Supplier Quality Engineer

About the Role

Pinnacle Partners is recruiting for a Supplier Quality Engineer in Indianapolis, IN. This is a hands-on quality engineering position supporting supplier quality, manufacturing operations, and continuous improvement at a growing manufacturer of tarp systems and trailer accessories.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, investigate, and resolve supplier quality problems as they arise.


• Develop and implement supplier quality assurance plans and requirements for new and existing suppliers.


• Investigate nonconforming products, defective materials, and supplier-related quality issues.


• Lead supplier qualification, onboarding, and performance evaluation activities.


• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions to address supplier quality issues.


• Manage supplier deviations, material substitutions, and corrective action plans.


• Work directly with suppliers to improve product quality, manufacturing processes, and corrective action effectiveness.


• Coordinate the removal, replacement, or credit of rejected materials and defective inventory.


• Monitor supplier performance metrics, including parts per million (PPM), on-time delivery, and defect rates.


• Maintain regular communication with key suppliers, including international suppliers in India and China.


• Support new product introduction (NPI) and first article inspection (FAI) activities.


• Collaborate with Engineering, Purchasing, Quality Inspectors, Operators, and Production to identify and resolve material and process issues.


• Facilitate containment and disposition of nonconforming materials.


• Support material review board (MRB) activities and decisions regarding defective or nonconforming products.


• Maintain supplier scorecards, quality agreements, inspection plans, audit reports, and other quality documentation.


• Analyze quality data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for improvement.


• Support quality inspectors and production personnel with troubleshooting and resolution of material and manufacturing quality problems.


• Work directly on the manufacturing floor to investigate defects, understand production processes, and implement corrective actions.


• Communicate with suppliers and internal teams to coordinate quality investigations, corrective actions, and material disposition.


• Develop and improve quality procedures, documentation, and standardized processes.


• Help establish a more structured supplier quality management system and formalize quality processes as the business grows.


• Identify opportunities to improve supplier performance, product reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and quality-related costs.


• Take ownership of quality problems from initial identification through investigation, resolution, and follow-up.


• Balance hands-on manufacturing support with supplier communication, documentation, and continuous improvement activities.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, supplier development, or a related quality role.


• Engineering degree preferred in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical field. Other STEM backgrounds will be considered.


• Strong understanding of manufacturing quality principles and supplier quality management.


• Knowledge of quality tools and methodologies, including 8D, FMEA, PPAP, APQP, SPC, and MSA.


• Experience investigating nonconforming products, conducting root cause analysis, and implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).


• Experience developing and managing corrective action plans and following issues through resolution.


• Experience working directly with suppliers to investigate quality issues and improve manufacturing processes.


• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or other relevant quality standards and principles.


• Ability to create and maintain basic quality documentation, including inspection sheets, material specifications, checklists, and corrective action records.


• Exposure to MRP or ERP systems.


• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.


• Resourceful, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking initiative without constant direction.


• Ability to prioritize multiple quality problems and determine the appropriate next steps in an evolving environment.


• Ability to take ownership of issues and follow through on commitments without micromanagement.


• Comfortable working directly with production personnel, quality inspectors, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.


• Ability to move between hands-on manufacturing floor activities and desk-based documentation and supplier communication.


• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple supplier and manufacturing quality issues simultaneously.


• Willingness to learn existing processes, identify gaps, and develop practical solutions.


• Ability to work effectively in an environment where quality procedures and workflows are still being developed.

Preferred:

• Experience in automotive manufacturing, aerospace, or another regulated manufacturing environment.


• Background in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.


• Practical manufacturing quality experience with an understanding of shop-floor operations and production processes.


• Experience with castings, aluminum components, forgings, machining, fabrication, or assembly.


• Experience with plastic components or other manufactured materials.


• Familiarity with ISO-related quality practices, nonconforming product management, corrective action, supplier quality, and process discipline.


• Experience conducting supplier audits and evaluating supplier manufacturing processes.


• ASQ or CQI certification.


• Experience developing quality procedures, documentation, and processes from the ground up.


• Demonstrated ability to improve supplier performance and implement sustainable corrective actions.


• Experience working in a smaller or growing manufacturing organization where employees have broad responsibilities and significant autonomy.


• A practical, hands-on approach to quality engineering, with an emphasis on resolving real manufacturing problems rather than relying solely on advanced inspection technology or theoretical quality methods.


• Interest in helping establish and improve quality systems as the business continues to grow.

Benefits Overview:

• $75,000–$90,000 annual base salary, depending on experience and qualifications.


• Monday–Friday schedule, typically 7:00 AM–3:30 PM.


• Ability to carry over one week of unused PTO, with additional unused time potentially paid out.


• 10 paid holidays.


• Approximately 100 hours per year of work-from-home flexibility.


• Medical and other employee benefits.