Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Position 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. The supply chain spans contract manufacturers, magnet suppliers, PCB manufacturers, and precision machining partners across the US, Mexico, and Asia. As the company scales rapidly, the quality of the supply base is directly linked to the ability to deliver reliable, world‑class products.

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, acting as both a quality gate and a lean development partner.

Location: Austin, TX (with travel to supplier sites domestically and internationally).
Reports To: Senior Director of Quality.
Travel Required: Up to 40% (supplier audits & development visits).

Key Responsibilities

• Supplier Quality Management & Performance
  • Own quality performance of assigned suppliers—track incoming defect rate (PPM), on‑time delivery, corrective‑action closure rate, and audit findings.
  • Maintain supplier scorecards and lead periodic supplier quality review meetings.
  • Establish and enforce incoming inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and control plans for critical components (magnets, PCBs, stator assemblies, precision‑machined parts).
  • Manage supplier quality escapes—initiate containment, lead root‑cause investigations, and drive permanent corrective action through verified closure.
  • Monitor supplier quality trends and proactively escalate systemic risks.
• Supplier Qualification & Development
  • Lead new supplier qualification activities: quality system assessments, process audits, first‑article inspection (FAI), and approval decisions.
  • Conduct on‑site supplier audits (process, system, layered process) at domestic and international locations.
  • Develop supplier lean and quality capability through Kaizen events, VSM exercises, A3 problem solving, and SMED workshops.
  • Implement pull systems, visual management, standard work, and statistical process control at supplier facilities.
  • 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, historical performance, and component criticality.
  • Work with receiving and production teams to ensure proper identification, inspection, and disposition of incoming material, including quarantine and hold processes for nonconforming material.
  • Drive suppliers toward certified status (skip‑lot or ship‑to‑stock) as quality performance matures.
  • Manage nonconforming material disposition (use‑as‑is, rework, return to supplier, scrap) with engineering review and documentation.
• Supplier Corrective Action (SCAR) Management
  • Issue SCARs for quality escapes, audit findings, and systemic performance issues with clear problem statements and response timelines.
  • Review and approve supplier 8D corrective‑action responses, ensuring systemic root‑cause analysis.
  • Track open SCARs to verified effectiveness; close only after sustained improvement is demonstrated with data.
  • Analyze SCAR trends to identify recurring failure modes and opportunities for proactive intervention.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Quality Systems
  • Partner with engineering, operations, and supply‑chain teams on new product introductions to define and control supplier quality requirements.
  • Contribute to FMEA development and control‑plan creation for sourced components.
  • Support the Infinitum Quality Management System (QMS) by maintaining supplier quality records, audit reports, and qualification documentation.
  • Represent supplier quality in design reviews, engineering change notifications (ECNs), and material review board (MRB) activities.
  • Participate in developing and improving supplier quality procedures, work instructions, and the supplier quality manual.

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 within 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, 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 clearly escalate supplier risks 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/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.
• Supplier development mindset – treats supplier improvement as a collaborative investment.
• Analytical rigor – drives to systemic root causes; rejects symptom‑level corrective actions.
• Influence without authority – drives improvement in organizations that do not report to Infinitum.
• 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 the supplier portfolio.
• Continuous improvement – applies lean thinking to own work and suppliers’ operations, seeking systemic patterns and durable prevention.

Working Conditions

This position requires regular travel to supplier facilities domestically and internationally, including periodic trips 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 in Austin, TX, with regular visits to the production floor.