Senior Supplier Quality Engineer - Powertrain
Leads supplier quality and manufacturing readiness for high-voltage powertrain batteries from prototype through production. The role requires engineering experience in quality or manufacturing, supplier audits, battery manufacturing processes, corrective actions, and high-voltage safety.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Select battery cell, module, and pack suppliers with Powertrain Engineering and Strategic Sourcing through process assessments and VDA 6.3 audits.
- Travel approximately 30% of the time.
- Assess manufacturability of high-voltage battery designs, including cell integration, thermal interface materials, busbars, and battery management systems (BMS).
- Support suppliers in improving manufacturability and scaling production.
- Manage supplier product and process development from prototype through end-of-line (EOL) testing.
- Review prototype and production part quality submissions, including PPAP, for adherence to high-voltage safety and performance tolerances.
- Issue and resolve supplier corrective action requests (8D) involving battery degradation, thermal runaway risks, and capacity anomalies.
- Support Manufacturing, Quality, and Powertrain Engineering with analysis and disposition of suspect high-voltage supplier material.
- Drive continuous improvement using quality and lean manufacturing tools to improve yield and cycle times.
- Ensure supplier compliance with safe handling, storage, and transport of high-voltage systems and lithium-ion batteries.
- Improve supplier quality processes, including assessments, supplier management, part approval, and corrective actions.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent engineering discipline.
- At least 3 years of experience in Quality, Supplier Quality, or Manufacturing in the automotive, aviation, or medical device industries.
- Experience with new product introduction (NPI) and creating or improving quality systems.
- Experience with manufacturing processes such as laser welding, ultrasonic welding, wire bonding, thermal potting or dispensing, and EOL functional testing.
- Experience with problem-solving techniques including Six Sigma, 8D, Pareto charts, regression analysis, ANOVA, DOE, fishbone analysis, Red-X, and Is/Is Not.
- Experience with quality analysis and control tools including process flow diagrams, process FMEAs, process control plans, SPC, MSA, and process capability.
- Working knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
- Working knowledge of ISO 9000 and IATF 16949 quality systems.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Nice-to-haves
- Understanding of lithium-ion battery chemistry, failure modes, and BMS fundamentals.
- Familiarity with automotive and battery standards including ISO 26262, UN 38.3, ECE R100, UL 2580, and IEC 62660.
- High-voltage safety training or certification.
- Working knowledge of VDA 6.3.
- ASQ, Six Sigma Green Belt, or Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Compensation
- Annual salary range: $165,000–$228,000.
Skills
Lithium-Ion Batteries, Battery Management Systems, Supplier Quality, Vda 6.3, Ppap, 8D, Six Sigma, Spc, Msa, Fmea, GD&T, Iatf 16949, Laser Welding, Ultrasonic Welding, Anova
Similar jobs
Hardware Engineering jobs
Crusoe
San Francisco, CALeads data center design optimization across space, power density, and cost, translating commercial requirements into engineering decisions. Requires 7+ years of infrastructure experience, strong electrical and mechanical systems knowledge, quantitative cost modeling, and cross-functional leadership.
Crusoe
Arvada, CO
Leads a mechanical engineering team delivering production-ready models and drawings for modular buildings and power distribution equipment. The role combines people management, advanced SolidWorks design, deliverable review, engineering change management, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing handoff.
Cerebras Systems
Sunnyvale, CA
Leads supplier qualification, audits, NPI readiness, performance monitoring, and corrective actions for complex hardware components and systems. Requires an engineering bachelor’s degree and 7–10+ years of supplier or manufacturing quality experience across electronics, electromechanical, and mechanical commodities.
Zoox
Foster City, CA
Develops and validates brake control systems, specifications, diagnostics, and supplier firmware for an autonomous vehicle platform. Requires an engineering degree, 6+ years in automotive or aerospace, hydraulic braking expertise, HIL validation experience, and hardware-software-firmware debugging skills.
9 Mothers
Austin, TX
Design, prototype, test, and troubleshoot high-performance mechanisms for field-deployed counter-drone hardware. The role requires 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience, deep kinematics and dynamics expertise, strong GD&T skills, and hands-on machining and failure analysis.