Automotive Quality Engineer

This role demands technical expertise and soft skills to provide guidance and leadership to suppliers and internal customers to promptly resolve supplier quality issues and ensure a seamless transition of new products into mass production. The SQE will be responsible for cradle-to-grave mass production supplier management, ensuring best-in-class supplier quality, and safeguarding manufacturing operations by working closely with Manufacturing, Plant Quality, Material Planning, Logistics, NPI teams, and external suppliers.

You Will:

• As an Individual Contributor: Provide Supplier Quality support by continuously addressing and resolving supplier quality issues, ensuring the highest standards in EV production. Take cradle-to-grave responsibility for assigned mass production suppliers, including managing supplier scorecards and performance evaluations.

• Problem Solving and Troubleshooting: Swiftly identify, analyze, and resolve supplier-related quality issues to protect plant operations. Implement root cause analysis and permanent countermeasures to prevent recurrence.

• Team Collaboration: Work closely with Manufacturing, Plant Quality, Material Planning, Logistics, NPI teams, and suppliers to develop robust solutions that protect plant operations and drive product quality.

• Supplier Relationship Management: Maintain strong relationships with suppliers, ensuring open communication and collaboration to achieve mutual quality objectives.

• Support New Product Build Events: Collaborate with SIEs and Program teams during new product build events, ensuring a seamless transition into mass production while maintaining quality standards.

• Lessons Learned: Streamline lessons learned between programs in mass production.

• Supplier Audits: Perform supplier assessments, audits, and site inspections; develop process improvement plans and drive implementation; monitor and maintain performance metrics.

• Be visible and voice of your commodity supplier quality team by generating regular reports for senior management, highlighting SQEs/Supplier performance, OKRs-Goals-KPIs, risks, and strategies for improvement.

• Be able to work independently and make decisions in the best interest of its business.

• Have the ability to travel 25-75% on average on a short-term or long-term basis to supplier sites globally on short notice.

You Bring:

• 5+ years of plant floor SQE experience in Interiors Commodity components such as Center Consoles, Door Panels, Hard Trims, Instrument Panel, or Soft Trims.

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (Engineering); a Master’s degree is preferred.

• Hands-on expertise in utilizing quality assurance practices and methodologies such as 8D, 5 Whys, and Fishbone diagrams for prompt and effective resolution of quality issues.

• Clear and effective communication abilities, ensuring quality issues and solutions are well-articulated to both internal teams and external suppliers.

• Ability to read and interpret schematics and drawings and in-depth knowledge of quality standards and specifications in the area of placement.

• Excellent analytical abilities, technical writing ability, and comprehensive understanding of quality toolbox (IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, SPC, MSA, FMEA, DOE, DFM/A, GD&T, etc.)

• Certification preferred - American Society for Quality, Six Sigma Black Belt, etc.

• Team player with strong interpersonal skills, hands-on and data-driven, creative mindset in problem-solving.

• Positive attitude, willingness to learn, be part of the solution and be able to adapt to the dynamic working environment.

• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Working knowledge of Smartsheet, JMP, Minitab, JIRA, and Tableau is a plus.

Job Type: Contract

Pay: $54.00 - $60.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Experience:

• Automotive Industry: 5 years (Required)
• Quality management: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person