Supplier Quality Engineer

Smart Wires is currently looking for a Supplier Quality Engineer based in St. Petersburg, FL to support our Supply Chain and Procurement team.

The Position

As a Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE), you will work directly with suppliers to ensure supplied materials meet Smart Wires’ quality requirements, interface with the Smart Wires engineering team, and provide on-site support to Smart Wires’ contract manufacturing operation in St. Petersburg, Florida. In collaboration with design engineering, supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, and supplier partners, you will lead Quality Assurance, Supplier/Part Qualification, Supplier Performance Monitoring/Improvement, Risk Management and Continuous Improvement initiatives to support Smart Wires’ business strategy and quality objectives. Qualified candidates are energetic, excellent communicators, have experience in supplier/manufacturing quality, and can thrive when working as part of a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary team.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership as the primary point of contact to coordinate quality related communication between suppliers and Smart Wires Engineering, Procurement, and Manufacturing functions
• Partner with cross-functional teams to proactively resolve quality issues related to supplier components by providing technical guidance to assure product/process compliance with engineering drawings and specifications
• Support on-site manufacturing activities related to the receipt, inspection, production and disposition of nonconforming materials
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to create and improve upon processes within the supply chain organization and at the contract manufacturer
• Lead robust Root Cause Analysis and corrective/preventive action implementation to solve supplier quality issues and prevent reoccurrence
• Develop and implement quality control plans, inspection procedures, and acceptance criteria for incoming materials
• Conduct supplier audits to evaluate compliance with quality standards and identify areas for improvement
• Manage supplier qualifications to ensure that assigned suppliers can produce material, and/or components that will consistently meet Engineering drawing and specification requirements
• Monitor supplier performance metrics (e.g., defect rates, on-time delivery) and take corrective actions as needed
• Other roles and responsibilities as dictated by business needs

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality Management or a closely related field (or a high school diploma / GED with at least 7 years of work experience in a related field)
• Minimum of 3 years of Supplier Quality Engineering experience in a manufacturing environment or related experience
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Experience with mechanical and electronic components and their assemblies
• Experience with engineering drawings and Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) for mechanical parts, as well as electrical and PCBA specification conventions
• Professional oral and written interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to adapt to change as necessary

Desired Skills and Experience

• Self-motivated and able to achieve results with minimal supervision and oversight
• Supplier quality experience in PCBAs, PCBA components, electronics, electrical components and cable assemblies
• Machining exposure related to metrology tools, CNC, quality control and metal forming
• Knowledge of metal coatings
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to lead suppliers through the assessment/qualification process
• Experience leading teams in problem solving for driving supplier improvements using Lean Six Sigma methodology
• Strong negotiation skills and experience in developing win-win relationships with suppliers
• ASQ certifications (CSQP, CQE, CQA), or similar professional certifications
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or AS9100 requirements

Location

This position is based out of our contract manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg, Florida. Remote work will be permitted by exception only.

Travel Requirements

Occasional travel to other Smart Wires or supplier sites as dictated by business needs

Safety Requirements 

Smart Wires team members are expected to comply with all safety requirements and regulations when working at Smart Wires facilities and customer sites. Additional safety precautions may include the use of PPE gear as needed per site requirements.

Benefits

The Company

Smart Wires is a global power technology company advancing the delivery of affordable, clean electricity worldwide. With our innovative technology and advanced analytics, we maximize the grid’s capacity. This means more renewables, at a lower cost and with less disruption to communities and the environment. Smart Wires is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with a global workforce spread across four continents. Our team collaborates with our customers to achieve their strategic objectives and help them face an uncertain energy future with flexible, high-impact solutions.

The Culture

We are passionate about creating a culture that empowers our team to create positive change for everyone., and achieve their full potential, based on our core values:

• Making an impact - We are passionate and ambitious about a better future for everyone. We are laser-focused on creating a meaningful, positive impact with real change for our customers, our industry, electricity consumers, and the planet.
• Collaboration to drive success - We collaborate with each other, and our stakeholders, because we know even better outcomes come from great teamwork. We have humility which allows us to listen, learn and improve. We value diverse perspectives and seek high impact results.
• Accountability - We take responsibility for our actions and behaviors, and for the outcomes we deliver. Acting with integrity and authenticity – and maintaining clear, open communication – ensures we are always improving, and delivering safe, high-quality solutions. We do what we say we will do.
• Tenacious courage - We are clear on our path. We have always pioneered new ideas that challenge the status quo, even when it’s not popular. We have tenacity, grit and determination. We push the boundaries of what’s thought to be possible – so we can leave the world a better place than we found it.

**Smart Wires is committed to diversity in our organization and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. Smart Wires complies with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination and we especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of any skin color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.**