Quality Engineer (PPAP)

Job Description: Quality Engineer (PPAP) The Quality Engineer (PPAP) plays a key role in ensuring that all product and process documentation meets customer and internal quality standards within a metals or plastics manufacturing environment. This position focuses heavily on preparing, maintaining, and improving PPAP documentation and control plans, following parts through the engineering and manufacturing process. The Quality Engineer also serves as a primary liaison for customer quality concerns, driving internal corrective actions and supporting continuous improvement activities. Responsibilities

- Follow parts through the engineering and manufacturing process and update PPAP documentation and control plans accordingly.
- Create, edit, and maintain PPAP documents, including up to level 3 PPAPs that incorporate control plans and first article inspection (FAI) reporting.
- Manage and ensure timely submission of all quality documentation, including PPAPs and related records, to customers.
- Serve as the primary liaison with customers on product quality issues, maintaining clear and professional communication.
- Handle direct communications relating to quality problems from customer, purchasing, engineering, quality, customer service, and sales personnel.
- Originate and implement inspection procedures and inspection plans to support production and quality assurance activities.
- Take responsibility for PPAPs, FAIs, control plans, process capability studies, GR&R, and FMEAs as part of APQP and new product introduction (NPI) processes.
- Assist in responding to customer complaints, quality reports (QRs), corrective action requests (CARs), and 8D reports within specified time frames.
- Review and initiate return material authorizations (RMA), material review (MR) actions, and nonconformance reports using UniPoint or similar systems.
- Support and drive internal corrective actions to address customer-related quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
- Apply understanding of control plan processes and first article inspection reporting as required for higher-level PPAP submissions.
- Utilize knowledge of part tolerancing and GD&T to support accurate inspection and documentation.
- Use CMM equipment to make basic edits to programs when needed, if experience is available.
- Contribute to maintaining and improving quality assurance systems, including ISO-related requirements and documentation.
- Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in engineering, manufacturing, and quality to ensure products meet specifications and customer expectations.

Essential Skills

- Bachelors degree in Engineering, preferably Mechanical or Manufacturing.
- 2+ years of experience working in a manufacturing environment, specifically in metals fabrication, metal stamping, or a comparable setting.
- Demonstrated understanding of PPAP and the PPAP submittal process at a minimum of level 1.
- Experience creating and editing PPAP documents.
- Knowledge of control plan processes and first article inspection (FAI) reporting, particularly as part of level 3 PPAPs.
- Ability to manage and submit quality documentation on time to meet customer requirements.
- Experience with quality engineering or quality control in a production environment.
- Understanding of part tolerancing and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
- Familiarity with quality assurance practices and standards, including ISO-related environments.
- Experience with metal stamping, metal fabrication, or closely related manufacturing processes.
- Ability to serve as a primary liaison with customers on product quality issues and communicate effectively.
- Capability to support APQP and NPI processes through PPAPs, FAIs, control plans, process capability studies, GR&R, and FMEAs.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Willingness to learn and develop from level 1 or level 2 PPAP experience into handling level 3 PPAPs and control plans, with training provided.
- Experience working in a plastics manufacturing environment such as injection molding is beneficial.
- Exposure to CMM equipment with the ability to make basic edits to programs is a plus.
- Experience with IMDS database is an advantage.
- Familiarity with APQP methodologies and structured quality planning.
- Experience using quality and nonconformance management systems such as UniPoint.
- Experience in inspection processes and inspection planning within manufacturing.
- Understanding of process capability studies and GR&R analysis.
- Ability to contribute to 8D problem-solving and corrective action reporting.
- Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy.
- Effective communication skills for working with customers and internal stakeholders.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Vernon Hills, IL.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $38.50 - $43.27/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Vernon Hills,IL.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.