Incoming Quality Engineer (LEAD)

About the Role

ALTEN Technology USA is an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more. As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

This role is responsible for leading all incoming quality inspection activities for supplied components and materials entering Client manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will ensure incoming parts meet quality requirements, support production readiness, drive supplier accountability, and lead a team responsible for inspection and containment activities.

Responsibilities

• Incoming Quality Operations Leadership: Lead and manage incoming quality inspection activities for all purchased components and materials; develop, implement, and improve incoming inspection procedures, acceptance criteria, and control plans; ensure consistent execution of incoming quality standards across manufacturing operations; lead, mentor, and support quality technicians and team leaders responsible for incoming inspections; support daily manufacturing operations by quickly addressing incoming material quality concerns.
• Supplier Quality & Containment Management: Serve as the primary incoming quality contact for supplier-related quality concerns; collaborate with suppliers to communicate quality expectations and drive corrective actions; manage containment activities for non-conforming material, including segregation, documentation, rework, return, or scrap decisions; monitor supplier quality performance and support improvement initiatives; partner with Supplier Quality teams to reduce recurring supplier defects.
• Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement: Analyze incoming quality data and identify trends impacting manufacturing performance; lead root cause investigations and corrective/preventive action activities; drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, capability, cost reduction, and risk mitigation; support implementation of quality best practices and robust inspection processes.
• Launch & Production Readiness Support: Support new product introductions and manufacturing launches; validate incoming materials and components to ensure production readiness; support PPAP activities and production release requirements; work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to resolve launch-related quality concerns.
• Audit, Compliance & Documentation: Support incoming quality audits and compliance activities aligned with IATF 16949, AIAG, and internal requirements; maintain inspection records, supplier quality documentation, and control plans; ensure compliance with quality standards, procedures, and regulatory requirements; promote a safe and compliant work environment.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Training: Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, and Supplier Quality teams to resolve quality issues; provide technical guidance and quality support to manufacturing personnel; train and coach quality technicians on inspection methods and quality standards; drive alignment across teams on incoming quality expectations and continuous improvement objectives.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related field, with a minimum of 5+ years of experience in Incoming Quality, Supplier Quality, or Manufacturing Quality within automotive or regulated manufacturing environments.

The ideal candidate has strong experience in supplier and manufacturing quality, incoming inspection processes, problem-solving, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. This individual will play a critical role in supporting production launches, improving supplier quality performance, and building robust incoming quality processes within a fast-paced automotive startup environment.

Required Skills

• 5+ years of experience in Incoming Quality, Supplier Quality, or Manufacturing Quality within automotive or regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience leading quality technicians, inspectors, or quality teams
• Strong knowledge of incoming inspection processes and containment activities
• Experience working directly with suppliers to resolve quality concerns and drive corrective actions
• Knowledge of automotive quality standards and methodologies including IATF 16949, AIAG, APQP, PPAP, MSA, and SPC
• Experience performing root cause analysis and implementing corrective and preventive actions
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations, production launches, and quality issue resolution
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work effectively within a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Permanent US work authorization required

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting electric vehicle programs or high-voltage components
• Six Sigma, ASQ, CQE, or other Quality certifications
• Experience supporting startup, launch, or greenfield manufacturing operations
• Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing environments
• Supplier development or supplier performance improvement experience
• Previous experience within OEM or Tier 1 automotive organizations
• Experience implementing or improving incoming quality processes from the ground up