Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Job Title: Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Department: Quality

Location: Austin, TX (with travel to supplier sites domestically and internationally)

Reports To: Senior Director of Quality

FLSA Status: Exempt

Travel Required: Up to 40% (supplier audits& development visits)

INFINITUM ELECTRIC

Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Infinitum Electric is a technology company pioneering the next generation of axial flux electric motors — lighter, more efficient, and more sustainable than conventional motor designs. Our supply chain spans contract manufacturers, magnet suppliers, PCB manufacturers, and precision machining partners across the US, Mexico, and Asia. As we scale rapidly in revenue, the quality of our supply base is directly linked to our ability to deliver reliable, world‑class products to our customers.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Supplier Quality Engineer is responsible for developing, managing, and continuously improving the quality performance of Infinitum’s supplier base — with particular focus on critical and high‑risk suppliers. This role leads supplier qualification, audit programs, incoming quality controls, supplier corrective action management, and collaborative supplier development activities. The Senior SQE acts as both a quality gate and a lean development partner for Infinitum’s supply chain — ensuring that supplier capability grows in step with Infinitum’s product quality demands.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supplier Quality Management & Performance

• Own the quality performance of assigned suppliers — tracking incoming defect rate (PPM), on-time delivery, corrective action closure rate, and audit findings across a defined supplier portfolio
• Maintain supplier scorecards and lead periodic supplier quality review meetings — driving accountability and continuous improvement in supplier performance
• Establish and enforce incoming inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and control plans for critical components including magnets, PCBs, stator assemblies, and precision machined parts
• Manage supplier quality escapes — initiating containment, leading or coordinating root cause investigation, and driving permanent corrective action through verified closure
• Monitor supplier quality trends and proactively escalat(e) systemic risks before they affect production or customers

Supplier Qualification & Development

• Lead new supplier qualification activities including quality system assessments, process audits, first article inspection (FAI), and approval decisions
• Conduct on‑site supplier audits — process audits, system audits, and layered process audits — at domestic and international supplier locations
• Develop supplier lean and quality capability through joint improvement activities — including Kaizen Events, VSM exercises, A3 problem solving, and SMED workshops conducted at supplier facilities
• Work with suppliers to implement pull systems, visual management, standard work, and statistical process control where deficiency has been identified
• Assess and develop Tier 2 supplier quality capability in coordination with Tier 1 strategic partners

Incoming Quality Control

• Design and maintain incoming inspection sampling plans based on supplier risk level, historical performance, and component criticality
• Work with receiving and production teams to ensure incoming material is properly identified, inspected, and dispositioned — with clear quarantine and hold processes for nonconforming material
• Drive suppliers toward certified supplier status (skip‑lot or ship‑to‑stock) as their quality performance matures and data supports reduced incoming inspection
• Manage nonconforming material disposition including use‑as‑is decisions, rework, return to supplier, and scrap — with appropriate engineering review and documentation

Supplier Corrective Action (SCAR) Management

• Issue Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) for quality escapes, audit findings, and systemic performance issues — with clear problem statements, root cause requirements, and response timelines
• Review and approve supplier 8D corrective action responses challenging superficial root cause analysis and requiring systemic corrective actions, not symptom‑level fixes
• Track open SCARs through to verified effectiveness — not closing actions until sustained improvement is demonstrated with data
• Analyze SCAR trends to identify recurring failure modes, systemic supplier weaknesses, and opportunities for proactive intervention

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Quality Systems

• Partner with engineering, operations, and supply chain teams on new product introductions to ensure supplier quality requirements are defined, communicated, and controlled from the earliest design stages
• Contribute to FMEA development and control plan creation for components sourced from the supply base
• Support the Infinitum Quality Management System (QMS) by maintaining supplier quality records, audit reports, and qualification documentation in compliance with applicable standards
• Represent supplier quality in design reviews, engineering change notifications (ECNs), and material review board (MRB) activities
• Participate in the development and improvement of supplier quality procedures, work instructions, and supplier quality manual requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field
• 5–8 years of experience in supplier quality engineering in a manufacturing environment — with demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships, conducting audits, and driving corrective actions
• Hands‑on experience conducting supplier process audits and quality system assessments
• Proficiency with core quality tools: FMEA, control plans, MSA/Gage R&R, SPC, 8D, 5 Whys, and Ishikawa
• Experience with first article inspection (FAI) processes and incoming inspection plan development
• Strong analytical skills ability to interpret supplier quality data, identify trends, and develop data‑driven corrective action priorities
• Excellent communication skills — able to work constructively with suppliers across cultural and language boundaries, and to elevate supplier risks clearly to internal leadership
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 40% of the time

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in electric motors, power electronics, magnetics, or precision electromechanical manufacturing
• Experience auditing and developing suppliers in Asia
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Supplier Quality Professional (CSQP), or equivalent
• Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt)
• Experience with magnet suppliers, PCB manufacturers, or precision machined component suppliers
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or AS9100 quality management system standards
• Experience with ERP‑integrated supplier quality management systems
• Knowledge of lean accounting and total cost of quality frameworks applied to supplier performance evaluation

COMPETENCIES

• Technical credibility — commands respect from suppliers through deep process knowledge and rigorous quality methodology, not just positional authority
• Supplier development mindset — treats supplier improvement as a collaborative investment, not just an audit and compliance exercise
• Analytical rigor — drives to systemic root causes; never accepts a symptom‑level corrective action as sufficient
• Influence without authority — drives improvement in organizations that do not report to Infinitum through relationship, data, and technical credibility
• Cross‑cultural effectiveness — works constructively and respectfully with supplier partners across different cultural and business contexts
• Ownership — takes full accountability for the quality performance of their supplier portfolio; does not elevate what can be resolved at their level
• Continuous improvement — applies lean thinking to both their own work and their suppliers’ operations; looks for systemic patterns and drives durable prevention

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position requires regular travel to supplier facilities domestically and internationally and periodic travel to magnet and PCB suppliers in Vietnam and other Asian locations. When not traveling, the role operates primarily in a professional office environment at Infinitum HQ (Austin, TX) with regular visits to the production floor.

Infinitum Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.