Customer Quality Specialist

• Own portal communication and quality liaison – Serve as the single owner of all Caterpillar portal communication, ETQ Reliance interactions, and quality-system correspondence. Act as the primary day-to-day liaison for Caterpillar buyers, SDEs, SQEs, and quality teams, consolidating relationships that today are spread across multiple Technique contacts.
• Maintain Caterpillar quality documents – Own all Caterpillar quality documents on Technique’s side – control plans, inspection criteria, PFMEAs, and submission packages – and keep them current as Caterpillar specs and Engineering Standards change.
• Manage supplier performance evaluations – Receive and interpret Caterpillar supplier performance evaluations, build response plans, and own follow-through to close gaps.
• Support Estimating and Sales – Provide Caterpillar-specific requirements knowledge to Estimating – flow-down interpretation, recurring spec callouts, special-process expectations, and packaging and routing standards – so quotes are built with the right context the first time. Maintain a Caterpillar requirements library to eliminate re-engineering the same questions on every RFQ.
• Connect Caterpillar to internal expertise – Partner with Technique’s assigned Caterpillar sales representative and the Estimating team to route the right Caterpillar conversations to the right internal people: Engineering for design-for-manufacturing questions, Quality Engineering for capability concerns, Operations for process-route feasibility, and Supply Chain for special-process sourcing.
• Identify business opportunities – Surface new programs, expanded scope on existing parts, and quality wins worth highlighting to CAT buyers, and bring them to Sales and leadership.
• Manage quality flow-down – Translate Caterpillar Engineering Standards and print-level requirements into Technique-side documentation, driving Quality Engineering and Operations to update work instructions, control plans, and inspection criteria. Own the interpretation of ambiguous flow-downs, including direct engagement with Caterpillar SDEs/SQEs for clarification. Maintain version control of Caterpillar specifications referenced on active parts and flag spec revisions when issued.
• Execute PPAP in ETQ Reliance – Own the PPAP workflow inside ETQ Reliance for every Caterpillar part – staging, evidence collection, review, submission, and closure of interim approval conditions. Coordinate cross-functional inputs: PFMEA and control plan from Quality Engineering, dimensional and capability data from Inspection, material and special-process certs from Supply Chain, and PSW sign-off. Drive first-pass PPAP approval as a measured metric. Manage PPAP revalidations and re-submissions triggered by ECNs, process changes, or sub-tier supplier changes.
• Lead corrective actions end-to-end – Own all Caterpillar corrective actions from receipt through verification: lead the cross-functional response, drive root-cause to depth, close the loop with Caterpillar, and confirm the fix holds. Manage non-conformance and 8D closure for all Caterpillar issues and set the standard for RCCA depth across the plant.
• Own Caterpillar PPM management – Track and drive down the Caterpillar parts-per-million defect rate. Connect PPM performance to the corrective-action backlog so improvements are visible on the next scorecard.
• Manage Caterpillar audits and site visits – Coordinate Caterpillar supplier audits, capacity assessments, and SDE site visits, including the response and follow-through on any findings.
• Drive the SQEP scorecard and roadmap – Own the Caterpillar SQEP scorecard. Review it weekly and drive leading indicators – PPM, OTD, NCM closure aging, 8D response quality – before they show up as lagging numbers. Manage the SQEP roadmap: current tier, gap analysis to the next tier, action plan, and evidence package. Report Caterpillar account performance to Technique leadership on a regular cadence, including risks, opportunities, and organizational needs.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or Quality preferred; equivalent experience considered
• ASQ CQE, CQA, or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certification preferred
• 5+ years of hands-on quality lab experience: dimensional inspection, GD&T application, CMM and metrology, capability studies (Cpk/Ppk), and gage R&R
• Direct PPAP execution experience, preferably to Caterpillar, Cummins, John Deere, or an IATF 16949 automotive OEM
• Direct experience working with Caterpillar in the ETQ supplier portal: submitting PPAPs, responding to NCMs/SARs, and managing scorecard interactions through ETQ Reliance
• Working knowledge of ETQ Reliance or comparable enterprise QMS (e.g., Pilgrim, MasterControl, Veeva)
• Fluency in GD&T, blueprint reading, and Caterpillar Engineering Standard structure
• Demonstrated experience leading 8D/RCCA/CAR responses
• Ability to move fluidly between the shop floor, customer video calls with Caterpillar SDEs, and internal commercial reviews in the same day
• Prior experience in supplier quality, customer quality, or program management at a tier-1 OEM supplier preferred
• Prior experience inside a Caterpillar SQEP-certified supplier (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) preferred
• Familiarity with heavy-equipment, off-highway, or power-generation end markets preferred

• Paid Time Off
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Account
• 401(k)
• 401(k) Matching
• Professional Development
• Referral Program
• Paid Training
• On The Job Training
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement

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