Quality Engineer

Position Title

Quality Engineer

Department

Quality Assurance

Reports To

Quality Manager

Position Summary

The Quality Engineer is responsible for ensuring automotive products and manufacturing processes meet customer, regulatory, and company quality requirements. This role serves as the primary quality contact for production issues, customer concerns, new product launches, and continuous improvement activities while supporting IATF 16949 compliance and automotive Core Tools.

Essential Responsibilities

• Create and maintain multi-level Bills of Materials (BOMs) for new and existing products.
• Review engineering drawings, specifications, and customer requirements to ensure BOM accuracy.

• Verify material descriptions, part numbers, quantities, and revision levels.

• Coordinate engineering change requests (ECRs) and engineering change notices (ECNs) to update BOM structures.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Production, Purchasing, and Supply Chain departments to ensure BOM integrity.

• Establish and maintain routings, manufacturing instructions, and material requirements within the ERP/MRP system.

• Validate BOM accuracy during new product launches and product revisions.

• Investigate and correct BOM discrepancies that impact production, inventory, or customer requirements.

• Maintain configuration control and document revision history.

• Assist in cost analysis by evaluating material usage and component requirements.

• Participate in continuous improvement activities related to engineering documentation and manufacturing processes.

Customer Quality

• Respond to customer complaints and warranty concerns.
• Lead 8D corrective action investigations.
• Conduct root cause analysis using 5 Why, Fishbone, and other problem-solving methods.
• Support customer audits and quality reviews.
• Improve customer PPM performance and reduce quality spills.

Manufacturing Quality

• Monitor production quality metrics and trends.
• Scrap Reporting
• Investigate paint, weld, stamping, defects.
• Lead containment activities for nonconforming products.
• Develop and implement quality alerts and inspection standards.
• Verify effectiveness of corrective actions.

New Product Launch (APQP)

• Support APQP, PPAP, and customer-specific requirements by ensuring proper material documentation.

• Create and maintain:
• Process Flow Diagrams
• PFMEA
• Control Plans
• Inspection Instructions

Quality Systems

• Maintain compliance with:
• IATF 16949
• Customer Specific Requirements
• Internal Quality Procedures
• Participate in internal and external audits.
• Support layered process audits and product audits.
• Maintain quality records and documentation.

Supplier Quality Support

• Work with suppliers on containment and corrective action activities.
• Review / Approve supplier PPAP documentation.
• Monitor supplier performance and quality trends.

Continuous Improvement

• Use SPC, MSA, and capability studies to improve processes.
• Reduce scrap, rework, and downtime.
• Drive cost reduction through defect prevention.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of automotive manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of:
• IATF 16949
• APQP
• PPAP
• FMEA
• SPC
• MSA
• GD&T
• Experience with customer corrective actions and audits.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Internal Auditor Certification
• Experience with OEM customers such as Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda, or Subaru.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Customer PPM
• Scrap & Rework Cost
• Internal Audits
• Corrective Action Closure Rate
• Warranty Claims

Technical Skills

• SPC Analysis
• Root Cause Analysis
• Microsoft Excel
• Quality Management Systems
• Statistical Reporting
• Automotive Core Tools