Engineering Quality Lead - Body In White and Closures

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

SLATE seeks an accomplished Engineering Quality Lead for Body Systems — encompassing Body in White (BIW) and Closures — to join our growing team. This is a hands-on leadership role accountable for delivering exceptional customer quality across the engineering, design, validation, and manufacturing of these systems.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. We are currently unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Develop and implement engineering quality strategies for Body Systems (BIW and Closures) to achieve best-in-class customer satisfaction.

• Lead Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) to ensure designs meet safety, functional, and customer requirements.

• Drive the development of DFMEAs and DVPs; define validation approaches aligned to DFMEA/PFMEA risks; and lead root-cause analysis and issue resolution.

• Manage issue identification, prioritization, visualization, and resolution across technical teams.

• Define quality requirements, oversee quality maturity management, and validate functions and systems.

• Support the planning, execution, and evaluation of test fleet and high-mileage vehicle programs.

• Mentor team members, foster a culture of continuous learning, and develop the capabilities of the Technical Quality organization.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM

Education

• Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Vehicle, or related discipline)

• Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification in Six Sigma (IDDOV/DMAIC) and/or Structured Problem Solving is preferred

Experience

• 10–15+ years in automotive engineering or product quality, with direct experience in Body Systems

• Deep technical knowledge of product and vehicle design, development, and manufacturing for BIW and Closures

• Demonstrated success launching new programs on time while meeting quality and program metrics

• Familiarity with materials including sheet metal, thermoplastics, composites and structural adhesives / bonding

• Working knowledge of NHTSA FMVSS requirements and CAE methods applied to safety, NVH, and durability optimization

Skills

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams with clear communication and confident, results-oriented decision-making

• Strong organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple priorities in parallel

• Advanced proficiency in product assessment, problem-solving, and root-cause analysis methodologies (Six Sigma, DFSS, Red X, or equivalent)

• High integrity with a disciplined, data-driven approach to quality decisions

• Adaptable and effective in a fast-paced, start-up environment

Salary Range: The compensation  for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors.

Base Pay Range (Annual)

$123,339.06 - $185,008.58 USD

Additional Compensation and Benefits: Slate offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in the equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs.  

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention