Engineer, Supplier Quality - Suspension

Description

• Facilitate understanding of technical requirements between Suppliers with Scout Purchasing, Quality, and Design teams to always ensure proper transparency and communication.
• Act with dignity and respect on behalf of Scout when at a supplier.
• Lead, participate, and drive Scout’s Quality expectations as required to ensure KPIs are met.
• Work to mitigate warranty claims with suppliers to drive closure and resolution of issues with the cross-functional group.
• Accountable for ongoing monitoring of supplier manufacturing process development, launch readiness for new products, and design changes
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing) to identify opportunities for process optimization and quality improvements in the supply chain.
• Develop and maintain quality documentation, including inspection plans, quality records, and reports related to suspension parts and processes.
• Ensure suppliers have exceptionally robust processes and procedures to promote mass industrialization through efficient and seamless production of high-quality products.
• Support/lead suppliers' inefficient use of best methods of manufacturing, testing, and gauging, poke-yokes, and correct tools or assembly equipment to use
• Responsible for supplier audits and corrective actions to ensure their ability to meet part performance, delivery, and reliability expectations.
• Responsible for proactive and reactive containment at the suppliers.
• Participate in supplier reviews including new suppliers and design for manufacturability reviews.
• Support the planning, execution, and evaluation of root cause analysis to ensure high quality of Scout production vehicles through fast response methodologies.
• Validate supplier corrective actions involving design and/or process changes to ensure they are capable and robust using the read-across methodology for similar manufacturing lines and/or suppliers.
• Responsible to ensure change management occurs and is identified properly, and proactively for product architecture requests.
• Collaborate with Scout’s Design, Quality, and Manufacturing to determine the ideal performance specifications and supplier metrics.
• Facilitate new or alternative materials that will positively impact design robustness, quality, manufacturability, or cost reduction;
• Ensure that suspension components (e.g., shock absorbers, struts, coil springs) meet both internal and external specifications, including regulatory requirements, industry standards, and customer expectations.
• Lead supplier improvements in cost, quality, and manufacturability.
• Responsible for Supplier PPAPs and ongoing activities within the supply chain from development to series production.
• Ensure adherence to industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949, VDA 6.3) and regulatory requirements, including maintaining records for audits and inspections.
• Lead and manage root cause investigations for quality issues, facilitating corrective actions with suppliers and monitoring effectiveness to prevent recurrence.
• Drive Quality improvements with Engineering, Quality, and Operations to ensure Quality KPIs are met and drive to exceed expectations.
• Provide leadership at Suppliers to ensure Scout’s Quality expectations are met and that suppliers can meet the industrialization related activities on time with the Supplier Quality team and escalate when unable.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers, acting as the primary point of contact for quality-related concerns, issues, and improvements.
• The responsibilities of this role require attendance at in-person meetings and events regularly.
• Support supplier quality planning and execution of manufacturing, assembly techniques and quality control processes from the advanced development phase to mass production using APQP and VDA quality management processes.
• Oversee the testing and validation of suspension components to ensure they perform to specifications and meet durability and safety requirements.
• Support all quality performance and functional standards, to ensure all vehicle activities are met in the supply chain to meet Customer satisfaction.
• Conduct regular audits, assessments, and evaluations of suppliers’ processes and systems to ensure compliance with quality standards and continuous improvement.
• Responsible to review and participate in approval of necessary boundary samples, appearance catalogs, etc.
• Responsible for driving continuous improvement activities utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Support NCR resolution.
• Work as a partner with the Supply chain to ensure escalations of issues are raised and resolutions are resolved in a timely manner.
• Evaluate and qualify new suppliers based on their capabilities to meet quality and performance criteria for suspension components.

Requirements

• Leadership and team management abilities, with a track record of building and leading high-performing teams
• Sound knowledge of quality management and methodologies.
• VDA Auditing Experience preferred.
• Ability to travel 40-70% of the time (May entail international travel, passport required)
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, a high level of assertiveness as well as entrepreneurial thinking and goal- and result-oriented decision-making skills
• Residing in New York City: This role is not eligible for remote work in New York City.
• Residing in San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Scout Motors will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in mechanical/vehicle engineering, industrial engineering, or related field; candidates with 10+ related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Understanding of IATF, VDA, ISO, DIN, and regulatory requirements
• Applicants should expect that the role will require the ability to convene with Scout colleagues in person and travel to participate in events on behalf of the company from time to time.
• Very good technical understanding and sound specialist knowledge of vehicle development, vehicle production and supply chain management.
• Great written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to execute project management techniques.
• Proven results and ability to direct supplier activities at the management level to ensure suppliers can meet customer requirements and expectations.
• Certification in AIAG Core Tools- MSA, APQP, FMEA, Control Plans, PPAP
• Residing in Los Angeles: Scout Motors will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive drive systems or powertrain engineering/production/and or product quality in a SQE capacity.
• Understanding of safety requirements
• Excellent operations experience and a very good understanding of the vehicle assembly/ functionality.
• Strong technical writing ability using SPC and data analysis as well as an ability to explain complex issues in a concise and plain manner.
• Experience in Quality Systems a plus: PPAP/APQP/ VDA processes; In-depth knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and inspection.

Benefits

• Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave
• Competitive insurance including:
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with:
• Generous Paid Time Off including:
• 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays, annually
• 20 days planned PTO, as accrued

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance