Director, Supplier Quality

About the role

Divergent is a technology company that has developed an end-to-end factory system called the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS). This system uses machine learning to optimize the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of complex vehicle structures and subsystems. Divergent is a qualified Tier 1 supplier to global automotive OEMs and is now expanding to support mission-critical needs in the Aerospace and Defense sectors.

Responsibilities

• Supplier Quality Strategy, Governance & Operating Model

• Architect and deploy a scalable supplier quality operating system that supports low-volume, high-complexity builds, scalable production, and additive manufacturing infrastructure.
• Define supplier segmentation strategy and differentiate quality engagement models.
• Establish quality governance forums and develop a multi-year roadmap for supplier quality maturity aligned with company growth.
• Own end-to-end supplier quality policies, procedures, and standard work.
• Drive digitization of supplier quality processes.

• Supplier Selection, Qualification & Industrialization

• Partner with sourcing during RFQ and supplier selection to evaluate technical capability, process maturity, capacity, and quality system robustness.
• Lead supplier risk assessments and define and execute supplier qualification frameworks, including pre-award audits, capability studies, and run-at-rate validations.
• Drive industrialization readiness for new suppliers, including manufacturing process validation, tooling and fixture qualification, and special process validation.

• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) Execution

• Own supplier-side APQP execution across all programs and customers.
• Ensure robust completion and approval of design reviews, process flow diagrams, PFMEAs, and control plans.
• Drive Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) submissions and validate dimensional results, capability indices, and material certifications.

• Supplier Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Define and operationalize supplier scorecards, including PPM, OTD, COPQ, responsiveness, and corrective action closure time.
• Lead monthly/quarterly business reviews and drive structured supplier improvement programs, including Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma projects.
• Develop and deploy supplier development roadmaps for underperforming or strategic partners and own escalation process for chronic supplier issues.

• Nonconformance Management, Root Cause & Corrective Actions

• Establish a closed-loop nonconformance management system and lead critical supplier quality issue resolution using 8D methodology, 5 Whys, Ishikawa, and fault tree analysis.
• Validate effectiveness of corrective actions through data and audit.

• New Product Introduction (NPI) & Program Support

• Embed SQE resources within program teams to ensure early supplier engagement.
• Identify and mitigate supplier risks during design and development phases and ensure suppliers are aligned with engineering changes and rapid iteration cycles.
• Drive seamless transition from prototype builds to pilot and production.

• Cross-Functional Integration

• Act as the primary interface between suppliers and internal teams for all quality-related matters and partner closely with engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and program management.
• Influence design decisions to ensure manufacturability and supplier capability alignment.

• Global Supplier Engagement & Field Presence

• Maintain strong, in-person engagement with key suppliers through on-site audits, launch support, crisis management, and lead war room efforts.
• Build long-term, trust-based partnerships with strategic suppliers while maintaining accountability.

• Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build and lead a high-caliber Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) organization and define roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for the team.
• Coach and develop team members in technical quality tools, supplier engagement, and problem-solving methodologies.

• Cost of Quality & Business Impact

• Own and reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) across the supply base and quantify financial impact of supplier quality issues.
• Partner with finance and supply chain to drive should-cost and quality-cost tradeoffs and ensure supplier quality supports overall business objectives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, or related roles.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing SQE or quality teams.
• Strong experience in automotive, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Deep expertise in APQP/PPAP, root cause analysis, statistical process control, supplier auditing, and development.
• Experience managing complex, global supply chains.

Benefits

At Divergent, we offer a holistic compensation package including a competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities. We also provide wellness and time off benefits, comprehensive health and wellness, investment in growth, a collaborative and high-performing environment, and equal employment opportunity.