Supplier Quality Engineer (Gardena, CA)
Pay: Up to $38/hr
Shift: 6:00am 2:30pm + OT as needed

Schedule: ~10% Onsite MAYBE

An aerospace company is seeking a Supplier Quality Engineer to support supplier performance and customer quality initiatives within our aerospace programs. This role is customer-facing and requires managing supplier onboarding, reviewing KPIs, and resolving non-conformance tickets. The ideal candidate will apply Six Sigma methodologies to drive process improvement and ensure supplier compliance across multiple aerospace programs.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage the supplier quality lifecycle, from onboarding and qualification through ongoing performance monitoring and improvement.

• Flow down customer, internal, and AS9100 quality requirements to suppliers and verify compliance through documentation and audits.

• Conduct supplier site visits and process audits to assess manufacturing capability, quality system effectiveness, and adherence to specifications.

• Review and approve supplier deliverables such as First Article Inspection (FAI) reports, PPAP documentation, control plans, FMEAs, and process flow charts.

• Monitor and report supplier performance using KPIs such as defect rates, non-conformance trends, and on-time delivery metrics; drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Lead investigations and root cause analysis for supplier-related non-conformances using tools such as Six Sigma, 8D, and CAPA.

• Manage Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), ensuring timely containment, corrective, and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and Customer Quality teams to align supplier quality requirements with program and production needs.

• Provide technical support and coaching to suppliers on quality tools, process capability, and continuous improvement methods.

• Maintain documentation for supplier audits, scorecards, performance reports, SCARs, and non-conformance records to ensure full traceability.

• Manage multiple suppliers simultaneously, prioritize high-risk suppliers, and conduct regular KPI reviews to ensure quality performance.

• Support on-site supplier visits (~10% travel) for process verification, issue resolution, and quality development.

Requirements

• 3+ years of supplier quality or related aerospace experience

• Strong communication and problem-solving skills in a customer-facing environment

• Experience handling customer non-conformance tickets and supplier onboarding

• Proficiency with Six Sigma methodology and continuous improvement tools

Preferred

• Experience with 8D, FMEA, and PPAP

• Background in Lean Manufacturing or supplier development

• Ability to manage several suppliers across complex aerospace programs