Quality - Quality Technician

Business Title:                                            Quality Technician

Reports to:                                                  Quality Manager

Leadership Scope:                                       Individual Leader

Company Info:              With a heritage of nearly 120 years, we aren’t just a company; we are a brand of trust.  But more than anything, we are a collection of individuals who, together, give Grote Industries a decisive competitive advantage. At Grote, our shared vision is clear – to meet the needs of the customers we serve. We accomplish that mission every day by following a set of core values that makes us who we are.

                                    Innovation has been the hallmark of Grote Industries from the start. From durable, easy to see stop lights to the latest in LED lighting technology, Grote has been leading the way in advanced vehicle system solutions from early in the last century right up to today. With these innovations, Grote has helped millions of people throughout North America and the world benefit from the innovation and design excellence of Grote products.

Position Summary:        The Quality Technician – Warranty (QT-W) serves as the primary owner of the warranty system within Grote Industries, ensuring accurate processing, analysis, compliance, and continuous improvement of all warranty-related activities. Reporting to the Quality Manager, the QT-W is responsible for developing and maintaining a robust warranty framework that integrates customer requirements, accounting processes, product analysis, and internal quality systems.

                                    This role balances two critical aspects of warranty management — efficient processing and deep analytical evaluation — to identify trends, prevent recurrence, and drive measurable improvement. The QT-W collaborates cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, accounting, and customer teams to standardize warranty practices, maintain compliance with IATF 16949 requirements, and align warranty performance with corporate quality objectives.

                                     The QT-W leads initiatives that optimize warranty workflows, establishes standards for documentation and teardown practices, and serves as the key liaison for warranty-related communication with customers and internal stakeholders. This role supports new product introductions with warranty reporting and analytics while championing Kaizen and continuous improvement efforts that enhance process efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Position Duties:             - Process, track, and maintain warranty claims from receipt through closure.

                                    - Inspect, document, and route returned products for evaluation.

                                    - Maintain accurate warranty records, databases, and supporting documentation.

                                    - Coordinate warranty activities with Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, Accounting, and Production.

                                     - Perform initial product evaluations and document findings for failure analysis.

                                     - Compile warranty data, assist with trend reporting, and support corrective actions.

                                     - Respond to routine warranty inquiries and provide claim status updates.

                                     - Ensure warranty documentation is complete, audit-ready, and compliant with company procedures and IATF 16949 requirements.

                                     - Lead Kaizen initiatives to improve warranty processes, documentation, and workflow efficiency.

                                     - Collaborate with other Grote facilities to standardize warranty evaluation and processing practices.

                                      - Prepare warranty performance reports and support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities with warranty data and analysis.

                                     - Process supplier quality returns (QAPU) and coordinate claim resolution.

Requirements:               Associate's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related field, or equivalent experience, is required. Candidates should have a minimum of three years of experience in quality, warranty, or a manufacturing environment, with experience in circuit diagrams, electronic components, product failure analysis, and warranty processing. Familiarity with IATF 16949 quality standards, audit requirements, and proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, is required. Preferred qualifications include experience leading Kaizen or continuous improvement initiatives, knowledge of quality management systems and document control, experience with statistical analysis or reliability testing, and quality certifications such as Six Sigma Green Belt or ASQ certification.