Assistant Manager, Press Quality

Quality Engineering Group Lead

The Quality Engineering Group Lead is responsible for leading the day-to-day activities of the quality engineering team within the stamping division to ensure product conformity, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement of manufacturing quality systems. This role provides technical and people leadership for quality engineers supporting metal stamping processes, new model launches, customer issue resolution, internal defect reduction, and compliance with customer-specific requirements and applicable quality standards such as IATF 16949. The ideal candidate combines strong quality engineering fundamentals with hands-on manufacturing experience in a high-volume stamping environment. This position plays a critical role in reducing customer outflow, improving dimensional and appearance quality, driving root cause corrective actions, and strengthening process discipline across production, maintenance, tooling, and launch activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the quality engineering team supporting stamping operations.
• Assign, prioritize, and monitor quality engineering work to support production, customer requirements, and plant objectives.
• Drive reduction of internal and external quality defects through structured problem-solving and corrective action.
• Serve as escalation point for quality concerns related to stamped components, dimensional variation, appearance issues, and process control gaps.
• Support containment, root cause analysis, and permanent corrective actions for customer complaints, internal nonconformances, and supplier-related issues.
• Ensure effective use of core quality tools including PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, PPAP, APQP, layered process audits, and 8D problem solving.
• Partner with production, tooling, maintenance, manufacturing engineering, and launch teams to improve process capability and error-proofing.
• Lead quality readiness activities for new product launches, engineering changes, and process transfers within the stamping division.
• Review and approve quality documentation, inspection standards, work instructions, reaction plans, and control methods for stamping processes.
• Drive improvement in dimensional verification methods, in-process checks, first-piece approval, last-piece verification, and final audit effectiveness.
• Analyze quality data and trends related to scrap, rework, customer returns, warranty concerns, outflow incidents, and internal escapes.
• Coordinate customer visits, quality reviews, and response activities as needed.
• Support development and execution of plant quality objectives, KPIs, and improvement plans.
• Ensure compliance with IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, and plant quality management system expectations.
• Coach team members and cross-functional personnel in quality methods, problem solving, and process discipline.
• Participate in internal audits, corrective action follow-up, and management review preparation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with launch quality, safe launch, and first-time quality initiatives.
• Background in vision systems, automated inspection, poka-yoke, or dimensional gauging improvement.
• Experience using Power BI, Minitab, or similar analytical tools.
• Knowledge of supplier quality and incoming material issue resolution.

Core Competencies

• Leadership and team development
• Root cause analysis and corrective action
• Customer focus
• Process discipline
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Technical problem solving
• Communication and escalation management
• Data-driven decision making
• Urgency and accountability

Physical / Work Environment Requirements

• Regular presence on the manufacturing floor in a stamping plant environment.
• Ability to stand, walk, and observe production processes for extended periods.
• Ability to wear required PPE and work safely in an industrial environment.
• Occasional off-shift support and limited travel may be required.

Performance Expectations

• Reduction in customer quality incidents and defect outflow
• Improvement in internal PPM, scrap, and rework performance
• Timely closure and effectiveness of corrective actions
• Quality readiness and successful launch of new products
• Improvement in process control, audit performance, and documentation quality
• Development and engagement of the quality engineering team

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or related technical field preferred. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of quality engineering experience in automotive or high-volume manufacturing.
• 2+ years of leadership or team lead experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of automotive quality systems and core tools.
• Experience leading customer concern response, containment, and corrective action activities.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, blueprint interpretation, dimensional inspection methods, and statistical analysis.
• Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, APQP, PPAP, 8D, and layered audits.
• Familiarity with IATF 16949 and customer-specific requirements, preferably Toyota or other OEM-driven standards.
• Strong communication, leadership, and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with quality systems, ERP/MES platforms, and data analysis tools preferred.