Quality Engineer – APQP Program Lead

Sacoma Specialty Products, LLC•Edinburgh, IN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Engineer – APQP Program Lead is responsible for day-to-day Quality Engineering activities while serving as the primary owner of the company's Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process. This role plans, tracks, and drives active APQP projects to ensure they are completed on time and meet customer requirements. The position serves as the central point of accountability for APQP timelines, cross-functional task completion, quality documentation, and gate-readiness reporting to leadership and customers. The anticipated initial allocation of responsibilities is approximately 50% APQP, 35% Quality Engineering, and 15% Compliance. This allocation may evolve as business and compliance needs change.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
3+ years of Quality Engineering and/or APQP/program management experience.
Working knowledge of IATF 16949 and/or ISO 9001 Quality Management System requirements.
Hands-on experience developing PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Process Flow Diagrams.
Experience managing or coordinating APQP timelines across multiple simultaneous programs.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and cross-functional responsibilities.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate program status to internal leadership and external customers.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with CMM programming, metrology, and dimensional inspection planning.
Experience with PPAP submission processes and customer supplier portals.
Experience administering APQP tracking tools.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the APQP tracking system across active programs and part numbers, ensuring task owners, due dates, and statuses remain current.
Schedule and lead cross-functional APQP kickoff and status meetings with Engineering, Quality, Production, Purchasing, and other applicable functions.
Track program timelines against customer-required PPAP and part due dates, proactively identify at-risk activities, and drive follow-up to maintain program timing.
Coordinate the timing and completion of required quality documentation throughout the APQP process.
Maintain APQP documentation packages, revision history, PPAP requirements, and customer-specific submission requirements.
Lead or support safe-launch activities in accordance with internal and customer requirements.
Serve as the primary Quality liaison for assigned launch programs and communicate program status, risks, and key milestones to internal leadership and customers as required.
Train and support functional owners on APQP tools, task expectations, and documentation standards.
Develop, review, and maintain PFMEAs and Control Plans for new and existing customer parts.
Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective action responses for internal, supplier, and customer quality issues related to launch or production parts.
Support first article inspections, PPAP submissions, and customer approval activities.
Coordinate with metrology/CMM programming and inspection planning to ensure Control Plan characteristics are measurable and capable.
Support supplier quality activities related to new product introduction, including supplier PPAP review when applicable.
Develop and improve processes related to stability, efficiency, quality, and operations.
Ensure appropriate inspection and containment plans are established and maintained.
Provide day-to-day Quality Engineering support to manufacturing operations.
Participate in internal process, product, and quality system audits and support closure of associated corrective actions.
Support compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, customer-specific requirements, and established Quality Management System processes.
Assist with maintaining required quality documentation and records.
Support compliance-related activities and requirements as business needs evolve.