Plant Quality Lead | Automotive & Continuous Improvement

Key People; Warren (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Key People in Warren, MI seeks a Plant Quality Lead to oversee all quality activities and mentor the Quality Engineering team on site. You will ensure compliance with customer requirements, IATF 16949 standards, and internal goals while driving continuous improvement across Operations and Engineering.

You will lead root-cause analysis, manage audits, and champion corrective actions to reduce defects and elevate plant performance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 5+ years of quality experience in an automotive manufacturing or supplier environment.
• Minimum 2–3 years of supervisory or direct people-management experience.
• Experience leading and developing Quality Engineers.
• Strong knowledge of IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and automotive customer requirements.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, and 8D.
• Experience managing customer quality issues, audits, and corrective actions.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, coach, and develop the plant Quality Engineering team.
• Establish team priorities, assign responsibilities, and hold team members accountable for performance and results.
• Oversee daily quality activities and ensure manufacturing processes meet customer and internal requirements.
• Maintain and improve the plant Quality Management System in accordance with IATF 16949 and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead resolution of customer complaints, corrective actions, and 8D responses.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions to prevent recurring quality issues.
• Oversee APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, and MSA activities.
• Monitor quality metrics, including customer PPM, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality.
• Lead internal, external, and customer audits.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to drive process improvements and reduce defects.
• Communicate quality performance, concerns, and improvement initiatives to plant leadership.
• Promote a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.

Skills

Quality Engineering

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Quality/Manufacturing

Tools

IATF 16949

ISO 9001

APQP

PPAP

FMEA

Control Plans

SPC

MSA

8D Problem Solving

Job description

Key People in Warren, MI seeks a Plant Quality Lead to oversee all quality activities and mentor the Quality Engineering team on site. You will ensure compliance with customer requirements, IATF 16949 standards, and internal goals while driving continuous improvement across Operations and Engineering.

You will lead root-cause analysis, manage audits, and champion corrective actions to reduce defects and elevate plant performance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.