Quality Engineer

Quality Engineer

AP Emissions Technologies provides aftermarket emissions and exhaust solutions for all vehicle classes. With nearly a century of innovation and integrated manufacturing, AP delivers OEM-quality performance, regulatory compliance, and broad product coverage worldwide.

As the Quality Engineer, you'll serve as the site quality leader for AP Emissions Technologies' new 208,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Apex, NC. Reporting to the Plant General Manager, you'll establish and lead the quality management system from equipment commissioning and product launch through stable production across ceramic substrate manufacturing, catalyst coating, and automated assembly.

You'll own site readiness for ISO-based certification requirements, customer-specific quality expectations, product and process controls, audits, corrective action, and continuous improvement. You'll work closely with operations, engineering, supply chain, R&D, customers, and suppliers to build quality into the operation from the ground up.

Quality Management System & Compliance

• Establish and maintain the site quality management system in alignment with corporate requirements, ISO 9001, applicable regulations, and the roadmap toward IATF 16949 readiness or certification.
• Lead certification, surveillance, customer, corporate, and internal audits, including preparation, findings, corrective actions, document control, records, and management-review inputs.
• Translate quality standards and customer-specific requirements into practical procedures, training, controls, metrics, and accountability across the site.

Launch, Product & Process Quality

• Lead quality readiness for equipment, processes, suppliers, and products, including APQP, PFMEA, control plans, MSA, capability studies, validation, PPAP, and safe-launch controls as applicable.
• Partner with R&D, engineering, automation, and operations to define critical-to-quality characteristics, validate process windows, and approve changes across substrate forming, thermal treatment, catalyst coating, and assembly.
• Establish and maintain incoming, in-process, final-inspection, testing, traceability, calibration, sampling, nonconforming-material, and product-release controls.
• Analyze yield, scrap, rework, capability, defects, returns, and warranty data to identify opportunities and lead containment and corrective actions.
• Drive improvements that strengthen quality, cost, delivery, and process stability.

Customer, Supplier & Quality Leadership

• Serve as the primary site quality contact for customer requirements, complaints, scorecards, audits, launch reviews, and escalations.
• Communicate quality risks, containment actions, corrective actions, and recovery plans to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Lead structured root-cause analysis and supplier quality improvement efforts, verifying corrective-action effectiveness and preventing recurrence.
• Develop quality technicians, inspectors, laboratory personnel, and cross-functional teams in defect prevention, inspection, and problem-solving.
• Report quality KPIs, customer metrics, cost of poor quality, capability, and corrective-action effectiveness.
• Champion quality at the source and a culture of continuous improvement across the facility.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Chemical, Materials, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline required.
• 5+ years of progressive quality engineering or quality leadership experience in automotive, chemical, catalyst, environmental, advanced manufacturing, or another highly controlled manufacturing environment.
• Experience implementing or improving an ISO 9001-certified quality system and leading audits.
• Experience with IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, APQP, and PPAP strongly preferred.
• Start-up, equipment commissioning, process validation, or production ramp-up experience preferred.
• Relevant quality, auditor, or Lean Six Sigma certification is a plus.

Technical Knowledge

• Deep working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management systems; practical knowledge of IATF 16949 and automotive customer-specific requirements strongly preferred.
• Strong command of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, SPC, MSA, capability analysis, calibration, audit methods, and structured problem-solving.
• Ability to apply quality principles within automated manufacturing, materials, inspection, and process validation environments.
• Experience using quality analytics, statistical tools, ERP/MES systems, document control, and Microsoft Office.

Leadership & Communication

• Ability to build and implement quality systems in a start-up manufacturing environment.
• Strong data-driven judgment and problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions under changing conditions.
• Credible customer-facing communicator who can lead audits, manage escalations, and balance quality, delivery, and cost.
• Hands-on shop-floor leader with strong organization, influence, and follow-through.
• Ability to work effectively across operations, engineering, supply chain, R&D, customers, and suppliers.

Impact & Contributions

• Build the quality function and management system for a brand-new 208,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
• Have a direct impact on product quality, process stability, customer satisfaction, and the successful launch of the operation.
• Help establish the quality culture, processes, and standards that will support the facility as it scales.

Career Growth

• Work across engineering, operations, R&D, supply chain, customers, and suppliers in a highly visible role.
• Gain hands-on experience supporting the launch and ramp-up of advanced manufacturing processes and technologies.
• Help shape the site's path toward IATF 16949 readiness or certification.

Benefits & Culture

• Join a team building a new operation from the ground up with a strong focus on safety, quality, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Work in an environment where quality has a direct and visible impact on the success of the business.

Following receipt of a conditional offer of employment, candidates will be required to complete additional job-related screening processes as permitted or required by applicable law.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all applicants will be considered for employment without attention to their membership in any protected class. If you require any reasonable accommodation to complete your application or any part of the recruiting process, please email your request to View email address on click.appcast.io, and please be sure to include the title and the location of the position for which you are applying.