Automotive Supplier Quality Development Lead

KIA Motors Group; West Point (GA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kia Georgia, Inc. in West Point, GA seeks a Supplier Quality Development Program Manager to lead procurement initiatives for new model launches, localization programs, and sourcing projects, coordinating with engineering, quality, production, and suppliers to ensure readiness and risk mitigation.

The role drives supplier development, continuous improvement, and localization opportunities to strengthen supply chain resiliency, cost competitiveness, and delivery performance, while guiding EO

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field (5+ years in automotive engineering, supplier quality, quality assurance, quality control, development, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment; OEM experience preferred).
• Understanding of automotive project development timelines, milestones, and launch processes.
• Familiarity with manufacturing systems, production readiness requirements, and supplier management.
• Project Management experience including managing stakeholder deliverables, timelines, and formal reporting.

Responsibilities

• New Model Project Management: Support and lead departmental activities to ensure successful new model and model year launches.
• Localization Project Management (Support of Localization Manager): Support localization initiatives by summarizing and tracking project progress, monitoring milestone achievement, and coordinating supplier setup, part validation, and process validation activities.
• Supplier Readiness and Launch Support: Coordinate and monitor supplier readiness activities, including tooling, capacity, manpower, APQP/PPAP, trial builds, and production validation milestones, to ensure successful launch execution and SOP readiness.
• Supplier Improvement Project Management: Lead and support supplier improvement initiatives driven by Kia Georgia KPI performance requirements, utilizing internal and external data analysis to identify improvement opportunities. Conduct on-site validation of supplier change points and provide formal reporting on project status, findings, and outcomes.
• Engineering Order Change Management: Manage weekly department EO change assignments, ensuring ownership is assigned, progress is monitored, and required actions are completed within established timelines.
• Risk Management and Issue Resolution: Identify, assess, and mitigate supplier and project risks impacting cost, quality, timing, or capacity by developing recovery plans, escalating critical issues, and driving timely resolution.

Skills

PowerPoint presentations

Excel data analysis

Cross-functional coordination

Project management

Quality systems knowledge

Six Sigma / Lean

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Kia Georgia, Inc. in West Point, GA seeks a Supplier Quality Development Program Manager to lead procurement initiatives for new model launches, localization programs, and sourcing projects, coordinating with engineering, quality, production, and suppliers to ensure readiness and risk mitigation.

The role drives supplier development, continuous improvement, and localization opportunities to strengthen supply chain resiliency, cost competitiveness, and delivery performance, while guiding EO