EP Quality Systems Engineer

About the role

Reporting to the Quality Manager, this role is responsible for ensuring compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements through effective management of quality system processes, corrective actions, document control, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Quality Systems Engineer works closely with Operations, Process Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D, EHS, and other cross-functional teams to promote quality, compliance, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Manage, maintain, and continuously improve the East Providence Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, VDA 6.3, applicable customer-specific requirements, statutory and regulatory requirements, and alignment with the Global Aspen QMS.
• Develop, coordinate, and continuously improve the East Providence audit program, including Quality Management System, manufacturing process, layered process audits, customer, certification and other applicable audits.
• Ensure audit planning, execution, reporting, corrective-action follow-up, and effectiveness verification are conducted in accordance with applicable standards and customer requirements.
• Support investigations of internal, customer, supplier and audit-related nonconformities using structured problem-solving methodologies, ensuring appropriate containment, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, implementation and effectiveness verification.
• Manage the Customer-Specific Requirements process, including identification, applicability reviews, revision monitoring, assignment of ownership, communication, implementation, integration into the Quality Management System, and verification of compliance.
• Monitor Quality Management Systems performance through Key Metrics, Management Review activities, audits, customer feedback, and operational performance data; identify risk and improvement opportunities and drive actions to enhance process effectiveness, product quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Manage document and record control processes, ensuring internal and external quality documents, customer-specific requirements, standards, specifications, records, and regulatory requirements are properly controlled, maintained, communicated, and available to applicable functions.
• Serve as a System Admin for Aspen’s Quality Management System Software and support training, competency development, implementation of quality system requirements and maintenance of associated records.
• Coordinate quality-systems-related change management, risk assessment, opportunity evaluation, and contingency-planning activities to ensure continued compliance, product conformity, operational continuity, and customer satisfaction.
• Support the application of Automotive Core Tools and Quality Methodologies, including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA and other Continuous-improvement tools; promote standardization and continual improvement by incorporating lessons learned and best practices.
• Prepare and communicate quality-system performance, audit results, risk, compliance concerns, resource needs, and improvement initiatives to management and site stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate the Internal Quality Auditor Team and ensure the availability, qualification, competency, independence, and ongoing development of internal auditors.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, or another relevant technical discipline.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience supporting, implementing, maintaining, or auditing Quality Management Systems within Automotive, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Aerospace or manufacturing environments.
• Qualified IATF 16949 Lead Auditor with demonstrated knowledge of the Automotive Process approach, customer-specific requirements, internal auditing, and applicable quality-system standards.
• VDA 6.3 Process Auditor Certification preferred.
• Demonstrated experience implementing, maintaining, or auditing an IATF 16949-certified Quality Management System.
• Working knowledge and practical application of Automotive Core Tools, structured problem-solving methodologies, root-cause analysis, and other quality improvement tools and techniques.
• Experience working with Automotive OEMs and/or Tier 1 or Tier 2 Supplier preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, project-management and communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate across functional teams, organizational levels, and geographical locations.
• Business-level English communication skills required; business-level Spanish communication skills preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, maintain, and improve Quality Management System processes, documentation, and compliance activities while exercising a high degree of discretion with confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required, including occasional short notice travel to support business needs.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Frequently required to stand
• Occasionally required to walk
• Frequently required to sit
• Frequently required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
• Frequently works near moving mechanical parts
• Frequently works around fumes, airborne particles, or toxic chemicals
• Occasionally exposed to extreme heat or cold (non-weather)
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• The Engineer must occasionally lift and/or move more than 10 pounds