Customer Quality Engineer

Customer Quality Engineer

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now and in the future. The company does not offer visa sponsorship or transfer of visas for this position now or in the future.

The Customer Quality Engineer (CQE) will serve as the primary liaison between the company, its customers, and internal cross-functional teams to ensure customer satisfaction with product quality, issue resolution, audits, and ongoing compliance. This role is responsible for leading customer-driven quality activities, coordinating internal corrective actions, and supporting continuous improvement efforts that enhance the customer experience. The ideal candidate is hands-on, responsive, organized, and skilled at navigating quality issues across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and customer teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Serve as the primary point of contact for all customer quality matters, including complaints, nonconformances, audit inquiries, and escalated issues.

· Lead and coordinate customer audits, including preparation, documentation, cross-functional delegation, hosting, and follow-up of corrective actions.

· Manage customer complaints from receipt through closure, ensuring timely communication, accurate root cause analysis, and effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

· Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other internal departments to facilitate rapid issue resolution and ensure alignment with customer expectations.

· Maintain and deliver all customer-required documentation, including quality reports, quality alerts, and trend analyses.

· Track and report key customer quality metrics (e.g., PPM, defect trends, audit findings, response time).

· Support product launch activities by ensuring customer quality requirements are clearly communicated and embedded throughout the development process.

· Coordinate containment, risk assessment, and corrective action plans for customer-identified issues.

· Conduct customer-focused quality reviews and internal training to drive awareness of quality expectations and required standards.

· Assist during internal quality system assessments or continuous improvement initiatives as required.

· Perform other duties as assigned or required.

Required Skills and Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical, Materials Engineering, or related technical field.

· Minimum 3 years of experience in customer quality engineering, supplier quality, or quality systems within a manufacturing environment.

· Strong understanding of ISO 9001 required.

· Hands-on experience with:

o 8D methodology

o FMEA (PFMEA & DFMEA)

o PPAP

o APQP

o Root cause analysis tools (5 Why, Fishbone/Ishikawa, etc.)

· Proven ability to manage customer relationships in high-pressure or escalated quality situations.

· Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.

· Strong data analysis and reporting capabilities.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

· Auditor certification (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or internal auditor).

· Experience supporting customer audits or OEM compliance programs.

· Background in manufacturing processes (machining, assembly, molding, or other applicable processes).

· Knowledge of customer portals or electronic submission systems.

Why join Hithium Tech USA?