Sr Quality Systems Specialist

JTEKT North America•PIEDMONT, SC

About The Position

The Sr Quality Systems Specialist owns the site’s internal audit program and quality system documentation infrastructure to support sustained IATF 16949 certification, customer-specific requirement compliance, and audit readiness. The role leads internal audits, document control, management of change, and quality management review support, and serves as a key quality-systems resource. The position has no supervisory responsibilities. The specialist works with Quality, Engineering, Production, Maintenance, and Production Control to ensure quality-system requirements are reflected in day-to-day manufacturing practices. The role also serves as a key point of contact for external registrars and customer auditors during certification and surveillance activity. Other duties may be assigned by management.

Requirements

Direct experience in an IATF 16949-certified manufacturing plant, including direct internal audit experience.
IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 internal auditor certification.
Demonstrated experience planning and executing an internal audit program.
Prior experience with document control systems, CAPA tracking, and controlled quality records.
Prior experience leading cross-functional process or documentation changes in a manufacturing environment.
Strong knowledge of IATF 16949 requirements, including clauses relevant to auditing, documentation, change control, and management review.
Strong organizational skills; self-directed, with a focus on achieving targets and goals according to a plan.
Proficiency with MS Office applications and QMS or document-management platforms.
Excellent oral and written communication skills at all levels.
Ability to work flexible hours and overtime, and to travel as required.
Ability to work the assigned shift and overtime as needed.
Ability to stand, bend, push, pull, reach above and below the shoulders, move repetitively from left to right, grasp, and perform fine finger-dexterity tasks throughout the shift.
May be required to lift up to 40 lbs during the shift.
Required vision abilities include close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Must use personal protective equipment in manufacturing areas, including steel-toed shoes and safety glasses with side shields.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience in a manufacturing environment.
Lead auditor training.
Familiarity with AIAG core tools, including APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plan, MSA, SPC, and 8D problem solving.
Experience with customer-specific requirements (CSRs) and external registrar- or customer-led audits.

Responsibilities

Own and lead the internal audit program, including maintaining the annual audit schedule, selecting and training internal auditors, conducting audits, and ensuring coverage across process areas and shifts meets IATF 16949 requirements.
Coordinate audit readiness for IATF 16949 certification, surveillance, and customer audits, including preparation, on-site support, nonconformance response coordination, and corrective-action closure verification.
Drive root cause analysis and effectiveness verification for internal and external audit findings, escalating systemic or recurring issues to plant leadership with supporting data.
Own controlled quality-system documentation, including procedures, work instructions, forms, records, revision history, approval workflows, access control, and retention.
Ensure current approved document revisions are available at point of use and prevent obsolete documents from unintended use on the floor.
Lead management of change for manufacturing process and inspection-method changes, control plans, PFMEAs, and related plant quality documentation, including risk review, cross-functional sign-off coordination, and implementation verification.
Recommend change disposition and release readiness; final sign-off authority rests with the Plant Manager, Quality Manager, or Engineering Manager.
Track 8D corrective-action status and closure in the CAPA tracking system, and flag overdue or stalled 8Ds with audit or certification exposure to plant leadership.
Prepare Quality Management Review materials per IATF 16949 by collecting audit results, CAPA/8D status, system performance trends, and recurring nonconformance data; prepare summary materials and distribute meeting minutes with assigned action items.
Maintain QMS databases and tracking tools for audits, CAPA, document control, and related compliance records; proactively flag data-integrity gaps and overdue items.
Act as a key point of contact for external registrars and customer auditors during certification and surveillance activity.
Partner with Quality, Engineering, Production, Maintenance, and Production Control to translate quality-system requirements into day-to-day shop-floor practice.
Perform other duties as assigned by management.