Quality Engineer

The Quality Engineer is responsible for ensuring manufactured components and assembly thereof, meeting all customer, internal, and regulatory requirements. This role supports USF Manufacturing by applying automotive quality tools, validating irreversible preventive actions, and maintaining compliance with IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, and internal quality standards defined in our QMS. Directly working and communicating with OEMs and Tier 1 customers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support and maintain compliance with IATF 16949, CSRs, and internal QMS procedures

• Act as primary contact for assigned customer quality issues

• Support internal, customer, and third-party audits, including corrective action

• Develop, maintain, and audit PFMEA, Control Plans, and Process Flow diagrams

• Support APQP activities and PPAP submissions, ensuring full compliance with requirements

• Develop and maintain quality documentation such as work instructions and inspection standards

• Lead nonconformance investigations, ensuring immediate containment and risk mitigation

• Drive root cause analysis using effective problem solving (Fishbone, Is/Is Not)

• Help implement and validate irreversible corrective and preventive actions

• Monitor and analyze SPC data, identifying trends and variation drivers

• Support process capability improvement (Cp/Cpk, Pp/Ppk)

• Lead warranty investigations, including data analysis and customer communication

• Ensure accurate and timely customer portal reporting and submissions

• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Processing, Maintenance, and Materials to validate process changes

• Support launch readiness, engineering changes, and continuous improvement initiatives

• Oversee supplier quality performance issues and corrective actions when issues arise.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or related field (or equivalent 5 years of experience).
• Minimum 2-5 years of Quality Engineering experience in automotive manufacturing.
• Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans, APQP, and PPAP.
• Proficiency with root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Prefer experience in automotive plastics injection molding environments.
• Customer interface experience with OEMs and/or Tier 1 suppliers.
• Familiarity with customer specific requirements (GM, Ford, etc.).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. These physical requirements include:

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout a manufacturing facility.
• Occasion lifting up to 45 pounds.
• Ability to visually inspect parts for defects.
• Exposure to a manufacturing environment with noise, moving equipment, and temperature variations.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the following is the working conditions:

• Work is performed primarily in an automotive plastic injection molding manufacturing environment with regular time spent on the production floor and in quality labs.
• Exposure with noise, moving machinery, forklifts, temperature variations, plastic resins, and production chemicals typical of injection molding operations.
• Required to wear appropriate PPE such as safety glasses, and reflecting green "quality" vest.
• May be exposed to odors, dust, and fumes associated with molding processes and materials.
• Work schedule is generally day shift, with off shift, weekend, or extended hours required to support production issues, launches, audits or customer concerns.
• Position requires frequent interaction with production personnel, engineering, maintenance, and management on the shop floor.
• Occasional travel to customer or supplier locations may be required for audits, launches, or issue resolution.
• Fast-paced environment with time sensitive decision making to minimize quality risks and production downtime.
• Work involves a combination of standing, walking, sitting, and computer-based tasks.

The specific statements above are not intended to be all-inclusive