Senior Quality Engineer, Advanced Quality

Proterra•Greer, SC

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Proterra offers a dynamic and supportive workplace where our employees can thrive personally and professionally. With cutting-edge facilities and groundbreaking projects, Proterra offers unique opportunities to grow, collaborate, and lead transformative change in the electrification of heavy-duty transportation and equipment. Our commitment to innovation extends beyond our battery solutions to our people, where we create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to drive change for the earth. Here at Proterra we strive to foster a culture of inclusivity, valuing diverse perspectives and encouraging bold ideas, allowing our employees to bring their full selves to work. Our employees benefit from competitive total rewards packages, and opportunities to develop professionally. Position Overview: This role combines advanced product quality and quality management system ownership. You will lead Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) from concept through launch — control plans, MSA, capability studies, and PPAP submission and customer approval — and facilitate the FMEA process, with Design Engineering owning the DFMEA and Manufacturing Engineering owning the PFMEA. In parallel, you will develop, maintain, and improve the Quality Management System (QMS) — documentation control, process standardization, internal audits and audit readiness, and system performance metrics — to ensure full compliance with ISO 9001 and customer-specific requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related); Master’s preferred
5+ years of advanced product quality, new product introduction, or quality management system experience in the automotive or heavy-vehicle industry (Tier 1 or OEM preferred)
Demonstrated ownership of APQP and PPAP submissions through customer approval
Hands-on expertise facilitating DFMEA/PFMEA and building Control Plans, MSA/Gage R&R, SPC, and process capability studies
Experience maintaining a QMS and leading internal audits, corrective action, and document control
Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 and customer-specific requirements; IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, or ISO 14001 experience a plus
Structured problem solving depth (8D, 5-Why); Certified Lead Auditor (ISO/IATF) strongly preferred, Six Sigma Green Belt or higher a plus
Battery, high-voltage, or electrified powertrain product experience preferred
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, QMS/PLM tools, and statistical analysis software (Minitab, Power BI, Tableau)
Change leader who can influence culture and gain buy-in across the organization
Strong communicator able to engage stakeholders at all levels
Proactive problem-solver with a growth mindset and hands-on approach
Highly organized and detail-oriented under pressure
Passionate about contributing to a zero-emissions future

Nice To Haves

IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, or ISO 14001 experience
Certified Lead Auditor (ISO/IATF) strongly preferred
Six Sigma Green Belt or higher a plus

Responsibilities

Lead APQP deliverables across all PDP phases from program kickoff through PPAP approval and safe launch, including control plans, MSA/Gage R&R, and process capability studies
Serve as the FMEA subject-matter expert — support Design and Manufacturing Engineering in DFMEA and PFMEA development, advise on methodology and risk ranking, and promote consistent FMEA practice across locations
Compile and submit PPAP packages for customer approval, including the A-10 Control Plan Checklist and APP-E Product Quality Planning form; Develop and release Prototype, Pre-Launch, Production, and Safe Launch Control Plans aligned to each development phase gate
Lead development, implementation, and closure of the Pre-Production and Production Safe Launch Plans
Participate in design reviews, special-characteristics reviews, and engineering-change assessments; identify risks and drive mitigation actions across PMO phases
Lead the customer-specific requirements self-assessment and assure compliance
Developing and maintaining Quality Planning documentation such as Quality Technician work instructions, Quality Acceptance Criteria, and quality inspection lists for product characteristics
Drive Development Issue closure and support overall launch readiness
Develop, maintain, and improve the QMS to ensure compliance with ISO 9001 and customer-specific requirements
Lead internal audits and support external and customer audits, including schedule visibility and collection of outputs in the system of record
Drive containment, correction, and risk assessment of audit findings, and report QMS performance and audit trends to top management
Own document control — hierarchy, revision impact, and storage standards — and expand the QMS to supporting functions
Facilitate process mapping with cross-functional teams to standardize processes and remove non-value-add steps
Lead structured problem solving (8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa) on launch and early-production issues
Support root cause and verified corrective action for internal and external
Analyze scrap, rework, warranty, first-pass-yield, and audit data to target improvement projects
Apply SPC and error-proofing (poka-yoke) to control key characteristics and eliminate defect opportunities
Serve as the quality voice on program teams alongside design, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations
Coach engineers and technicians on the core tools and coordinate training resources for QMS-related programs
Develop and deploy metrics that make QMS effectiveness, launch quality, and program risk visible
Champion a culture of quality, safety, and excellence in all aspects of work
Perform other duties as assigned by the manager