Supplier Quality Engineer I – Electrical & Electronics

Location: Schenectady, New York
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (2 days onsite)
Employment Type: Contract
Duration: 12 months
Compensation: $45–$51/hour (W2)
Function: Supplier Quality / Sourcing
Region Coverage: North America (USA)

Role Summary

The Supplier Quality Engineer is responsible for managing the quality performance of assigned suppliers and ensuring that products and components consistently meet engineering drawings, specifications, and regulatory requirements. This role owns supplier qualifications, drives quality improvement initiatives, investigates quality issues, and ensures effective corrective and preventive actions. The position serves as a key technical interface between suppliers and cross-functional internal teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage supplier qualifications to ensure suppliers are capable of producing products and components that meet engineering drawings and specification requirements

• Own product and manufacturing process qualifications at assigned suppliers and ensure timely closure of qualification activities

• Execute new supplier evaluation and onboarding processes, including quality and compliance audits and assessments

• Conduct supplier surveillance audits to verify effective process controls, product acceptance criteria, and robust quality systems

• Support serial production and product release activities, ensuring quality alignment with project and customer requirements

• Organize and perform supplier inspections to ensure product compliance

• Support customer witness inspections, including Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Customer Observation Point (COP) inspections

• Witness testing at independent third-party laboratories

• Own Supplier Responsibility Governance (SRG) metrics for assigned suppliers and conduct audits per regional audit plans

• Collect supplier process data for Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristics and perform process capability analysis

• Work with suppliers to improve process capability and drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce recurring issues

• Manage supplier non-conformances, service notices, deviation requests, warranty claims, and supplier recovery activities

• Perform robust Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to resolve quality issues and prevent recurrence

• Act as the primary technical interface between suppliers, sourcing, design engineering, and materials/process engineering teams

• Ensure consistent adherence to quality procedures, engineering drawings, and specification requirements

• Provide technical guidance to suppliers to ensure product and process compliance

• Support engineering during product design reviews with supplier quality input

• Collaborate with sourcing teams to develop existing suppliers and support identification and approval of new suppliers

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering (or related technical discipline)

• 8–12 years of hands-on industry experience in electrical and electronics engineering, quality, or manufacturing

• Experience with electrical/instrumentation products including PCBAs, wire harnesses, cables, control cabinets, sensors, transducers, switches, and control transformers

• Minimum 3 years of experience in supply chain or supplier quality

• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and international technical standards

• Experience leading technical design and manufacturing reviews with suppliers

• Strong background in PCBA quality inspection and evaluation

• Ability to trace and interpret wiring schematics and logic circuits

• Demonstrated technical aptitude with a strong focus on quality

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills

• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional team environments

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally on short notice (up to 50%+)

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Electrical or Instrumentation Engineering

• Experience in the instrumentation field

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification (or equivalent demonstrated experience)

• Experience improving supplier statistical capability and evaluating supplier readiness and capacity

• Knowledge of industry standards such as IEC, IEEE, ISO, ANSI, and NEMA

• Familiarity with nuclear industry standards including N299.2 and N299.3

• ISO Lead Auditor certification (third-party registrar or equivalent internal certification)

• Certified RCA Leader or formal problem-solving expertise (e.g., 8D, Kepner-Tregoe, Apollo)

• Experience in power generation equipment manufacturing

• Field experience in gas turbine power plants related to quality, maintenance, or operation of electrical equipment

• Proactive, self-motivated, and process-oriented with strong ownership mindset

• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills