Product Quality Engineer - McCalla, AL
US Gestamp Alabama - McCalla P, US, US Gestamp
Position Summary:
The Quality Engineer is responsible for ensuring product, process, and system compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements throughout the product lifecycle. This role serves as the primary Quality Owner for assigned products and programs, providing leadership in quality planning, process validation, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Key responsibilities include ensuring compliance with customer-specific requirements, overseeing welding process validation, validating specialty material applications such as sealers and adhesives, and monitoring dimensional conformity through capability studies and measurement system evaluations. The Quality Engineer develops, submits, and maintains PPAP documentation while sustaining core quality documents including PFMEAs, Control Plans, Process Flow Charts, and related standards.
Essential Functions:
· Review, deploy, and maintain all customer-specific requirements immediately upon release or revision and ensure process compliance at all times.
· Maintain complete oversight of quality performance, risks, customer requirements, and corrective actions throughout the product lifecycle.
· Verify welding parameters, qualifications, validations, and process controls according to approved standards, customer requirements, and production frequency requirements.
· Ensure application requirements are validated during launch, after process changes, and through periodic audits according to control plans and customer requirements.
· Establish dimensional follow-up plans, review measurement results routinely, and initiate corrective actions whenever trends or nonconformities are detected.
· Conduct capability analyses according to launch requirements, engineering changes, customer requests, or annual validation schedules.
· Ensure PPAP packages are completed, reviewed, approved, and submitted before customer deadlines and prior to production release.
· Review and update all quality documentation whenever process changes occur and perform formal reviews annually at minimum.
· Conduct regular process verification activities and immediately address any deviation between documented requirements and actual practice.
· Provide accurate and professional responses within customer-established response times and maintain communication until closure.
· Implement immediate containment, identify root causes, define corrective actions, and submit responses within customer-required timing.
· Trigger containment actions within 24 hours of issue identification and communicate status updates according to escalation procedures with Group Leaders support.
· Verify corrective action effectiveness within defined validation periods using objective evidence and performance metrics.
· Monitor all open customer concerns weekly and ensure timely closure according to customer and internal requirements.
· Perform product audits according to established schedules and ensure findings are documented, communicated, and closed within target timing.
· Conduct layered, process, and system audits according to the annual audit plan and follow up until all findings are effectively closed.
Essential Functions Continued:
· Prepare documentation, evidence, and action plans for customer, IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and corporate audits.
· Develop corrective action plans within established deadlines and verify effectiveness prior to formal closure.
· Review KPIs weekly and monthly, identify adverse trends, and implement improvement plans when targets are not achieved.
· Ensure segregation, identification, disposition, and corrective actions are completed immediately upon detection of nonconforming material.
· Complete all quality deliverables before implementation and validate process readiness prior to approval.
· Ensure welding, sealing, dimensional, inspection, and special process validations remain current and compliant with customer standards.
· Lead projects focused on reducing defects, customer complaints, scrap, rework, and quality costs throughout the year.
· Participate in regular production reviews and communicate quality risks, concerns, and required actions to management.
· Deliver training whenever new requirements, process changes, or recurring quality issues are identified.
· Maintain documentation and process compliance continuously to ensure readiness for customer visits and audits at any time.
· Coordinate with Supplier Quality and suppliers to address incoming material issues that impact customer quality performance.
· Conduct monthly verification of critical quality controls, error-proofing devices, inspection methods, and special characteristics.
· Maintain compliance through regular assessment, auditing, and continuous improvement activities.
Minimum Qualifications:
· BS: Engineering, Industrial Technology, or other technical discipline plus 2 years quality experience in a stamping/robotic assembly environment.
-or-
AS: Engineering Technology plus 4 years experience in a stamping/robotic assembly environment
-or-
7+ years experience and training in a similar role and environment.
· Strong knowledge of GD&T and SPC
· Knowledge of quality tools/techniques (APQP, PPAP, ISO/TS, Problem Solving)
· Ability to work in a team-based lean manufacturing environment.
· Moderate to advance computer and Microsoft Office skills.
· Data Analysis