Quality Analyst

Caterpillar Inc.•Lafayette, IN

8d•$81,370 - $122,060•Onsite

About The Position

Responsible for managing supplier-related quality incidents that impact incoming material, production operations, inventory, or customer requirements. The Supplier Quality Analyst serves as the primary coordinator for containment, investigation, material disposition, risk assessment, and issue communication to minimize operational disruption and protect Caterpillar customers. This role ensures supplier quality issues are identified, controlled, documented, escalated, and driven toward resolution while maintaining accountability and supporting data-driven decision making.

Requirements

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
Ensures quality data, issue records, and supplier documentation are complete, accurate, and timely.
Reviews information thoroughly to identify discrepancies, errors, and potential quality risks.
Follows established procedures and quality standards to maintain data integrity and compliance.
Verifies facts, evidence, and supporting documentation before making recommendations or decisions.
Recognizes the operational, customer, and business impact of inaccurate information or overlooked details.
Collaborating: Knowledge of collaborative techniques; ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and collaborative manner.
Builds effective partnerships with suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders to resolve quality issues.
Facilitates collaborative discussions to align on containment, disposition, and corrective action plans.
Works effectively across Quality, Engineering, Operations, Materials, Purchasing, and Supplier Development teams.
Promotes shared accountability and drives alignment toward business and customer-focused outcomes.
Leverages diverse perspectives and expertise to make informed decisions and solve complex problems.
Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
Analyzes quality issues using data, facts, and business impact to support decision making.
Assesses risk and determines appropriate containment, escalation, and recovery actions.
Evaluates alternatives and recommends solutions based on quality, operational, and customer impact.
Makes sound decisions within established quality procedures, standards, and authority levels.
Applies critical thinking to identify issues, challenge assumptions, and resolve complex supplier quality concerns.
Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
Communicates supplier quality risks, issues, and status updates clearly and professionally.
Facilitates discussions with suppliers and cross-functional teams to drive timely issue resolution.
Documents investigations, decisions, and action plans accurately and concisely.
Tailors communication based on audience, business impact, and level of escalation.
Actively listens, asks clarifying questions, and ensures alignment on expectations and next steps.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Knowledge of successful approaches and techniques for dealing with change; ability to adapt to a changing environment and be comfortable with change.
Adapts quickly to changing business priorities, production demands, and supplier quality risks.
Effectively manages multiple quality issues and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Adjusts approaches and response strategies based on available data, risk, and business impact.
Remains effective and professional during escalations, uncertainty, and rapidly evolving situations.
Embraces process improvements and new methods to enhance quality performance and operational effectiveness.
Manufacturing Processes: Knowledge of existing product manufacturing methods, technologies and processes; ability to execute, plan, manage and monitor the entire manufacturing process.
Understands manufacturing processes and identifies how supplier quality issues impact production, assembly, and testing.
Interprets manufacturing documentation, engineering drawings, process flows, control plans, and engineering requirements.
Assesses operational risk and production impact resulting from nonconforming material.
Collaborates with Operations, Engineering, and Materials teams to support containment and disposition decisions.
Applies manufacturing process knowledge to investigate defects, identify failure points, and support issue resolution.
Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
Utilizes 5 Why, Fishbone (Ishikawa), and other problem-solving tools to investigate supplier quality issues.
Collects and analyzes data to identify trends, root causes, and recurring defects.
Evaluates containment and corrective actions for effectiveness and sustainability.
Challenges assumptions and validates root causes using facts, evidence, and process knowledge.
Partners with suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
Quality Management System (QMS): Knowledge of Quality Management System's (QMS) functions, features, and capabilities; ability to design, implement, test, and maintain Quality Management Systems to consistently meet customer requirements and regulatory compliances.
Applies CQMS requirements and quality procedures to daily decision making.
Utilizes quality systems to document, track, and manage supplier quality issues.
Ensures compliance with Caterpillar quality standards and procedural requirements.
Holds suppliers accountable for containment, corrective actions, and quality performance.
Makes risk-based decisions regarding nonconforming material, escalation, and disposition activities.

Nice To Haves

Degree or equivalent experience desired

Responsibilities

Manage supplier-related quality incidents from issue identification through containment and operations continuity.
Assess and prioritize supplier quality issues based on business risk, production impact, and customer impact.
Coordinate containment actions to prevent the use or shipment of nonconforming material.
Evaluate and communicate risks associated with supplier quality concerns to cross-functional stakeholders.
Lead investigations into supplier-caused quality issues impacting receiving, manufacturing operations, inventory, or customers.
Facilitate disposition activities for supplier nonconforming material in partnership with Engineering, Operations, Materials, and Purchasing.
Coordinate sorting, inspection, rework, replacement, and recovery activities to minimize operational disruption.
Issue Supplier Corrective Action Requests (CARs), ensuring supplier accountability and timely response.
Maintain accurate quality records and documentation within Caterpillar quality systems.
Participate in Material Review Committee (MRC) and other cross-functional reviews to support disposition and risk mitigation decisions.