Plant Supplier Quality Engineer

The Plant Supplier Quality Engineer will be a critical member of the Zoox Supplier Quality team, focused on protecting the assembly line and ensuring that all incoming supplier-provided components meet quality specifications at the point of use. This role is responsible for immediate containment, robust problem-solving, and driving cross-functional corrective actions for non-conforming material within the Zoox assembly plant. The ideal candidate will be proactive, energetic, detail-oriented, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing environment.

In this role you will :

• Act as the first responder to all supplier material quality issues identified on the assembly line, in receiving, or in pre-assembly inspection areas. Immediately implement containment activities (e.g., sort, rework, scrap, Stop Shipment) to prevent line disruption Own the in-plant disposition of non-conforming materials. Raise and manage Non-Conformance Reports, ensuring proper segregation, identification, and disposition of affected parts.

• Lead Corrective Actions for in-plant supplier quality issues, partnering directly with the Manufacturing, Vehicle Engineering, and the Supplier Quality Engineer that manages the supplier site.

• Work closely with Manufacturing and Vehicle Systems Engineering to assess the immediate impact of part quality issues on the assembly process. Identify and support changes to assembly operations/work instructions required due to temporary supplier deviations.

• Analyze and report in-plant supplier quality metrics, including line fallout rates, non-conformance trends, and containment effectiveness,to leadership.

• Identify systemic quality risks based on in-plant failures and collaborate with the SQE team

Qualificiations

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline.

• Minimum 6+ years of experience in a Plant Quality, Manufacturing Quality, or Supplier Quality role within a high-volume manufacturing environment (Automotive, Aviation, or similar industries are preferred).

• Demonstrated experience in a production plant environment with a strong understanding of assembly line operations and the impact of material quality on production flow.

• Expertise in Problem-Solving Techniques: Proven experience using structured methodologies such as 8D, Six-Sigma (Green/Black Belt preferred), Fish Bone Analysis, 5 Whys, and statistical analysis.

• Strong Core Quality Tool Knowledge: Working knowledge of Process Flow Diagrams, Process FMEAs, Control Plans, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).

• Familiarity with supplier quality processes such as APQP and PPAP is beneficial, with a focus on evaluating their effectiveness based on in-plant performance.

• Fully literate in Microsoft computer applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Solid knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) for rapid part assessment.