Lead Advanced Quality Engineer

Challenge Manufacturing; Walker (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Challenge Manufacturing in Walker, MI, seeks a Lead Advanced Quality Engineer to guide APQP/PPAP activities during launches and ensure all customer requirements are met. You will lead cross‑functional teams, manage documentation, and mentor others.

The role requires expertise in GD&T, AIAG, and PPAP, with strong communication and problem-solving skills. Located at our corporate office in Walker, MI, the position emphasizes ownership and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
• 5 Years in related experience and/or training.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 to 15 years related experience and/or training preferred.

Responsibilities

• Handle all quality-related launch activities and act as the voice for internal and external customers; prepare all APQP and PPAP documentation for product in launch.
• Attend all assigned program team meetings and support other Advanced Quality Engineers as needed.
• Acquire detailed product knowledge quickly.
• Work with Project Engineers to ensure FMEAs are completed in time to impact tooling designs.
• Assist Supplier Quality Engineers with supplier PPAP review and supplier selection.
• Develop Control Plans.
• Support evaluation and approval of dimensional tolerancing and specifications; lead fixture and gage evaluations as needed.
• Participate in fixture and gage reviews and buy-off meetings.
• Attend die and weld tool runoffs to approve part quality and highlight risk; support other engineers.
• Support the Safe Launch process in early stages of launch through handover to plant quality personnel.
• Support communication between external and internal suppliers and customers.
• Own the document storage process for launch documentation.
• Assist teams with understanding PV test requirements and specifications.
• Willingness to engage and negotiate with customers on interpretation or feasibility of requirements.
• Lead training of team members.

Skills

Leadership

APQP

PPAP

GD&T

Communication skills

Problem solving

Customer requirements

Training others

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Plexus

Job description

Who We Are:

Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

#QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want

The Lead Advanced Quality Engineer accepts a leadership role within the Advanced Quality/ Launch group. Assists Advanced Quality Engineers in decision making, problem solving and helping to provide direction while managing their own programs in launch. Works with Program Managers/ Launch team to ensure all APQP documentation, customer specific requirements, and Challenge plant needs are met for a successful start of production.

What You’ll Do

• Handles all quality related launch activities and acts as the voice for internal and external customers. Prepares all APQP and PPAP documentation for product in launch. Works with Quality and Engineering departments on new programs to verify all customer requirements are met. Communicates with suppliers to ensure products and services are meeting Challenge and customer requirements.
• Attend all assigned program team meetings. Help other Advanced Quality Engineers and support their program team meetings when assistance is required.
• Have, or be willing to obtain detailed product knowledge in a quick manner.
• Work with Project Engineers to ensure FMEAs are completed in time to impact tooling designs.
• Assist the Supplier Quality Engineers with supplier PPAP review and be able to assist in supplier selection.
• Development of Control Plans.
• Support team and provide guidance with evaluation and approval of dimensional tolerancing and specifications.
• Support, and when necessary, lead the evaluation and approval of fixture and gage requirements.
• Participate and or lead fixture and gage reviews and buy-off meetings.
• Attend all assigned die and weld tool runoffs, internally and externally, to approve part quality and highlight potential risk. Support other Advanced Quality Engineers when requested.
• Support the Safe Launch process in the early stages of launch through the hand over to plant quality personnel.
• Support the communication between external and internal suppliers and customers.
• Own the document storage process to ensure all documents created during the launch phase are complete and accessible.
• Assist program teams and Advanced Quality Engineers with understanding customer PV test requirements and specifications.
• Have a willingness and strength to engage and negotiate with the customer when requirements are open to interpretation or not feasible.
• Able and willing to lead training of team members.

When And Where

This will be a M-F position located at our Corporate Office in Walker, MI.

What You Need To Have

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
• 5 Years in related experience and or training.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 to 15 years related experience and or training preferred
• Has high standards of performance for self.
• Takes responsibility for actions, results, and mistakes.
• Is thorough, accurate, and reliable when performing and completing job tasks; demonstrates honesty and integrity in all aspects of work.
• Takes positive action to objectively resolve conflict by listening, staying focused on issue to find resolution, and monitoring progress.
• Maintains positive relationships by constructively resolving conflicts.
• Uses feedback from others to continuously improve performance and work relationships.
• Moves within own and other work areas (flexes) to support plant flow.
• Works with sense of urgency to meet needs of customers.
• Has necessary experience, skills, and knowledge to perform all aspects of job; rotates through all job responsibilities and all customers.
• Maintains knowledge and skills to perform job effectively.
• Has ability to focus on benefits of change and see it as positive; approaches change or newness in a constructive and objective manner; views change as learning opportunity.
• Looks for good in others; works collaboratively with others; shares information and knowledge.
• Is at work when scheduled and ensures coverage when absent, takes timely break, and uses time wisely.
• Advance Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing knowledge.
• Understanding of the Specific Customer Requirements.
• Strong knowledge of AIAG.
• Expertise in APQP.
• Expertise in PPAP requirements.
• Ability to analyze and understand dimensional data in varying formats.
• Confidence to suggest tooling moves or explain non-conforming data to other engineering teams.
• Knowledge of and experience using problem solving and core tools.
• Strong communication skills.
• Plexus experience.
• Microsoft Office.