Lead Engineer, Advanced Quality Planning

As a Lead Engineer, AQP, you will serve as a key technical and strategic leader within the Product Development organization, driving Advanced Quality Planning activities across complex new product introductions and major engineering initiatives. In this role, you will influence cross-functional teams to proactively identify and mitigate risk, strengthen execution discipline, and ensure flawless product launches that meet customer expectations for Quality, Delivery, and Cost.

This position requires a highly experienced quality leader who can operate beyond transactional execution and drive broader organizational impact. The ideal candidate is someone who challenges the status quo, brings strategic thinking to complex problems, holds teams accountable to commitments, and influences decisions across engineering, operations, suppliers, and leadership teams.

This role is also viewed as part of the leadership pipeline for future supervisory responsibilities. Success in this role requires strong technical depth, business acumen, leadership presence, and the ability to elevate organizational performance through influence and accountability.

Work Arrangement:

This is an on-site role requiring five days per week in the office.

This role involves working with global teams and suppliers in Asia, so you'll occasionally participate in early morning or evening meetings approximately two to three times each week. Flexible scheduling is supported to help balance these commitments.

Quarterly travel to Asia is expected, with trips typically lasting up to two consecutive weeks to support supplier development, manufacturing readiness, and product launch activities.

• Lead Strategic AQP Execution
  Drive Advanced Quality Planning strategy and execution for complex new product introductions, product changes, and manufacturing transfers. Provide leadership across qualification planning, launch readiness, Safe Launch activities, control plans, and risk management initiatives.

• Influence Cross-Functional Accountability
  Lead and influence cross-functional teams across Product Design, Manufacturing, Supplier Quality, Procurement, and Operations to ensure alignment, ownership, and timely execution of critical deliverables. Challenge assumptions, escalate risks when needed, and drive accountability at all organizational levels.

• Drive Risk Mitigation & Problem Solving
  Lead high-impact risk assessments and structured problem-solving activities including DFMEA/PFMEA, Failure Analysis, 8D investigations, process reviews, and corrective/preventive actions. Identify systemic gaps and implement sustainable solutions that improve organizational capability.

• Provide Strategic & Technical Leadership
  Bring a systems-level perspective to product and process development by identifying trends, connecting upstream/downstream impacts, and driving decisions that improve long-term product quality, manufacturability, scalability, and operational performance.

• Strengthen Quality Systems & Continuous Improvement
  Champion continuous improvement initiatives focused on process capability, launch execution, quality performance, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction while supporting compliance to ISO, IATF, Lean Six Sigma, and EH&S requirements.

• Develop Organizational Capability
  Mentor engineers and cross-functional team members on AQP best practices, risk-based thinking, problem solving, and execution discipline. Help establish stronger processes, elevate technical rigor, and support the development of future quality leaders.

• Provide Global Launch & Supplier Leadership
  Partner closely with global suppliers and international teams through regular off-hours collaboration and periodic travel to Asia to support supplier readiness, issue resolution, manufacturing qualifications, and launch execution.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in Quality Engineering, Advanced Quality Planning, or a related engineering discipline within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Advanced Quality Planning methodologies, metrology, GD&T, statistical analysis, and manufacturing process controls.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and driving accountability across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Strong analytical, communication, and organizational leadership skills.
• Experience with DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, DOE, reliability testing, and process qualification methodologies.
• Working knowledge of molding, assembly, automation, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience supporting supplier quality, audits, and manufacturing readiness activities.
• Experience using Minitab or similar statistical analysis tools.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex product launches or high-visibility quality initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority and drive organizational change.
• Experience operating in highly matrixed or global manufacturing environments.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) certification preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
• Experience with ISO 9001 quality systems.

As a Koch company, Molex is a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components, driving innovation in electronics and supporting industries from automotive to health care and consumer to data communications. The thousands of innovators who work for Molex have made us a global electronics leader. Our experienced people, groundbreaking products and leading-edge technologies help us deliver a wider array of solutions to more markets than ever before.