Contractor - IATF Lead Auditor

Contractor - IATF Lead Auditor

Date: 17 Jul 2026

Location: Houston, US

Company: LRQA

Our mission is to be the leading digitally enabled assurance provider, helping our clients navigate a changing risk landscape. We will achieve this by being the leading assurance provider in key sectors including cybersecurity, food, and low-carbon energies, aerospace and automotive, making it easier for clients to do business with us through our digital transformation, and ultimately delivering a portfolio of services which make the world a cleaner, more sustainable and safer place. You will use your expertise and authority to help secure the highest technical standards of design, manufacture, construction, maintenance, operation and performance on a range of projects, delivering assessment services in the automotive industry. As an automotive lead auditor, you will have the opportunity to contribute to automotive quality by providing quality assurance for specific automotive standards. For this role we are looking for someone with experience in especially IATF 16949, AIAG core tools, and the automotive OEM customer specific requirements. Further to sharing your expertise, LRQA offers unparalleled development. Both by deepening your knowledge in specific standards or by widening your scope of activities. We invest in our employees' development to make sure that we uphold the highest quality standards possible. Every new day as an automotive lead auditor starts with a different customer, location or standard. If you are looking for a diverse role with a continuous learning curve, the role of automotive lead auditor might just be what you are looking for!

You will:

• Build positive relationships with our customers to ensure long term business growth
• Plan and carry out assessments to meet agreed service delivery expectations
• Take responsibility for personal development, balancing work, safety and life priorities
• Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to make sure our assessment services give customers valued added support and meet all accreditation requirements

IATF 16949:2016 (1st edition) represents an innovative document, given the strong orientation to the customer, with inclusion of a number of consolidated previous customer specific requirements. ISO/TS 16949 (1st edition) was originally created in 1999 by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) with the aim of harmonizing the different assessment and certification systems worldwide in the supply chain for the automotive sector. Other revisions were created (2nd edition in 2002, and 3rd edition in 2009) as necessary for either automotive sector enhancements or ISO 9001 revisions. ISO/TS 16949 (along with supporting technical publications developed by original equipment manufacturers [herein referred to as OEMs] and their respective National Automotive Industry Associations) introduced a common set of techniques and methods for common product and process development for automotive manufacturing worldwide. In preparation for migrating from ISO/TS 16949:2009 (3rd edition) to this Automotive QMS Standard, IATF 16949, feedback was solicited from certification bodies, auditors, suppliers, and OEMs to create IATF 16949:2016 (1st edition), which cancels and replaces ISO/TS 16949:2009 (3rd edition). The IATF maintains strong cooperation with ISO by continuing liaison committee status ensuring continued alignment with ISO 9001. All the requirements of this International Standard are generic and are intended to be applicable to any organization, regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides.

Key Responsibilities:

• Within authorised area of specialism, undertake business assurance assessments in accordance with current procedures and agreed timescales.
• Lead assessment teams effectively, ensuring that the visit is completed within the agreed timescales, and co-ordinating team findings to reach conclusions.
• Produce high quality assessment reports reflecting business assurance principles in compliance with accreditation requirements and internal procedures.
• Ensure that all internal client stakeholders are kept informed of changes and issues, escalating as appropriate.
• Have sufficient broad knowledge of BA & IS products and services to able to discuss additional services with clients and be able to take the opportunity to promote additional or higher value services.
• Pass opportunities and sales leads to appropriate colleagues to progress.
• Pass client feedback and insights to appropriate internal recipients.
• Maintain professional competence by keeping abreast of technical and other developments in own area of expertise, maintaining CPD records, updating BA & IS CV, maintaining professional registrations and producing records of competence as required.
• Actively build strong client and internal relationships.
• Participate fully in Auditor meetings, LRQA seminars, and training opportunities.
• Assume coordinating lead auditor activity for assigned client(s).
• Perform additional and ad hoc tasks promptly as required such as auditor development, product development or projects.

Key Health & Safety Responsibilities:

• Assess the risks and work in a safe manner at all times, robustly implementing health and safety rules, instructions and systems and refuse to undertake work that compromises your safety or health.
• Report in a timely manner all incidents including near miss and safety observations (NMSO), accidents and injuries and raise any health and safety concerns with your line manager.

Diversity and Inclusion at LRQA: We are on a mission to be the place where we all want to work and we are passionate about embracing different perspectives because we understand the value this brings to our business, our clients and each other. We are all about creating a safer and more sustainable future and our inclusive culture is right at the heart of our business. Together our employees make our communities better and we want you to be part of our diverse team! LRQA is a leading global assurance provider. The integrity and expertise we bring to our partnership with clients support their journey to a safer, more secure and more sustainable future.