Supplier Quality Engineer

Proper Voltage is unlocking the next generation of battery technology across robotics, data centers, and defense. We're building intelligent battery systems that make advanced chemistries (sodium-ion, lithium-titanate, lithium-silicon) work in products that were never designed for them.

About the role

The Supplier Quality Engineer owns Proper Voltage's reactive supplier quality function: incoming inspection, first article inspection, supplier corrective action, and day-to-day quality liaison with our supply base and our contract manufacturer. This role reports to the Supplier Quality Manager, who owns the proactive side of the function (supplier qualification, PPAP, APQP, audits, supplier development). Together, this team covers both sides of the quality equation: preventing supplier issues before they happen and containing them fast when they do.

Commodities in scope include the full BOM across our hardware programs: custom mechanical components (CNC aluminum, sheet metal, thermal plates, busbars), electrical components (active, passive, connectors, cables, wire harnesses), packaging, and cells. Most of your work happens at the intersection of our contract manufacturer's production line and our direct supplier relationships. You will spend meaningful time on-site with our contract manufacturer, running incoming inspection, working line quality escalations, and coordinating with their quality team.

Product-level quality (design quality, product reliability, warranty engineering, customer quality escapes) lives in the engineering organization. This role covers external supply base and incoming quality. The two functions partner closely, especially when a component-driven issue surfaces after assembly.

Responsibilities

• Incoming and line quality
  • Run incoming inspection across mechanical, electrical, and cell components. Make accept/reject calls against defined criteria and escalate ambiguous cases quickly.
  • Own first article inspection for new suppliers and new part revisions. Confirm parts match the current approved design before they enter production.
  • Serve as the quality interface with our contract manufacturer's line. Coordinate on line quality issues, hold-and-review decisions, and containment actions.
  • Track and report quality metrics: defect rates, containment time, CAPA closure rates, and supplier quality trends.
• Supplier CAPA and containment
  • Own the supplier corrective action process for day-to-day quality events. Drive suppliers to root cause and verify corrective actions actually resolve the issue.
  • Contain quality escapes fast: identify affected inventory and work in process, coordinate hold decisions, and prevent bad material from reaching the next build stage.
  • Serve as the day-to-day quality liaison with our cell supplier and other critical component suppliers. Escalate complex or repeat issues to the Supplier Quality Manager.
• Cross-functional partnership
  • Partner with the Materials Program Manager on part shortage and shortfall decisions that involve quality holds.
  • Partner with sourcing on supplier performance issues that have commercial implications.
  • Partner with engineering on design or specification questions that surface during inspection or a quality investigation.

Requirements

• 3+ years in supplier quality, incoming quality, or quality engineering in a hardware or industrial product environment.
• Hands-on experience with incoming inspection, first article inspection, and supplier CAPA processes.
• Comfort making real-time accept/reject decisions on incoming material with incomplete information.
• Ability to read mechanical and electrical drawings and specifications well enough to verify conformance.
• Ability to operate independently and build process where none exists yet.
• Willingness to spend regular time on-site at a manufacturing facility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in battery, energy storage, power electronics, or other hardware-adjacent categories.
• Experience with cell or battery component inspection.
• Familiarity with SPC and basic process capability concepts.
• Experience working with a contract manufacturer in a component-direct sourcing model.
• Early-stage startup experience.
• ASQ certifications (CQT, CQI) or equivalent.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Flexible PTO with a generous holiday policy.

Pay

Base salary of $150,000 to $170,000, plus equity.

Note: Proper Voltage is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.