Automotive APQP & PPAP Quality Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Join ITS in Tecumseh, MI

Integrated Talent Strategies (ITS) is hiring an Automotive APQP & PPAP Quality Engineer to support a high-volume automotive manufacturing environment in Tecumseh, Michigan. In this role, you’ll be the connective tissue between customers, suppliers, engineering, and production—protecting product quality, elevating customer satisfaction, and driving continuous improvement across the plant.

A Day in the Life

You start your morning reviewing overnight SPC trends and CMM layout reports, pinpointing any non-conformances and planning containment and corrective action. A call with a customer follows, where you translate new program requirements into actionable updates to plant procedures and systems. Before lunch, you’re on the floor validating fixture designs against GD&T, verifying that variable and attribute checks meet expectations. In the afternoon, you fine-tune PPAP documentation—FMEAs, Process Flow Diagrams, and Control Plans—while coordinating capability studies to confirm launch readiness. You close the day by training a cross-functional team on 8D problem-solving, then checking in with suppliers on their latest PPAP resubmissions and improvement plans.

What You’ll Lead

• Contain and resolve internal, external, and supplier quality concerns; implement permanent corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Develop and deliver training on quality systems, 8D problem-solving, and program-specific standards; create supporting materials.
• Address customer rejects and field issues; investigate substandard results and product defects; recommend changes to materials or processes.
• Partner with customers and engineering on advanced quality topics; provide direction on programs and requirements.
• Lead non-conformance investigations; recommend corrective actions; translate customer requirements into plant procedures.
• Analyze SPC data to strengthen process capability and drive improvements in manufacturing.
• Collaborate with customers on new programs to review GD&T, Significant Characteristics (SC), and Key Product Characteristics (KPC) and resolve quality risks.
• Coordinate and prepare PPAP submissions, assembling all required documentation. Author and maintain FMEAs, Process Flow Diagrams, and Control Plans.
• Evaluate fixture designs for proper part location per GD verify performance through variable and attribute checks.
• Execute dimensional checks, capability studies, Gauge R&R studies, and layered audits to support APQP/PPAP and customer concerns.
• Review and interpret CMM layout reports; recommend updates to ensure successful PPAP approval.
• Plan and run process capability studies to validate product/process capability at launch.
• Deliver program-specific training and provide quality guides, control plans, and related materials.
• Assist with design of experiments (DOE) and DVP&R as needed.
• Review and approve supplier PPAPs; request and track resubmissions when required. Monitor supplier performance, develop new sources, and guide improvement plans to closure.
• Supervise the Corporate Testing Laboratory and all related activities.
• Act as launch and customer assembly plant liaison; ensure exceptional customer service at shipping and assembly locations.
• Plan and conduct internal audits across Company Automotive facilities.
• Own warranty returns and high-mileage vehicle reviews, including reporting, analysis, and follow-up.
• Support a safe, clean, and comfortable workplace aligned with the Occupational Health and Safety Act by upholding 5S (simplify, separate, sanitize, standardize and support).
• Perform other reasonable duties as assigned by management.

What You Bring

• 3–5 years of quality experience in automotive or manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of Automotive Quality Systems, APQP, PPAP, and customer-specific requirements.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, Significant Characteristics (SC), and inspection/testing methods.
• Familiarity with the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) body of knowledge is preferred.

Skills That Set You Apart

• Excellent written and verbal communication; confident customer and supplier interaction.
• Proven 8D problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and blueprints.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access.
• A talent for building and delivering impactful technical training.
• Strong organization and multi-tasking; collaborative and continuous improvement mindset.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Metallurgical Engineering.

About Integrated Talent Strategies (ITS)

Founded in 1984, ITS is an international recruiting and staffing firm specializing in Engineering, Technical, Administrative, Skilled Labor, Professional, and more. We partner with many of the largest and most respected architectural, engineering, and manufacturing organizations. Our breadth of services and ability to adapt to evolving client needs have earned us a strong reputation over several decades.