Supplier Quality Engineer - Capacity and Launch Specialist

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, Michigan three times per week, at minimum.

We are seeking an experienced supplier-facing manufacturing expert to support supplier capacity readiness, run-at-rate execution, and practical problem solving across the supply base. This is an individual contributor role for someone who understands how manufacturing capacity is planned, installed, launched, and validated in the real world, and who can use that experience to help suppliers recover, improve, and succeed. This person will serve as a consultant and technical expert to our Supplier Quality team. They will work directly with suppliers that are experiencing capacity or launch challenges, help identify detailed root causes and resolutions, and support successful run-at-rate execution. They will also help strengthen the technical capability of our SQEs by sharing practical knowledge, coaching on capacity fundamentals, and serving as a trusted resource across the team. This role requires strong project management discipline, technical credibility, and the ability to step into a variety of situations with minimal direction.

Serve as a subject matter expert on supplier capacity planning, line installation, launch execution, and run-at-rate readiness Visit suppliers with capacity or execution issues and work hands-on with them to identify detailed gaps, build corrective actions, and drive practical resolution plans Assess whether installed manufacturing capacity aligns with awarded volumes, process assumptions, and production requirements Analyze supplier capacity calculations, line rates, station performance, constraints, labor assumptions, and installed equipment readiness Support suppliers through run-at-rate preparation and execution, including issue identification, containment, recovery planning, and follow-through to closure Educate and coach SQEs on how capacity is calculated, validated, installed, launched, and sustained Act as a technical resource for the broader SQE organization on capacity planning, throughput risk, and supplier manufacturing execution Provide backfill support for other team members as needed across supplier-facing responsibilities Support incoming calls and issue triage related to SQMS and team support activities; direct system knowledge is not required on day one and can be learned Use sound project management practices to organize work, manage priorities, document actions, and drive closure across multiple supplier issues at once Your Skills & Abilities ( Required Qualifications)   Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience 5+ years in advanced manufacturing, industrial engineering, quality or engineering or related field Strong working knowledge of how capacity is calculated, justified, installed, launched, and validated in production environments Experience troubleshooting line performance, bottlenecks, staffing assumptions, equipment readiness, throughput constraints, and launch execution issues Ability to work directly with suppliers to develop detailed, credible, and executable recovery plans Demonstrated project management skills, including follow-up, coordination, issue tracking, timing discipline, and action closure Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical manufacturing concepts to both experts and non-experts What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications) Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience Significant experience in supplier-facing manufacturing, industrial engineering, advanced manufacturing, launch, or operations roles within automotive or a comparable high-volume manufacturing environment Direct experience helping a supplier or manufacturing operation prepare for and pass run-at-rates Experience with