Sr. Manager, Supplier Quality Assurance

Woodbridge•Troy, MI

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Manager, Supplier Quality Assurance, leads the corporate SQA function for direct production components and materials to ensure robust supplier performance, compliance to quality standards, and flawless launch execution. This role owns the strategy, systems, and leadership of supplier quality across the supply base. This leader also targets supplier development initiatives that elevate supplier capability, reduce systemic risk, and support long-term competitiveness. The role partners closely with Procurement, Engineering, Operations, Materials/Logistics, and Program Management to drive APQP discipline, resolve supplier issues, and build a high‑performing, proactive supplier ecosystem.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related).
7–10+ years of experience in automotive supplier quality and/or supplier development, including leadership of global or regional SQA teams.
Deep knowledge of IATF16949, AIAG Manuals, APQP, PPAP, SPC, CQI and other automotive core tools and regulatory requirements.
Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, preferably those used in the automotive seating industry (molded foams, fabric lamination, injection molding, stamping, welding, chemicals, etc.)
Skilled in statistical analysis, capability studies, DoE.
Risk management and problem‑solving skills.
Strong leadership, communication, and cross‑cultural collaboration.
Advanced Excel Skills.
Technologically savvy.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the supplier quality strategy aligned with IATF 16949 (or non-automotive equivalent standard), customer-specific requirements, and internal operational goals.
Establish and maintain supplier quality policies, manuals and procedures.
Manage supplier performance scorecard (PPM, delivery, on-time PPAP, audit scores, etc.) and establish annual improvement roadmap.
Partner with Procurement team through Commodity strategy development process and its subsequent updates, providing relevant input such as supplier performance metrics, commodity trends, and commodity process expertise.
Conduct risk assessment and process sign off (PSO) for potential new suppliers, making recommendations to qualify the proposed suppliers or not.
Conduct routine audits for existing production suppliers ("Boots on the ground"), based on a structured plan and risk-based cadence.
Responsible for maintaining and publishing the WFC approved supplier list.
Lead targeted Supplier Development initiatives to enhance supplier capability based on risks, commodity trends/benchmark, or new technology requirements.
Oversee supplier APQP deliverables for new programs, ensuring on-time PPAP approvals.
Partner with Engineering and Procurement teams to review design manufacturability of components and materials being quoted for new programs or engineering changes and align supplier capability based on supplier's technical feedback.
Support the Procurement team through RFQ technical reviews.
Validate supplier manufacturing readiness through Run at Rate, process capability studies, PFMEA, control plan robustness, etc.
Approve PPAPs & PSWs. Conduct on-site data verification as required.
Conduct periodic tooling audits on supplier sites to verify tooling conditions, asset IDs usage, storage, and adherence to contractual terms.
Guide suppliers through process requalification, tooling transfers, and major engineering changes.
Recommend VA/VE ideas based on SQA observations gathered from the supplier shop floor. Partner with Procurement teams to promote VA/VE ideas to WFC cross-functional team.
Lead response to supplier quality issues escalated by the plants, supporting rapid containment and protection of WFC operations and customer deliveries.
Review Product Complaint Notices (PCN's) with plants and suppliers.
Oversee structured problem-solving (8D, 5-Why) for supplier issues, and ensure corrective actions address root cause.
Partner with plant quality and materials teams, for controlled shipping schedules and recovery plans in response to supplier quality issues, including cost recovery for WFC operations.
Ensure suppliers meet regulatory and customer-specific requirements (e.g., IMDS, REACH, CQI special processes, conflict minerals, etc.) and deploy tools and procedures to update supplier records accordingly.
Facilitate forums and training sessions between SQA and Plant Quality and Materials teams, to reinforce education and R&R's around supplier quality and delivery issues escalation systems and procedures.
Conduct quarterly reviews with strategic suppliers to drive accountability and quality improvement.
Develop dashboards and KPI reporting tools for leadership visibility on a quarterly basis. Actively engaged in supporting automation and analytic solutions for the SQA Department.
Understand and reinforce supplier adherence to WFC Terms & Conditions to prevent issues from escalating and jeopardizing supply continuity.
Partner with Procurement team to commercially escalate critical quality issues and/or supplier underperformance ratings.
Foster strategic supplier relationships to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
Map SQA processes and identify non-value-added activities that could be eliminated, replaced or automated to increase the department's efficiency.
Build and develop a high‑performance team of SQA engineers, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, data‑driven decision‑making, accountability and proactive risk management.
Establish KPI's, annual objectives, governance routines, and escalation mechanisms to ensure operational discipline across the SQA team.
Prepare the annual SQA department budget, and support with rationales.