Supplier Quality Engineer I

Job title: Supplier Quality Engineer I

Location: Greenville, South Carolina

Type- Contract (12 Months)

Job Summary

We are looking for a Supplier Quality Engineer who thrives on solving problems, driving excellence across the supply chain, and ensuring that every component meets the highest quality standards. This role focuses on incoming materials and components, supplier deviation management, hot gas path component qualification, post-cast process qualification, and continuous improvement across the supplier base. The Supplier Quality Engineer will collaborate with engineering, sourcing, manufacturing, materials, and supplier teams to ensure product reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supplier Deviation Request (SDR) Management

• Own the end-to-end SDR process, from intake and technical review to dispositioning and closure.
• Evaluate supplier deviations for engineering acceptability and assess risks to product performance.
• Collaborate with design engineering, materials, and manufacturing teams to drive timely SDR resolution.
• Track SDR metrics and identify trends to proactively reduce recurring deviations.
• Ensure SDR documentation meets regulatory and internal quality standards.

2. Hot Gas Path and Post-Cast Qualifications

• Assist in qualifying hot gas path components to ensure they meet stringent performance and safety requirements.
• Support post-cast qualification activities, including dimensional inspections, metallurgical evaluations, and process validation.
• Review and approve supplier qualification documentation packages.
• Partner with engineering teams to define qualification criteria.
• Monitor ongoing supplier performance against qualified process parameters.

3. Supplier Returns and Corrective Actions

• Manage supplier returns for non-conforming materials and components.
• Conduct root cause analysis investigations in partnership with suppliers.
• Initiate and track Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) to drive accountability.
• Verify the effectiveness of corrective actions and validate closure of quality escapes.
• Maintain accurate return and non-conformance records for audit readiness.

4. Supplier Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Conduct supplier audits and assessments, both on-site and remotely, to evaluate quality systems.
• Support new supplier onboarding and qualification activities.
• Participate in cross-functional teams for New Product Introduction (NPI) quality planning.
• Drive supplier quality improvement initiatives using Six Sigma, 8D, and lean methodologies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of internal quality processes and tools.

Must-Have Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Materials, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in supplier quality, quality assurance, or manufacturing quality.
• Knowledge of supplier deviations, non-conformance management, and corrective actions.
• Proficiency in SAP QM, Minitab, or similar quality tools and Microsoft Office.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel to supplier sites up to 10%.

Nice-to-Have Requirements

• Experience with investment casting, superalloys, or metallurgy.
• Background in gas turbine, aerospace, or power generation industries.
• Knowledge of GD&T, CMM inspection, and NDE methods.
• Experience with root cause analysis tools such as 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, and FMEA.
• Familiarity with hot gas path component manufacturing and supplier audits.