What are the responsibilities and job description for the Customer Quality Liaison position at Crenlo?
Reports To: Director of Sales Location: Remote, preferably Dubuque or Davenport, IA with ability to travel to OEM customer sites Travel Requirement: Frequent travel required, estimated 40-60% depending on program needs Employment Type: Full-time, exempt
Position Summary
The Customer Liaison serves as the primary on-the-ground connection between Crenlo and its OEM customers and partners. This role builds and sustains strategic customer relationships, resolves technical and quality issues at the source, and represents both the voice of the customer internally and the voice of Crenlo externally. The position requires strong technical fluency, particularly the ability to read and interpret manufacturing prints and specifications, along with the interpersonal skill to manage sensitive relationships under pressure. In its early phase, this role may also include oversight of temporary labor at OEM plant locations to support new product and quality needs.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Relationship Management
- Serve as the trusted point of contact for assigned OEM customers, building long-term, strategic relationships based on proactivity and credibility.
- Represent customer priorities internally to engineering, quality, and operations teams, and represent Crenlo's capabilities and constraints to the customer.
- Travel regularly to customer and manufacturing sites to maintain face-to-face presence and strengthen partnerships.
- Anticipate customer needs and concerns before they escalate, and proactively communicate status on open issues.
Technical Problem Solving
- Investigate and troubleshoot technical issues raised by customers or discovered on the plant floor, working cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to drive resolution.
- Read and interpret manufacturing prints, blueprints, GD&T, and technical specifications to evaluate conformance and communicate discrepancies clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action processes (such as 8D or similar structured problem-solving methods).
- Translate technical findings into clear, customer-facing communication.
Quality Assurance
- Support efforts to secure and maintain product quality across manufacturing locations, acting as an on-site advocate for customer quality expectations.
- Partner with plant quality teams to verify that corrective actions are implemented and effective.
- Monitor recurring issues and escalate systemic concerns to leadership.
- Assist in preparing for and supporting customer audits or quality reviews as needed.
Temporary Labor Management (Initial Phase)
- In the early stages of this role, may directly oversee temporary labor resources at OEM plant locations to support production continuity and quality initiatives.
- Coordinate scheduling, onboarding, and daily direction of temporary staff in partnership with plant leadership.
- Ensure temporary labor practices align with safety, quality, and company standards.
Cross-Functional Coordination
- Act as a liaison between corporate functions (sales, engineering, quality) and plant-level operations across Watertown, Rochester, and Greeneville facilities.
- Communicate updates, risks, and opportunities across teams to keep customer commitments on track.
- Support new program launches and product changes from a customer and quality standpoint.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in a technical, engineering, manufacturing, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 3-5 years of experience in a customer-facing technical role, manufacturing environment, quality role, or similar, ideally in the off-highway, heavy equipment, or industrial vehicle industry.
- Demonstrated ability to read and interpret manufacturing prints, blueprints, and technical drawings, including GD&T.
- Strong problem-solving skills with experience in structured root cause analysis methods.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate technical detail for varied audiences.
- Comfortable and effective building relationships in person, including with customers and plant personnel.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently, including to manufacturing plants and customer locations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, Excel, Teams, Word).
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within Oracle EBS or similar ERP systems.
- Familiarity with quality systems and standards common in the off-highway or industrial vehicle industry (such as ISO 9001).
- Experience supporting new program launches or product introductions with OEM customers.
Work Environment and Physical Requirements
- Split time between office, manufacturing floor, and customer site environments.
- Ability to safely navigate a manufacturing plant floor, including wearing required personal protective equipment.
- Frequent travel by car and air, including overnight and multi-day trips.
- Valid driver's license required.