in the overall success of our organization by planning, managing, and

monitoring the Product Design Engineering and Quality Assurance functions. This position is responsible for overseeing various engineering and quality projects, processes, budgets, timelines, accreditation audits, and making any necessary adjustments in order to ensure successful completion of goals. This position leads a team comprised of an Engineering Supervisor, a QA Supervisor, engineers, technicians, and quality professionals.

BASIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the Product Design Engineering and Quality Assurance leader and technical expert.
• Lead the Engineering, Quality Team Members, and other departments through proactive facilitation, mediation, and resourcefulness.
• Create/maintain detailed engineering plans, processes, and procedures for Engineering and Quality staff.
• Manage oversite of the ISO Quality Management System.
• Support the daily review of production quality performance.
• Monitor scrap, and improve the development of scrap reduction plans.
• Build and review BOMs and product costing.
• Validate and verify  accuracy of the work performed and the methods used by Engineering and Quality team members. Conduct various tests and quality assurance checks to verify the quality of completed projects.
• Coordinate review of customer returns and non-conforming material for root cause analysis and

corrective actions.

• Monitor and determine various Team Member training needs and provide development opportunities.
• Support various research and development initiatives to identify opportunities for new projects and improved processes.
• Communicate and collaborate with other leaders, departments, suppliers, and contractors.
• Prepare and deliver various engineering-related and quality assurance-related presentations, both internally and externally.

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• Master’s degree in engineering management, business administration, or other related field is preferred.
• 6+ years of experience in engineering and quality management roles, preferably in  the heavy manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated experience in Quality Assurance, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with relevant industry standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., AWWA, UL, FM, MSS, NSF…), preferred.
• Experience with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks) and other engineering tools.
• Strong understanding of fluid dynamics and materials science.
• Leadership and people skills are necessary to manage and develop a team.
• Organizational competencies and project management skills to keep projects, processes, and teams on track.
• Self-motivated attitude with the ability to multitask and thrive in a timeline-driven environment.
• Interpersonal communication skills with expertise in distilling complicated topics to a broader audience.
• Ability to work individually or as part of a team.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Time spent in office setting and on production floor.
• Occasionally standing for long periods of time, walking throughout the facility daily.
• Performing Engineering Qualification Tests and QA assessments onsite or at certifying labs.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Ability to manipulate hand tools.

Work Environment

• Exposed to elements, such as cold, heat, noise, dust, odors, fumes, etc.
• Work time is spent on the manufacturing floor, Engineer/QA Lab, and office setting.

Kennedy Valve Co. is an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and reserve the right to perform substance abuse testing. McWane is a Federal VEVRAA contractor, and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices. McWane will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation , veteran or service member status, marital status, citizenship status (In IL - sex, including same sex, ancestry, order of protection status, physical or mental disability, military status, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge status, genetic information), (In IA - gender identity), (In CA - gender identity or expression, and genetic information) or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
McWane is a Federal VEVRAA contractor, and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices. McWane will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran or service member status, marital status, citizenship status (In IL - sex, including same sex, ancestry, order of protection status, physical or mental disability, military status, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge status, genetic information), (In IA - gender identity), (In CA- gender identity or expression, and genetic information) or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.