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Northwood · 1 week ago

Senior Supplier Development Engineer

Torrance, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

5+ years exp

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space through innovations in space communications technologies. The Senior Supplier Development Engineer will establish quality systems and develop the supply base, ensuring products are designed and built for long-term performance.

AerospaceHardwareSatellite Communication

Diversity & Inclusion

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Design and implement the company’s first supplier quality assurance system, documentation, and workflows

Lead the identification, evaluation, and qualification of new suppliers for key components (RF, PCBA, mechanical, electromechanical) and conduct supplier audits, performance reviews, and corrective action processes

Collaborate with product design and manufacturing teams on DFM, NPI, and pilot builds

Support in defining supplier KPIs (quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness) and establish reporting mechanisms

Drive resolution of supplier quality issues through root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (NCR/CAPA)

Support the development of incoming inspection plans and testing protocols

Act as a hands-on technical liaison between internal engineering teams and external manufacturing partners

Own capacity expansion readiness and production ramp-up at suppliers

Develop and implement supplier technical requirements and quality flow downs to meet hardware manufacturing needs

Provide feedback to suppliers as appropriate on manufacturing methods, with a specific focus on eliminating costs, reducing cycle times, and increasing yields

Drive supplier root cause failure analysis and corrective actions associated with any quality gaps, escapes, or containments

Lead cost engineering activities to converge the bottoms-up cost curve to product cost, maximizing the total cost of ownership

Qualification

Supplier Quality AssuranceQuality Standards ISO 9001Quality Standards AS9100Supplier Performance ManagementLean Six Sigma CertificationRF Components ExperienceSQL ProficiencyMechanical EngineeringElectrical EngineeringIndustrial EngineeringSupplier Development ExperienceQuality System DevelopmentData Analytics Tools

Required

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related field

5+ years of experience in Supplier Quality or Supplier Development roles in manufacturing

Experience with quality standards and tools (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, PPAP)

Experience qualifying new suppliers and managing supplier performance

Experience building or scaling quality systems in a low-to-medium volume, high-complexity manufacturing environment

Able to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally

Preferred

Prior experience in the aerospace, satellite, telecommunications, or defense industries

Experience with RF components, PCBA, custom enclosures, and electromechanical assemblies

Familiarity with ERP, PLM, and digital quality management systems

Experience supporting early-stage product development through to production ramp

Lean Six Sigma or other quality certifications

Proficient in SQL or other data tools for supplier and quality analytics

Company

Northwood

Northwood was founded by Bridgit Mendler, Griffin Cleverly, and Shaurya Luthra with the mission to expand access to space by transforming satellite backhaul infrastructure.

Founded in 2023

Torrance, California, USA

11-50 employees