Senior Suppler Quality Engineer

Skydio Skydio · Defense · San Mateo, CA +1 · Operations

Skydio is seeking a Senior Supplier Quality Engineer to manage and strengthen its supplier base for electromechanical systems, focusing on PCB, PCBA, and electronics manufacturing. The role involves conducting supplier assessments, driving quality planning throughout product development and production phases, managing corrective actions, and analyzing quality data to ensure product reliability and continuous improvement. This position requires experience in high-volume electronics manufacturing and familiarity with various quality tools and IPC standards.

What you'd actually do

  1. Conduct supplier assessments and on-site audits to evaluate PCB, PCBA, and electronics manufacturing suppliers' quality systems, process controls, and overall production capabilities.
  2. Partner with Electrical, Manufacturing, and Design Engineers throughout the Hardware Product Development Process to ensure robust quality planning, manufacturability, testability, and supplier readiness for new product introductions and volume production.
  3. Drive supplier qualification activities including process audits, First Article Inspections (FAI), Production Validation Builds (PVT), and manufacturing readiness reviews to ensure compliance with Skydio's design, reliability, and quality requirements.
  4. Lead supplier quality planning during prototype, pre-production, and mass production phases, including control plans, PFMEAs, process validations, and outgoing quality strategies to minimize incoming inspection and maximize field reliability.
  5. Manage supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), 8D investigations, containment actions, and root cause analysis efforts to rapidly resolve quality issues and drive systemic improvements.

Skills

Required

  • Supplier assessments and audits
  • Quality systems and process controls evaluation
  • Hardware Product Development Process collaboration
  • Quality planning
  • Manufacturability and testability assessment
  • Supplier readiness evaluation
  • New product introduction support
  • Volume production support
  • Supplier qualification
  • First Article Inspections (FAI)
  • Production Validation Builds (PVT)
  • Manufacturing readiness reviews
  • Prototype, pre-production, and mass production quality planning
  • Control plans
  • PFMEAs
  • Process validations
  • Outgoing quality strategies
  • Supplier corrective action requests (SCARs)
  • 8D investigations
  • Containment actions
  • Root cause analysis
  • Supplier scorecards and KPIs development
  • Continuous improvement initiatives
  • Manufacturing and field quality data analysis
  • Risk mitigation
  • PCB fabrication
  • SMT assembly
  • Component quality management
  • Electronic system reliability
  • Inspection and test methodologies
  • Process control methodologies
  • Interpreting electrical schematics
  • Interpreting assembly drawings
  • Interpreting Gerber files
  • Interpreting fabrication notes
  • Interpreting engineering documentation
  • Communicating technical requirements
  • PFMEA
  • DFMEA
  • Control Plans
  • PPAP
  • 8D
  • Root Cause Analysis (5-Why, Fishbone)
  • Statistical Process Control (SPC)
  • Process Capability Analysis
  • Design of Experiments (DOE)
  • Component qualification
  • Supplier process validation
  • Reliability testing
  • Failure analysis techniques
  • IPC standards (IPC-A-610, IPC-6012, IPC-J-STD-001, IPC-7711/7721)
  • Electronics industry quality requirements
  • Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Influencing cross-functional teams and suppliers
  • Experience developing, qualifying, and managing electronics manufacturing suppliers
  • Quality engineering experience in high-volume, high-complexity consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, robotics, or similar industries
  • Deep knowledge of PCB fabrication, SMT processes, electronic assembly, test systems, and component quality management
  • Familiarity with PCB and PCBA manufacturing processes
  • Proficiency with quality tools
  • Experience with component qualification, supplier process validation, reliability testing, and failure analysis techniques

Nice to have

  • FAA Part 107 certification

What the JD emphasized

  • quality engineering experience in high-volume, high-complexity consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, robotics, or similar industries
  • deep knowledge of PCB fabrication, SMT processes, electronic assembly, test systems, and component quality management
  • familiar with PCB and PCBA manufacturing processes, including PCB fabrication technologies, soldering processes, AOI, SPI, ICT, flying probe, functional test, X-ray inspection, and reliability testing methodologies
  • proficient with quality tools such as PFMEA, DFMEA, Control Plans, PPAP, 8D, Root Cause Analysis (5-Why, Fishbone), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Process Capability Analysis, and Design of Experiments (DOE), with demonstrated measurable results
  • experience with component qualification, supplier process validation, reliability testing, and failure analysis techniques for electronic assemblies