Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Job description

About Northwood: Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it. Role: Northwood is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to be the first quality-focused hire. This role is ideal for someone eager to build supplier quality processes from the ground up and shape how we scale high-reliability manufacturing for satellite ground stations. You will play a critical role in establishing our quality systems, developing our supply base, and partnering with engineering and operations to ensure our products are designed and built for long-term performance. This is a rare opportunity to influence the foundation of quality and supplier operations at a company on the frontier of satellite connectivity.   Responsibilities: - Design and implement the company’s first supplier quality assurance system, documentation, and workflows - Lead the identification, evaluation, and qualification of new suppliers for key components (RF, PCBA, mechanical, electromechanical) and conduct supplier audits, performance reviews, and corrective action processes - Collaborate with product design and manufacturing teams on DFM, NPI, and pilot builds - Support in defining supplier KPIs (quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness) and establish reporting mechanisms - Drive resolution of supplier quality issues through root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (NCR/CAPA) - Support the development of incoming inspection plans and testing protocols - Act as a hands-on technical liaison between internal engineering teams and external manufacturing partners - Own capacity expansion readiness and production ramp-up at suppliers - Develop and implement supplier technical requirements and quality flow downs to meet hardware manufacturing needs - Provide feedback to suppliers as appropriate on manufacturing methods, with a specific focus on eliminating costs, reducing cycle times, and increasing yields - Drive supplier root cause failure analysis and corrective actions associated with any quality gaps, escapes, or containments - Lead cost engineering activities to converge the bottoms-up cost curve to product cost, maximizing the total cost of ownership   Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field. - 5+ years of experience in Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Supplier Development, or a related discipline, with significant hands-on experience leading and managing supplier quality activities for electrical and electronic (EE) components and assemblies. - Strong knowledge of PCB fabrication and PCBA/SMT manufacturing processes, including stencil design, solder-paste printing, SPI, pick-and-place, reflow profiling, AOI, X-ray inspection, rework/repair, and electrical and functional testing. - Working knowledge of applicable IPC standards, including IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC-6012, and IPC-2221/2222. - Experience conducting supplier quality-system and manufacturing process audits and evaluating whether supplier controls can consistently meet engineering requirements. - Experience leading supplier problem-solving activities using containment, 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone analysis, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and effectiveness verification. - Experience managing NCR/MRB activities, deviations/concessions, supplier corrective actions, and supplier product or process changes. - Hands-on experience leading APQP/PPAP activities, including defining required deliverables and driving the development, completion, and approval of process flow diagrams, PFMEAs, control plans, work instructions, MSA studies, SPC plans, capability/ capacity studies, and validation results. - Experience with AS9100 quality-management-system requirements and AS9102 First Article Inspection. - Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally.   Preferred Qualifications: - Experience with RF components, electrical components, cable and wire-harness assemblies, and electromechanical products. - Experience in the aerospace, space, satellite, telecommunications, automotive, or defense industries. - Experience supporting low-volume, high-complexity, high-reliability products from early-stage development through production ramp-up. - Experience working in a startup or rapidly growing company and deve