Director, Supplier Quality

QuantumScape Corporation•San Jose, CA

80d•$179,100 - $250,700•Onsite

About The Position

QuantumScape is seeking a Director, Supplier Quality to lead the Supplier Quality pillar within the Quality & Reliability organization. This role is crucial for transforming energy storage with solid-state lithium-metal battery technology by ensuring a high-quality supply base. The Quality & Reliability organization is a five-pillar team focused on end-to-end quality ownership. The Director, Supplier Quality will be responsible for building a supplier base that ships first-time-right material, driving incoming defects to zero, and eliminating waste associated with quality issues. The core mandate is to "move quality left" by rigorously qualifying suppliers, transferring clear requirements, and holding them accountable before material reaches QuantumScape. This leader will also manage a seamless quality handoff with strategic manufacturing partners as the company scales into high-volume commercial production. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record applying lean principles to supplier quality, focusing on waste elimination, flow, and prevention rather than inspection. Experience in regulated, high-volume manufacturing with measurable supplier quality improvements is highly desired.

Requirements

B.S. required in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related technical discipline
12+ years of progressive quality experience in regulated, high-volume manufacturing – with at least 3 years in supplier quality management or equivalent leadership
Proven track record applying lean principles to supplier quality – waste elimination, flow, and prevention over inspection – with measurable results in scrap, rework, and incoming PPM reduction
Strong supplier quality background – APQP, PPAP, supplier PFMEA, supplier audits, IQC strategy, dock-to-stock qualification, and supplier excursion management with measurable results at the source
Hands-on expertise driving supplier corrective action and development – 8D, root cause analysis, containment, and closing the loop so problems get fixed once
Demonstrated proficiency with core quality tools – FMEA, SPC, MSA, control plans, gage R&R – and the discipline to deploy them at suppliers, not just internally
Working knowledge of ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 supplier requirements, customer-specific requirements (CSR), and how supplier quality integrates with the broader QMS
Highly developed written and verbal cross-functional communication skills – able to engage credibly with executives, suppliers, and shop floor teams, and to surface problems clearly without softening the message
Proven leadership track record – building and leading supplier quality teams of 8+ engineers across multiple suppliers/sites, and developing emerging leaders

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (M.S. or MBA)
ASQ CQE / CQA / Lead Auditor / Six Sigma certifications
Direct experience in battery, semiconductor, automotive, aerospace, or medical device supplier quality – or another industry where particle control, contamination control, and zero-defect supplier expectations are non-negotiable
Experience standing up supplier quality for new manufacturing partners or contract manufacturers, and managing quality through supplier and site transitions
Familiarity with the transition from R&D-stage supplier management to high-volume commercial supplier quality systems

Responsibilities

Own the Supplier Quality pillar end-to-end – supplier qualification and approval, supplier PFMEA, APQP and PPAP execution, supplier audits and scorecards, and supplier excursion / corrective-action (8D) management – driving incoming defects toward zero at the source
Set and continuously improve IQC strategy and dock-to-stock qualification – deploying a risk-based verification model that reduces non-conforming material escapes while retiring redundant incoming inspection as supplier capability is proven
Embed and co-locate supplier development engineers at key suppliers to drive APQP, PPAP, and supplier PFMEA at the source before parts arrive – moving QuantumScape from inspection at the dock to capability at the supplier, consistent with battery-industry best practice that particle and contamination control starts with raw-material suppliers
Drive “quality left” to suppliers – transferring clear defect definitions, acceptance criteria, and control requirements (defined with Manufacturing Quality from Product Quality & Reliability characterization) so suppliers own conformance before material ships, not QuantumScape at receiving
Apply lean and waste-elimination discipline across the supplier base – attacking material and labor waste (scrap, sort, rework, expedites, over-inspection) and giving suppliers and the floor clear, real-time guardrails on which defects matter and which levers move the needle
Lead upstream particle and contamination control at the source – critical for solid-state cell manufacturing – and hold suppliers to zero-defect expectations on critical characteristics
Own a seamless supplier and manufacturing-partner quality handoff as QuantumScape scales into high-volume commercial production and IFM/partner transitions – ensuring continuity of quality acceptance and clear ownership through every transition
Partner with Supply Chain to make quality a first-class criterion in supplier selection and strategic sourcing, and with Manufacturing Operations on the planned transition of IQC execution into the line organization
Establish and report supplier quality metrics (PPM, cost of poor quality, supplier scorecards, containment and 8D closure) that connect to corporate priorities (Reliability, Product, Gen 2 Readiness, Commercial, Finance) and tie directly to yield, scrap, and shippable output
Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of supplier quality engineers – creating clear ownership at every handoff and growing people through the work