Customer Quality Specialist - OEM

Yakima Products, Inc•Lake Oswego, OR

About The Position

The Customer Quality Specialist - OEM is responsible for maintaining a consistent quality system and communication across Yakima’s automotive OEM customers. The role serves as the primary quality interface for OEM customer quality teams, internal teams, and global manufacturing partners before and after development, with responsibilities spanning RFQ support, warranty feedback, and manufacturing transitions. The specialist applies expertise in OEM qualification requirements, emphasizing prevention, compliance, and continuity, and works closely with the Senior Manager – OEM to standardize RFQ quality requirements, clarify program validation scope, and maintain long-term compliance for each account.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in quality, such as quality engineering, supplier quality, or manufacturing quality.
Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering or a related field.
Highly effective communication skills, including outstanding writing and presentation abilities.
Strong understanding of RFQ and DVP processes, quality systems, and product testing and validation.
Demonstrated ability to influence internal teams and external partners without formal authority.
Ability to adapt and learn quickly in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Self-motivated, proactive, innovative, forward-thinking, and output-driven approach.
Knowledge of how to work effectively across all management levels while considering stakeholders’ values and motivations.
Excellent organizational skills, analytical ability, and attention to detail.
Ability to interact and communicate cooperatively with internal groups and external customers.
Flexibility, receptiveness to new ideas and input, and openness to new work approaches and processes.
Advanced PC proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Smartsheet.
U.S. citizenship or a valid INS Green Card.
Proficiency with core quality tools and methodologies such as SPC, DFMEA, and RCA.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an OEM, automotive, consumer durables, or similarly regulated environment.
Knowledge and understanding of the automotive accessory industry.
Bilingual fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
Understanding of manufacturing processes, test methods, and basic machine shop practices, such as injection molding, vacuum forming, metal fabrication, die casting, extrusions, and finished-good assembly.
Experience with lean manufacturing and working with local and offshore manufacturers.

Responsibilities

Translate OEM RFQ, specification, and DVP requirements into internal engineering expectations and supplier validation plans, ensuring requirements are understood before commitments are made.
Lead manufacturing teams and third-party suppliers in quoting validation plans and test setup costs, with support from QE customer specifications.
Collaborate with in-project Quality Engineers to help rescope validation plans.
Maintain customer compliance by completing quality system surveys and coordinating current labor-rights records and capacity studies with manufacturing teams.
Manage an OEM-specific register of production-part testing requirements, retest cadence, and customer-specific validation obligations.
Coordinate with Quality, Test, and Engineering to confirm technical standards and compliance evidence.
Facilitate OEM factory audits.
Own and lead follow-up actions for OEM supplier scorecards.
Serve as the central conduit for warranty feedback, field quality issues, and production non-conformities that affect delivery schedules or require corrective actions.
Coordinate, track, and communicate corrective-action status to OEM customers.
Participate as a key member of the OEM Sustaining team, working with internal teams and serving as the primary contact for customer quality representatives.
Lead quality activities for OEM manufacturing transitions and supplier changes.
Identify and assess production risks when quality issues threaten purchase-order fulfillment.
Create and maintain an OEM customer requirements register covering RFQ quality obligations, validation requirements, production testing, audit expectations, scorecard metrics, warranty reporting, documentation requirements, and customer-specific approval gates.