Engineer I, Quality

About the Role

The Quality Engineer I is an entry-level engineering position supporting Karma's Quality organization across Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Quality Systems, New Product Introduction, and Continuous Improvement. This role is designed for an early-career engineer who wants broad exposure to automotive Quality and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a lean, fast-paced, low-volume OEM environment. The successful candidate will be expected to wear multiple hats, solve problems, take ownership, and continuously identify opportunities to improve quality and business processes. The role will have a strong focus on Supplier Quality while supporting manufacturing quality, APQP/PPAP, root cause and corrective action, quality data analysis, and quality systems. The engineer will also identify opportunities to use AI, automation, analytics, and digital tools to streamline repetitive processes, improve data visibility, and increase Quality organization effectiveness. As skills and experience develop, responsibilities may expand into Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Quality Systems, Continuous Improvement, Product Quality, or other areas of Quality Engineering.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Engineering & Problem Solving

• Support investigation and resolution of supplier, manufacturing, and product quality issues.
• Participate in root cause and corrective action using 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa/Fishbone, Pareto, and other structured problem-solving methods.
• Support containment, nonconformance, material disposition, and corrective action activities.
• Analyze quality data to identify trends, recurring defects, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support development of inspection plans, control plans, process controls, and defect-prevention methods.
• Assist with SPC, process capability, MSA/Gage R&R, and other quality engineering activities.
• Participate in Gemba walks, line audits, process reviews, and shop-floor problem solving.
• Support reduction of scrap, rework, defects, and cost of poor quality.
• Assist with engineering drawing, specification, tolerance, and GD&T interpretation.

Supplier Quality & Development

• Support supplier quality activities for production, new product launches, and engineering changes.
• Assist with supplier containment, corrective actions, 8D, APQP, and PPAP activities.
• Track supplier quality performance, corrective actions, and improvement initiatives.
• Support supplier audits, process reviews, readiness assessments, and supplier development activities.
• Assist with supplier risk assessments and quality performance scorecards.
• Partner with Purchasing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and suppliers to resolve quality issues.

Manufacturing & Quality Systems

• Support quality activities across Body, Paint, General Assembly, Warehouse, and other manufacturing areas as needed.
• Assist with incoming, in-process, and final inspection activities.
• Support APQP, PFMEA, DFMEA, Control Plans, Process Flow, and production readiness activities.
• Maintain quality records and supplier information in SAP and applicable QMS systems.
• Support quality metrics, dashboards, and reporting for supplier and manufacturing performance.
• Assist with quality system documentation and compliance activities.

Continuous Improvement, Data & AI

• Identify opportunities to improve, standardize, and automate Quality processes.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools, data analytics, workflow automation, and digital technologies to reduce repetitive administrative work and improve quality visibility.
• Assist with automated reporting, dashboards, supplier tracking, corrective action follow-up, and quality data analysis.
• Participate in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support projects that reduce defects, variation, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality.

Cross-Functional Support

• Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Program Management, Aftersales, and suppliers.
• Communicate quality issues, risks, status, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Represent Quality in meetings and projects as assigned.
• Take on additional responsibilities as technical knowledge and experience develop.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quality, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Automotive, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• 0–3 years of experience in Quality, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
• Automotive manufacturing, internship, or co-op experience preferred.
• Understanding of APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, and Core Quality Tools preferred.
• Familiarity with 8D, 5 Why, Ishikawa/Fishbone, and other root cause methodologies.
• Basic understanding of SPC, process capability, MSA/Gage R&R, and Lean/Six Sigma preferred.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and understand GD&T.
• Basic understanding of manufacturing processes and quality systems.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or IATF 16949 preferred.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and SAP or equivalent ERP/QMS systems.
• Ability and willingness to work in a hands-on manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn, take ownership, and work across multiple areas of Quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier experience.
• Low-volume/high-mix manufacturing experience.
• EV, battery, powertrain, electronics, or automotive systems experience.
• Experience with Power BI, SQL, Python, statistical software, or other data/automation tools.
• Exposure to AI-enabled business or engineering tools.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent training.
• Experience with supplier audits or manufacturing process audits.