Quality Engineer: Lead Process Excellence & Quality Systems

HSM; Hickory (NC); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off + holidays

On-site medical clinics

Teladoc access

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts with partners

Job summary

HSM in Hickory, NC is seeking a Quality Engineer to improve product and process quality through data analysis and practical problem solving. You will support IATF 16949, ISO 9001 alignment, and launch readiness activities.

You will lead quality programs, cooperate with operations and engineering, and drive continual improvement across supplier and manufacturing processes. This role requires travel up to 30% and a strong compliance mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of Quality Engineering experience in automotive/high-volume manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, and Control Plans.
• Familiarity with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and VDA 6.3 requirements.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, GD&T, and inspection criteria.
• Experience with dimensional inspection tools and capability studies (Cpk/Ppk).
• Experience with 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa problem solving.
• Strong collaboration across operations, engineering, quality and supply chain.

Responsibilities

• Support and improve quality systems aligned with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, VDA 6.3.
• Create and maintain PFMEAs, Control Plans, work instructions, and LAP audits.
• Analyze scrap, first-pass yield, PPM, and other metrics to find improvements.
• Support MRB, resolve nonconforming material, and PPAP reviews.
• Track supplier performance and coordinate corrective actions.
• Support APQP activities like feasibility reviews, process validation, and launch readiness.
• Prepare PPAPs, first article inspections, and capability studies.
• Use SPC tools to identify trends and risks in product/process data.
• Lead root cause investigations (8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa) and audits.
• Participate in Gemba walks, meetings, and cross-functional improvement projects.
• Assist with receiving inspection, document control, QMS training, and cost-of-poor-quality.
• Serve as a technical resource for quality technicians and production teams.

Skills

APQP/PPAP

PFMEA

MSA/SPC

IATF16949 knowledge

GD&T reading

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Minitab

ERP/MRP systems

SPC software

Job description

HSM in Hickory, NC is seeking a Quality Engineer to improve product and process quality through data analysis and practical problem solving. You will support IATF 16949, ISO 9001 alignment, and launch readiness activities.

You will lead quality programs, cooperate with operations and engineering, and drive continual improvement across supplier and manufacturing processes. This role requires travel up to 30% and a strong compliance mindset.