Lead Quality Engineer

Lead QualityEngineer – Adient Lakewood Plant 

Key Responsibilities 

QualityLeadership & Performance Management 

• Weld Cut & Etch Knowledge and Experience (Leading a team of technicians is even better)

• Able to Support Leading Floor Quality Technicians at times

• Lead and drive continuousimprovementinitiativestoenhanceproductquality, processcapability, and operationalefficiency. 

• Serve as thesenior technicalauthorityforresolvingcomplexcustomer and supplierconcernsusingstructuredmethodologies (8D, Kepner‑Tregoe, etc.). 

• Ensure full compliancewith IATF 16949 and customer-specificrequirementsacrossallqualitydeliverables. 

• Lead cross‑functionalqualityreviews and drive rapidcontainment, corrective action, and preventive actionactivities. 

APQP, LaunchSupport & ProgramLeadership 

• Lead thepreparation, review, and submissionofcomplete PPAP packages, ensuringaccuracy and on‑time approval. 

• Drive supplier APQP readiness, ensuringsuppliersmeetallquality, documentation, and launchrequirements. 

• Serve as a keyquality leader fornew programlaunches, ensuringprocessvalidation, readiness, and deliverablecompletion. 

• Coordinate and lead customer-facingreviewson APQP timing, engineeringchanges, and open issues. 

Gage, Process Control & StatisticalExpertise 

• Oversee, validate, and approvegagestudies (Gage R&R, Bias, Linearity, Stability) prior toproduction use or after engineeringchanges. 

• Lead thedevelopment, maintenance, and auditingofControl Plans, InspectionPlans, and ContainmentPlans. 

• Support PFMEA development and ensurealignmentbetween PFMEA, Control Plan, and shop‑floordocumentation. 

• Utilizeadvancedstatisticaltools and coach theteamon SPC methodologies, data-drivendecisionmaking, and properstatisticalapplication. 

Customer & SupplierInterface 

• Act as theprimarypointofcontactforassignedcustomers, managingallquality-relatedcommunication and escalations. 

• Build and maintainstrongcustomerrelationshipsthrough proactive updates, rapidresponsiveness, and professionalcommunication. 

• Coordinatesorting, rework, oron-site containmentactivitieswhenrequired. 

• Traveltocustomer sites (10–25%) tosupportissueresolution and representtheplantqualityorganization. 

TeamLeadership & Development 

• Provideday‑to‑dayleadershiptoQualityTechnicians, Cut & EtchOperators, and junior QualityEngineers. 

• Assigntasks, reviewworkquality, and implement corrective actionwhenneeded. 

• Mentor and trainteammembersonproblem‑solving, qualitysystems, customerportals, and plantprocesses. 

• SupporttheQuality Manager withstrategicplanning and departmentalimprovementinitiatives. 

Systems, Documentation & TechnicalSupport 

• Lead thecreation, maintenance, and auditingofqualitydocumentationincluding ODS, Control Plans, and compliancerequirements. 

• Use customersystemssuch as Stellantis PRISM, GM PRR, Ford WERS, Honda NARS, and others as required. 

• Approve post‑SOP supplierPPAPs and verifysuppliercompliance. 

• Supportprocessvalidation and capabilitystudiesforcritical and significantcharacteristics. 

AdditionalResponsibilities 

• Collaboratewith HSE and ManufacturingEngineeringtoensuresafe, efficientworkpractices. 

• Complete allrequired training mandatedby Adient and OEM customers. 

• Performadditionalduties as assignedbytheQuality Manager. 

• Exerciseindependentjudgment in situationsnotfullydefinedbyestablishedprocedures. 

Qualifications & Experience 

Education 

• Bachelor’sdegree in Engineeringrequired (orequivalenttechnicalexperience). 

RequiredExperience 

• 5+ yearsofexperiencewithanengineeringdegree OR 
  9+ yearsofexperiencewithout a degreebutwithrelevantcertifications/training. 

• Minimum 5 yearsofQualityEngineerexperience in high‑volumemanufacturing. 

• Automotive manufacturingexperiencerequired, withTier 1/2/3 experiencestronglypreferred. 

• Demonstratedsuccessleadingroot-cause analysis, problem-solving, and continuousimprovementinitiatives. 

• Strongrecordofreliability, teamwork, and professionalcommunication. 

• Weld Cut & Etch Knowledge and Experience (Leading a team of technicians is even better)

• Able to Support Leading Floor Quality Technicians at times

TechnicalSkills 

• Formal training in corequality disciplines, including:  

• ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 

• PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans 

• SPC, MSA, DOE 

• ContinuousImprovement & Total Quality Management 

• Abilitytoread and interpretengineeringdrawings and GD&T. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and quality software tools. 

• ExperiencewithGMAW and Laser Weldingstronglypreferred. 

• Assemblyexperiencepreferred, especially in automotive orhigh‑volumeoperations. 

Certifications (Preferred) 

• APQP certification – stronglypreferred 

• CQE (CertifiedQualityEngineer) – stronglypreferred 

• IATF 16949 certification – preferred 

Competencies 

• Strongleadership, coaching, and teamdevelopmentabilities. 

• Excellentanalytical and root‑cause problem‑solvingskills. 

• High customerfocus and professionalcommunicationskills. 

• Strong time managementwiththeabilitytoprioritizemultipletasks. 

• Successworkingcross-functionally in collaborative, fast-paced environments.