Customer Quality Engineer

Nidec; St. Charles (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Nidec is seeking a Customer Quality Engineer to manage strategic customer accounts, resolve complex quality issues, and collaborate across global teams. The role emphasizes APQP/AQP for launches and strong data-driven problem solving.

Travel up to 15% may be required, with a bachelor’s degree and automotive quality experience. You will engage manufacturing and design teams to drive continuous improvements and uphold ISO 14001 / IATF 16949 standards.

Qualifications

• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Analytical thinking with problem-solving methods (Pareto charts, cause-and-effect, histograms).
• Technical thinking and core tool knowledge; plating, plastic molding, metal stamping and/or welding a plus.
• Written and verbal communication with customers (internal & external).
• Quality/manufacturing engineering experience in automated high-volume automotive production.
• Familiarity with charts, corrective action programs, DOE, and SPC tools.
• Some knowledge of soldering, electronic components and PCB assembly a plus.
• Expertise with ISO 14001 / IATF 16949.
• Strong PC skills (Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Access).

Responsibilities

• Develop strategy to manage specific customer accounts.
• Lead customer quality issue resolution.
• Interact with customer to satisfy their requirements.
• Understand customer specific requirements.
• Maintain daily quality and cost data (PPM / KPI targets).
• Engage site production team to drive manufacturing improvements.
• Support new business opportunities and new product development programs.
• Gather warranty data, generate warranty charts, analyze trends and reduce warranty cost.
• Support change management programs with customers and at plant level.
• Submit all new parts submission (PPAP) requirements.
• Perform APQP for new product launches and AQP for changes.
• Act as key member of FMEA development and liaison between Manufacturing and Design Engineering.
• Set quality goals and improvement plans.
• Review and improve control plans.
• Lead customer issues to closure using 8D, 5P, 5 Whys, Fault Tree Analysis.
• Possibly participate in New Product Launch activities and FMEA Moderator training.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Customer communication

Quality engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

SPC tools knowledge

ISO 14001 / IATF 16949

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

MS Office

Excel

Word

Access

Job description

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality. All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.

Job Summary Job Description Objective

Works with interdepartmental Engineers / technical colleagues in a team environment to manage key customer accounts for Quality, leading / solving product problems. The Customer Quality Engineer manages strategic customers’ accounts with direct customer issues with effective communication and provides superior problem solving / critical thinking skills. The Engineer interacts with others globally while traveling occasionally to customer and other Nidec locations.

Essential Responsibilities

• Develop strategy to manage specific customer accounts
• Lead customer quality issue resolution
• Interacts with customer to satisfy their requirements
• Understand customer specific requirements
• Maintain daily quality (PPM / other KPI targets) and cost (internal / external costs) data for all requirements.
• Actively engage site production team to drive manufacturing improvements
• Support new business opportunities and new product development programs
• Gather warranty data, generate warranty charts, analyze trends and prepare warranty report for each assigned OEM to reduce warranty cost
• Support change management programs customers, and at plant level.
• Fulfill / Submit all new parts submission (PPAP) requirements
• Interact closely with cross functional Team to perform Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) for new product launches and Advanced Quality Planning (AQP) for product and/or process changes.
• Key member of FMEA Development serving as key member liaison between Manufacturing Engineering and Design Engineering.
• Set quality goals and improvement plans
• Document and utilize lessons learned
• Review / Improve Control plans
• Lead / Direct customer issues to closure by gathering appropriate teams and leading problem solving using tools, including: 8D, 5P, 5 Whys, Fault Tree Analysis and other documents, per customer.
• Additional responsibility may, as necessary, entail New Product Launch activity which would require FMEA Moderator training.

Experience

• 3+ years' experience

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Certifications

N/A

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• High attention to Detail and Accuracy
• Analytical thinking and working knowledge of problem solving techniques (i.e. paretos, cause and effect, histograms).
• Technical thinking and core tool knowledge as well as knowledge of plating, plastic molding, metal stamping and/or welding is a plus.
• Written and verbal communication with customers (internal & external)
• Quality engineering / Manufacturing engineering experience in automated high volume production environment within automotive industry.
• Familiarity with implementation / use of various charts, corrective action programs, simple DOE, and other SPC tools.
• Limited knowledge of soldering, electronic components and PCB assembly is a plus.
• Expertise with ISO 14001 / IATF 16949
• Strong PC skills (Microsoft Office, Word and Excel and Access).

Scope of Supervision

N/A

Travel Required

up to 15%

Physical Demand (Special Considerations)

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is consistently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk, kneel/squat and bend. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to fifty (50) pounds.

Keywords: Automotive, APQP, Electronics, Stamping, Customer Quality Engineer, customer specific, PPM, KPI, Advanced Quality Planning, FMEA, 8D, 5P, 5 Whys, Fault Tree Analysis, 6-panel, ERP, QAD, Warranty

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. This position description has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of essential job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the skills, aptitudes, competencies and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities.

NOTE: This position Is Not open to external sourcing (Recruiting agencies)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff... encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Work Shift Schedule First Shift (United States of America) No Soliciting Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.

Nidec has worked its way up to become the world's No.1 manufacturer of small precision motors. In the process, Nidec has gradually expanded its product lineup to include a variety of small to large motors, application products for machinery, and electronic and optical components. At present, its products are used in a wide range of fields and devices including information and telecommunications equipment, office equipment, home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and environmental energy. "For Everything that Spins and Moves", the Group is creating next-generation drive technologies to meet the needs of the society.