Incoming Quality Engineer (LEAD)

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, 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.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Overview : 

• 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. 
• 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. 
• 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. 

Key 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. 

Profile:  

• Experienced quality professional with strong knowledge of incoming inspection and supplier quality processes. 
• Hands-on leader capable of managing teams while remaining involved in daily operations. 
• Strong ownership mentality with a proactive approach to problem solving. 
• Comfortable operating within a fast-paced startup or launch environment. 
• Excellent communicator able to work effectively with suppliers, manufacturing teams, and engineering groups. 
• Strong analytical mindset with proven root cause investigation capabilities. 
• Focused on continuous improvement, quality excellence, and operational performance. 
• Highly organized and capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously. 

Must Have:  

• 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. 

Good to Have: 

• 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. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.