Supplier Quality Engineer

About the Role

Pinnacle Partners is recruiting for a Supplier Quality Engineer in Indianapolis, IN. This is a hands-on quality engineering position supporting supplier quality, manufacturing operations, and continuous improvement at a growing manufacturer of tarp systems and trailer accessories.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, investigate, and resolve supplier quality problems as they arise.
• Develop and implement supplier quality assurance plans and requirements for new and existing suppliers.
• Investigate nonconforming products, defective materials, and supplier-related quality issues.
• Lead supplier qualification, onboarding, and performance evaluation activities.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions to address supplier quality issues.
• Manage supplier deviations, material substitutions, and corrective action plans.
• Work directly with suppliers to improve product quality, manufacturing processes, and corrective action effectiveness.
• Coordinate the removal, replacement, or credit of rejected materials and defective inventory.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics, including parts per million (PPM), on-time delivery, and defect rates.
• Maintain regular communication with key suppliers, including international suppliers in India and China.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) and first article inspection (FAI) activities.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Purchasing, Quality Inspectors, Operators, and Production to identify and resolve material and process issues.
• Facilitate containment and disposition of nonconforming materials.
• Support material review board (MRB) activities and decisions regarding defective or nonconforming products.
• Maintain supplier scorecards, quality agreements, inspection plans, audit reports, and other quality documentation.
• Analyze quality data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support quality inspectors and production personnel with troubleshooting and resolution of material and manufacturing quality problems.
• Work directly on the manufacturing floor to investigate defects, understand production processes, and implement corrective actions.
• Communicate with suppliers and internal teams to coordinate quality investigations, corrective actions, and material disposition.
• Develop and improve quality procedures, documentation, and standardized processes.
• Help establish a more structured supplier quality management system and formalize quality processes as the business grows.
• Identify opportunities to improve supplier performance, product reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and quality-related costs.
• Take ownership of quality problems from initial identification through investigation, resolution, and follow-up.
• Balance hands-on manufacturing support with supplier communication, documentation, and continuous improvement activities.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, supplier development, or a related quality role.
• Engineering degree preferred in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical field. Other STEM backgrounds will be considered.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing quality principles and supplier quality management.
• Knowledge of quality tools and methodologies, including 8D, FMEA, PPAP, APQP, SPC, and MSA.
• Experience investigating nonconforming products, conducting root cause analysis, and implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Experience developing and managing corrective action plans and following issues through resolution.
• Experience working directly with suppliers to investigate quality issues and improve manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or other relevant quality standards and principles.
• Ability to create and maintain basic quality documentation, including inspection sheets, material specifications, checklists, and corrective action records.
• Exposure to MRP or ERP systems.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Resourceful, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking initiative without constant direction.
• Ability to prioritize multiple quality problems and determine the appropriate next steps in an evolving environment.
• Ability to take ownership of issues and follow through on commitments without micromanagement.
• Comfortable working directly with production personnel, quality inspectors, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to move between hands-on manufacturing floor activities and desk-based documentation and supplier communication.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple supplier and manufacturing quality issues simultaneously.
• Willingness to learn existing processes, identify gaps, and develop practical solutions.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment where quality procedures and workflows are still being developed.

Preferred:

• Experience in automotive manufacturing, aerospace, or another regulated manufacturing environment.
• Background in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Practical manufacturing quality experience with an understanding of shop-floor operations and production processes.
• Experience with castings, aluminum components, forgings, machining, fabrication, or assembly.
• Experience with plastic components or other manufactured materials.
• Familiarity with ISO-related quality practices, nonconforming product management, corrective action, supplier quality, and process discipline.
• Experience conducting supplier audits and evaluating supplier manufacturing processes.
• ASQ or CQI certification.
• Experience developing quality procedures, documentation, and processes from the ground up.
• Demonstrated ability to improve supplier performance and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Experience working in a smaller or growing manufacturing organization where employees have broad responsibilities and significant autonomy.
• A practical, hands-on approach to quality engineering, with an emphasis on resolving real manufacturing problems rather than relying solely on advanced inspection technology or theoretical quality methods.
• Interest in helping establish and improve quality systems as the business continues to grow.

Benefits Overview:

• $75,000–$90,000 annual base salary, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Monday–Friday schedule, typically 7:00 AM–3:30 PM.
• Ability to carry over one week of unused PTO, with additional unused time potentially paid out.
• 10 paid holidays.
• Approximately 100 hours per year of work-from-home flexibility.
• Medical and other employee benefits.