Supplier Quality Engineer II

SPACE SYSTEMS

This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in Rocket Lab’s evolution into an end-to-end space company that delivers launch, spacecraft, and on-orbit operations. The Space Systems Division is shaping Rocket Lab’s future with Photon, our brand of high-performance satellites, enabling innovative missions in low Earth orbit and beyond including missions for NASA to LEO, the Moon, and Mars and commercial customers, including leading the design and manufacture of 17 high-power telecommunication spacecraft buses for Globalstar.

SUPPLIER QUALITY ENGINEER II 

Based out of Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, the Supplier Quality Engineer II is responsible for ensuring the quality requirements for procured parts, services & processes are achieved. Working as a liaison between our internal customers and suppliers you are a critical conduit for translating technical requirements into easy and clear specifications that suppliers can achieve. Your exceptional communication and negotiation skills will encourage suppliers to strive for improvement, implement more robust quality processes and drive cost reduction, processes efficiency whilst enabling smooth management of the sometimes conflicting priorities between customers & suppliers. The role will also include creation of non-conformance reports, performing supplier audits, managing supplier concessions, and identifying opportunities for improvement to reduce risk, cost, or lead time to Rocket Lab.

What you’ll get to do:

• Provide guidance and support on supplier quality requirements in Space Systems division through prototype and development of production plans for satellite systems, subsystems and components
• Establishing fundamental Supplier Quality systems and processes to drive the business forward
• Generate metrics and tools to enhance visibility of supplier performance
• Continuous improvement of product quality
• Performing on site and remote supplier audits
• Creation of internal and external quality control plans
• Creation of quality standards, processes, and procedures
• Creation of Non-Conformance reports
• Performing quality investigations
• Identifying processes failures at suppliers
• Drive to understand root causes and ensure implementation of corrective actions
• Deploying PFMEA tools, techniques & training to support targeted improvement actions
• Creation of internal Engineering Change Requests to support improved manufacturability of parts
• Support suppliers with scaling up their production processes to achieve the future quality cost and delivery targets
• Follow-up & verify corrective action implementations and audit findings
• Strong focus on quality improvement at source and driving cost reduction opportunities
• Developing new supplier management processes
• Working with suppliers to introduce new products into production (NPI, APQP, PPAP)
• Liaise between suppliers, development, production, and senior management
• Ensure health and safety policies and standard operating procedures are followed at both Rocket Lab and supplier sites 

 You’ll bring these qualifications:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience working in a high quality, process driven environment
• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering
• Previous experience in a Supplier Quality role
• Demonstrated understanding of EEE parts requirements
• Exposure to regulatory standards such as AS9100, IS09001, ISO13485, IATF 16949, IPC J-STD, IPC A-160 or similar
• Experience developing KPI’s for performance reporting
• Practical experience leading and investigating quality related issues
• Experience with Root cause Investigations, Practical Problem solving, 8D’s, 5 Why’s, Fishbone diagrams, Ishikawa and/or similar problem-solving tools
• The ability to interpret engineering drawings and geometric dimensions

These qualifications would be nice to have:

• Experience leading and managing projects
• Experience successfully developing and introducing new products to production
• Experience working within a regulated industry Aerospace, Medical, Automotive etc.
• Experience with a wide range of specialized technical manufacturing processes
• Lean/six sigma experience
• NPI/APQP/PPAP experience
• Understanding of Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Gauge R&R