Supplier Quality & Operations Consultant (Automotive)

Summary:

We are seeking a hands-on Supplier Quality & Operations Engineer to lead on-site efforts to stabilize and improve supplier performance. This role combines quality systems expertise with a strong understanding of production flow, warehousing, material availability, and KPI management. The Consultant will evaluate current supplier systems, identify root causes of quality and operational issues, and guide implementation of sustainable corrective actions.

Key Responsibilities:

Supplier Quality & Defect Reduction

• Oversee implementation and use of applications to track quality findings at inspection points.
• Analyze defects using visual tools (heat maps, Pareto charts, photos, cluster diagrams) to pinpoint key areas of concern.
• Support root cause analysis and lead corrective action planning (PDCA, LOP) for scrap, DMT, and rework reduction.
• Train supplier teams in structured problem-solving and ensure corrective actions are validated and sustained.

Operational Systems Evaluation

• Conduct a full assessment of material flow, and internal logistics processes.
• Identify systemic weaknesses affecting material availability, equipment downtime, or production delays.
• Evaluate DOH (Days on Hand) of subcomponents to confirm inventory strategy supports production needs.
• Assess supplier scheduling, order accuracy to sub-suppliers, and their alignment with capacity planning.

Production & KPI Optimization

• Monitor and analyze production KPIs, material availability, equipment uptime, and FG inventory levels.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to improve production stability, reduce downtime, and increase throughput.
• Collaborate with supplier leadership to implement systemic changes that address both immediate gaps and long-term performance.

Communication & Change Management

• Review internal communication workflows and support improvements to ensure alignment across departments.
• Guide supplier teams through change implementation with focus on long-term ownership and system accountability.

Establish processes for tracking and validating improvements tied to supplier and MBUSI KPIs

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive supplier quality and/or manufacturing operations.

Qualifications:

• Proven ability to identify root causes in both quality and operational contexts (e.g., logistics, production flow, materials).
• Strong command of problem-solving methodologies (5 Whys, Ishikawa, PDCA, LOP).
• Experience with supplier performance improvement and KPI-driven change management.
• Familiarity with production scheduling, inventory strategy, material movement, and warehouse management.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and report writing skills.
• Willingness to be on-site full-time at supplier location.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers
• Six Sigma certification or advanced lean manufacturing experience.
• Familiarity with digital quality tracking and defect analysis tools.
• Experience managing supplier recovery or performance improvement initiatives.

Duration: Project-Based (duration to be defined per engagement scope)

Salary Range: $40-$60 per hour + travel expenses covered + daily per diem

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience

ALTEN Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our Policy is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or veteran status.

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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.