Quality Assurance Specialist - Atlanta, GA

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Join a well-established international company that is currently seeking a Quality Assurance Specialist for their large manufacturing complex located east of the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. This role offers excellent company benefits, including a potential 1-2% bonus.

The Quality Assurance Specialist will focus on ensuring part, product, and process safety, as well as customer satisfaction and warranty. Responsibilities include reviewing and investigating warranty returns, conducting root cause analysis, resolving customer issues, and reporting findings. This role will play a critical part in achieving warranty targets and reducing warranty costs.

As a member of the warranty team, the Quality Assurance Specialist will review warranty claims, establish inspection requirements, and perform inspections, rework, testing, and repacking as needed to meet customer expectations. The role will analyze data, identify trends, and determine necessary corrective actions. The Quality Assurance Specialist will also communicate findings and recommendations to senior management, coordinate improvement activities, and work closely with suppliers to ensure quality standards are met.

PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Analyze warranty returns and performance
• Complete warranty reports
• Develop warranty procedures and manuals as necessary
• Lead the reliability improvement process and produce performance reports against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Report analysis data to customers within agreed timeframes and in customer-specific formats
• Communicate fault and liability information to internal and external suppliers to obtain corrective actions for warranty prevention and cost reduction
• Review suppliers' processes and manufacturing procedures and challenge them if necessary
• Negotiate liability with the customer when appropriate
• Conduct trend analysis of warranty return parts, claims, costs, and exposure to determine necessary corrective and preventative actions
• Ensure lessons learned from warranty analysis are communicated across all product/customer platforms
• Assist with quality awareness training
• Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to prevent non-conformities
• Undertake special projects as required
• Contribute to continuous improvement activities
• Ensure quality control through appropriate reviews
• Support and lead process improvement activities
• Write reports and present progress at project meetings and to clients
• Achieve goals within budget
• Conduct benchmarking studies to determine best practices and future trends
• Lead and/or support groups of technicians and engineers
• Provide guidance to other team members

Other Responsibilities & Skill Requirements:

• Exercise substantial initiative and judgment in work methods and interpreting goals
• Work independently with minimal supervision
• Take initiative to prevent non-conformities
• Notify Quality Engineer/Manager of quality concerns
• Provide training on changes as required
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills
• Participate in cross-functional teams
• Proficient in computer use (Excel, Word, etc.)
• Adhere to industry standards and requirements
• Work flexible hours as required
• Initiate disposition of non-conforming product
• Explain issues and countermeasures in monthly QA meetings
• Maintain logs of defects for warranty ratings
• Knowledge of quality systems
• Knowledge of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)
• Knowledge of TS16949 and ISO9000
• Understanding of ISO14001
• Knowledge of measurement
• Understanding of engineering drawings and manufacturing processes
• Ability to work in a diverse and dynamic environment
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Negotiation skills
• Ability to present data effectively
• Problem-solving skills
• Understanding of Health and Safety practices
• Team working skills
• Analytical skills
• Understanding of cost and financial impacts
• Ability to work on own initiative

QUALIFICATIONS:

The ideal candidate should have a bachelor's degree in a related field and a minimum of five (5) years of experience. Proficiency in statistical applications, process flow charts, PFMEA, CP, and knowledge of measuring equipment are required. Experience in an automotive manufacturing environment, as well as warranty and customer support experience, are needed.

Additional qualifications include:

• Customer-service and detail-oriented mindset
• Prior experience using customer portals for communication and approval submission
• Ability to work independently and support the development of other engineering staff
• Proven problem-solving skills, including experience addressing corrective actions and warranty analysis
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated leadership ability and team collaboration
• Proven technical skills in quality control, such as Capability Studies, APQP, PPAP
• Ability to read blueprints and measure parts
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint; experience with Access is preferred

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

May be required to oversee sorting staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee may be required to sit or stand for long periods of time and may occasionally need to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment for this role includes typical office, lab, and manufacturing conditions.