APQP Quality Engineer

Astemo; Findlay (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Astemo, Ltd. is seeking an APQP Quality Leadership professional to lead the quality workstream across feasibility, launch, and handoff to production.

You will serve as the Quality representative on program teams, driving APQP deliverables, risk mitigation, and cross-functional alignment to ensure customer readiness. You will ensure compliance with AIAG APQP, IATF 16949, and customer requirements, coordinating PPAP, FMEA, and control plan activities while guiding continuous improvement and audits

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in automotive quality, APQP, or launch quality with customer exposure.
• Strong knowledge of AIAG APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, Control Plans, IATF 16949.
• Experience with process validation, capability studies, measurement systems.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional activities and manage multiple deliverables.
• Proficiency with MS Office and quality data systems; willingness to learn
• ASQ CQE, AIAG Core Tools training, or equivalent preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality workstream and APQP activities from feasibility through launch stabilization and handoff.
• Represent Quality on cross-functional program teams; participate in reviews.
• Own APQP deliverables and coordinate inputs for timely completion.
• Monitor milestones, risks, and status; escalate readiness concerns to ensure approvals.
• Ensure compliance with AIAG APQP, IATF 16949, and customer requirements.
• Facilitate DFMEA reviews and lead PFMEA, CP, and Control Plans development.
• Align process flow, PFMEA, control plans, inspection standards, and work instructions.
• Coordinate PPAP submission, validation activities, and PSW docs.
• Lead quality handoff to serial production after stabilization criteria.
• Drive continuous improvement and support audits related to APQP activities.

Skills

APQP

FMEA

PPAP

MSA

SPC

IATF16949

Leadership

Quality metrics

Process validation

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

APQP Quality Leadership

• Lead the quality workstream and associated APQP activities for assigned programs from feasibility through launch stabilization and handoff to serial-production Quality.
• Serve as the Quality representative on cross-functional program teams and participate in feasibility, launch, customer, and gate reviews.
• Own and track Quality-function APQP deliverables and coordinate cross-functional inputs required for timely completion.
• Monitor quality milestones, deliverables, and risks; communicate status through the site launch-governance process; and elevate readiness concerns that could affect customer approval or production readiness.
• Ensure compliance with AIAG APQP methodology, IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, and applicable corporate quality standards.

Risk Assessment, Quality Planning, and Core Tools

• Facilitate DFMEA reviews with Engineering and lead development and maintenance of Process Flow Diagrams, PFMEAs, and Control Plans.
• Ensure alignment among Process Flow, PFMEA, Control Plans, inspection standards, work instructions, Safe Launch plans, and production controls.
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate product and process risks before production release, incorporating lessons learned, customer concerns, warranty information, and prior manufacturing experience.
• Coordinate special characteristics, error-proofing, prevention controls, reaction plans, SPC requirements, and applicable AIAG Core Tool activities.

PPAP, Process Validation, and Customer Approval

• Lead PPAP preparation, submission, and customer approval activities, including dimensional results, material certifications, capability studies, MSA, PFMEA, Control Plans, and PSW documentation.
• Coordinate manufacturing process validation, production trials, equipment qualification support, capability studies, measurement-system analysis, Run-at-Rate, and customer validation requirements.
• Validate that process controls, gaging, inspection methods, traceability, error-proofing, reaction plans, and quality documentation are implemented and effective before Start of Production (SOP).
• Serve as the primary Quality contact for assigned launch programs and coordinate responses to customer quality concerns, audits, readiness assessments, and open quality actions during development and launch.

Transferred Business and Launch Readiness

• Develop quality-validation plans for transferred products, tooling, equipment, and manufacturing processes, including baseline comparison, measurement correlation, capability confirmation, requalification, PPAP requirements, and production-release criteria.
• Maintain objective evidence and clear Red/Amber/Green status for APQP completion, PPAP approval, capability, measurement-system readiness, control-plan implementation, Safe Launch, customer approvals, and open quality risks.
• Drive closure or formal escalation of quality-related launch issues before customer or production release.
• Lead the formal quality handoff to serial production after defined stabilization criteria are achieved, including PPAP approval, capability confirmation, Safe Launch exit, open-issue transfer, lessons learned, and acceptance by the responsible operational Quality Engineer.

Supplier APQP Support

• Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Purchasing to confirm supplier APQP, PPAP, capacity, and launch-readiness activities support customer and program milestones.
• Review supplier PPAP and readiness status for integration into the overall product and process approval package, while Supplier Quality retains direct supplier-development and corrective-action ownership.
• Participate in supplier risk assessments, process reviews, and escalation activities for critical launch components.

Continuous Improvement, Audits, and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Apply launch lessons learned, customer feedback, warranty performance, and manufacturing challenges to improve future APQP and quality-planning activities.
• Support internal, customer, and third-party audits related to APQP and launch activities and drive timely closure of assigned findings.
• Facilitate quality-focused APQP reviews, drive accountability for assigned actions, and provide coaching on PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and customer requirements.
• Support management reviews and launch-readiness reporting with concise status, risk, recovery timing, and objective evidence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing-quality experience.
• Five or more years of automotive quality, APQP, launch-quality, or manufacturing-engineering experience, including direct involvement with customer launches and production approval.
• Strong working knowledge of AIAG APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, Control Plans, IATF 16949, and customer-specific requirements.
• Experience with process validation, capability studies, measurement systems, manufacturing launches, transferred processes, and customer approval activities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional activities, manage multiple program deliverables, communicate risk, and upscale readiness concerns using objective evidence.
• Strong project management, communication, leadership, analytical, and structured problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and applicable quality, customer-portal, and data-analysis systems.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), AIAG Core Tools training, or equivalent certification preferred.