Quality Engineer, Supply Chain

Supply Chain Full Time Mississauga, ON $80,000 - $100,000 CAD per year
Polar Racking Inc. is a trusted leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of innovative solar mounting solutions, proudly serving customers across North America. At Polar Racking, we are committed to delivering high-performance, site-specific solar mounting systems that empower our clients to harness clean energy with confidence. Our collaborative approach combines cutting-edge technology, expert engineering, and a customer-first mindset to provide tailored racking products that meet the unique demands of each project. With a passion for sustainability and excellence, we work hand-in-hand with construction and engineering professionals to bring solar visions to life. Learn more at .
We do not manufacture in-house. Every part we ship is produced by a manufacturing partner, and our supply base spans steel mills, roll formers, structural fabricators, galvanizers, and fastener producers across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our products are then installed on construction sites that run to fixed schedules. Quality Engineer will own the Quality measures, from the drawing through to the installed structure and into the warranty period.
This role exists to establish Polar's Quality function and lead it. You will Work to define and own quality across four areas — Engineering, Manufacturing, Execution, and QA/QC — building the standards, control plans, procedures, and documentation from the ground up. This is a hands-on build, not the administration of an existing program.
You will work in a fast-moving environment with many projects running in parallel, in close partnership with Engineering, Supply Chain, Project Management, Field Operations, and our suppliers. We are looking for someone who takes ownership of a problem and drives it to closure.
RESPONSIBILITIESQuality Management System (QA/QC)
Build and own Polar's quality management system — standards, procedures, work instructions, forms, and records — and keep it current as the business grows.
Own the nonconformance, deviation, and concession process end to end, through to closure, verification, and trend reporting.
Run internal audits across departments, and prepare the organization for external audit and certification where required.
Define, track, and report quality metrics, cost of quality, and performance trends to management.
Lead continuous improvement activity using structured problem-solving and quality tools.
Control Plans, SOPs & Technical Documentation
Own the control plans for every product category and part family — create, approve, maintain, and revise them, and verify that suppliers are producing to the plan in force.
Own dimensional reporting — define the requirements and report formats, review and approve supplier submissions, and maintain the records against each part and revision.
Collaborate in Writing and maintain standard operating procedures and other documents for manufacturing processes, inspection, packaging, bundling, loading, and shipping, and roll them out to suppliers and internal teams.
Develop and maintain process FMEAs for critical parts and processes, with Engineering and with suppliers, and keep each one linked to the control plan and inspection requirements it drives.
Use PFMEA risk ratings to set inspection frequency, process controls, and audit focus, and re-rate following nonconformances, field failures, and warranty claims.
Establish acceptance criteria, inspection methods, and measurement equipment requirements, and keep them aligned to current drawings and specifications.
Document Control
Define and control the quality document package issued with each purchase order — drawings at the correct revision, control plan, inspection and test requirements, acceptance criteria, packaging and shipping requirements, and the certifications and reports the supplier must return — and confirm supplier acknowledgement before production starts.
Own version control for all quality and technical documents issued to suppliers, from purchase order issuance through to project closeout — drawings, control plans, SOPs, inspection and test plans, and acceptance criteria.
Maintain a controlled document register so that every supplier is demonstrably working to the current revision, and that superseded revisions are withdrawn.
Control the flow of engineering changes to suppliers and to site, including effectivity, acknowledgement, and confirmation of implementation.
Maintain the complete quality record file for each project and each supplier through to closeout and handover, including certifications, inspection reports, and test results.
Establish design review and drawing release controls so that specifications, tolerances, and material callouts are verified before they reach a supplier.
Review drawings and bills of material for specification integrity, with particular attention to coating specifications, design load basis, and hardware allowances.
Partner with Engineering to resolve design-related quality issues and feed field, supplier, and warranty findings back into design.
Design and operate the supplier quality scorecard program — define the metrics, set performance thresholds, run the reviews, and drive improvement where suppliers fall short.
Perform quality checks and verification of vendor output — source inspection, in-process checks, and pre-shipment inspection at supplier facilities — and authorize release to ship.
Conduct supplier quality audits and on-site process assessments, in North America and overseas, covering quality systems, process capability, and compliance.
Assess the quality capability of new and prospective suppliers during onboarding, and set the conditions of approval.
Lead root cause investigation and corrective action (8D, CAPA) on supplier nonconformances through to verified closure, including recovery of cost where warranted.
Define the quality documentation package required from suppliers at onboarding and at part release, including material certifications and test reports.
Manage quality performance across overseas manufacturing partners, including remote oversight between site visits.
APQP & New Product Launch
Establish and run the APQP and part approval process for new and revised parts — submission requirements, control plans, PFMEA, dimensional reporting, material certification, and capability studies.
Lead launch readiness reviews for new project awards and manage the transition from first article approval through to steady-state production.
Work with Polar engineering and supplier engineering to resolve manufacturability issues before tooling or production release.
Execution & Field Quality
Define inspection requirements across the chain — receiving, in-process, final, packaging, and loading — and the methods and equipment used to carry them out.
Establish field and installation quality standards, inspection checklists, and hold points with Project Management and Field Operations.
Investigate quality issues found at site, determine root cause across design, supplier, packaging, or installation, and drive the remedy.
Establish packaging, bundling, and shipping quality requirements to protect product in transit and on site, and verify supplier compliance with them.
Warranty & Claims
Manage customer-facing quality matters including claims, concessions, and documentation of remedial work.
Own the warranty claim process end to end — intake, technical investigation, root cause determination, disposition, and closure.
Pursue recovery from suppliers where a warranty claim traces to supplied material or workmanship, working with Supply Chain and Finance.
Track warranty cost and failure trends, and feed findings back into design, supplier requirements, and control plans.
Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement
Establish and maintain a lessons learned register capturing findings from nonconformances, warranty claims, field issues, audits, and new part launches, with the root cause and the corrective action recorded against each.
Run structured lessons learned reviews at project closeout and after each new product launch, with Engineering, Supply Chain, Project Management, and Field Operations.
Convert lessons learned into updates to control plans, PFMEAs, SOPs, inspection requirements, drawings, and supplier requirements so that the same failure does not recur.
Share applicable lessons across projects and across suppliers, and verify that they have been adopted.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
Six to eightyears of experience in quality engineering within manufacturing, (Preferably gained in North America.)
Hands‑on APQP experience, with the depth to establish the process rather than only operate within one already built.
Demonstrated experience authoring control plans, PFMEAs, SOPs, and inspection documentation, and operating a document control and revision system.
Demonstrated experience building or substantially rebuilding a quality program — standards, procedures, and supplier requirements — not only maintaining an inherited one.
Experience designing or running supplier quality scorecards and supplier performance review programs.
Depth in the quality core tools — APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, and control plans — applied in practice rather than in theory.
Strong root cause analysis and problem‑solving capability using structured methods (8D, 5‑Why, fishbone, CAPA, capability studies), with a record of driving findings to verified closure.
Hands‑on experience owning a nonconformance (NCR) procedure end to end — raising, containment, disposition, corrective action, verification, and closure — and reporting on it.
Practical experience applying Lean and zero‑defect principles to eliminate recurring failures at source.
Ability to read and interpret fabrication drawings and weldments.
Strong working knowledge of dimensional measurement and GD&T — CMM operation and interpretation of CMM output, hand measurement tools and gauging, and selection of the right measurement method for the feature — with the ability to review, verify, and challenge supplier dimensional reports.
Strong Excel skills, familiarity with ERP systems, and comfort using AI tools in day‑to‑day work.
English language fluency, written and verbal;
you will deal with suppliers, customers, and internal leadership directly.
Hands‑on and self‑starting — you take ownership of a problem, work it through, and close it out, while working effectively as part of a cross‑functional team.
Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment and managing multiple competing priorities.
Willingness to travel 30–50% to supplier and project sites across North America, with occasional overseas travel.
Considered an Asset
Automotive industry experience, or experience in the manufacturing or design of structural and construction components.
Experience managing overseas vendors and offshore manufacturing partners.
Experience managing new product launches end to end, including PPAP submission and approval.
Experience managing warranty programs and supplier recovery claims.
ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 internal or lead auditor certification and audit experience.
Experience with construction, installation, or field quality in addition to manufacturing quality.
Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt, ASQ CQE, CQM/OE, or CSQP certification.
Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation, held or in progress.
Hands‑on knowledge of hot‑dip galvanizing — the process itself, coating specifications and thickness requirements (ASTM A123/A153, CSA G164), common coating defects, and inspection and acceptance criteria.
Familiarity with steel supply — mills, service centres, roll forming, and structural fabrication.
Working knowledge of welding standards and inspection (CWB, AWS).
Solar, renewable energy, or construction product experience.
Additional language capability (French, Spanish, Mandarin, or Hindi).
Why Polar Racking?Join our team and become part of a dynamic company at the forefront of the renewable energy sector. In addition to competitive compensation, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including RRSP contributions, generous vacation time, and the opportunity for career growth.
We value an innovative, diverse workplace where all colleagues feel empowered to be their authentic selves. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
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