Supplier Industrialization Engineer, Composites & Specialty Materials

Joby Aviation•San Carlos, CA

About The Position

The Supplier Industrialization Engineering team is responsible for critical component development and qualification activities at suppliers. This role communicates with internal and external teams, travels to suppliers in different regions, and makes critical decisions on the spot. Its goal is to deliver on-time quantities of high-quality component parts into production processes, enabling rapid development cycles and product launches. The engineer serves as the primary technical authority for a portfolio of supply-chain commodities, which may include composites, sheet metal, machined parts, extrusions, bonded and fastened assemblies, hardware, injection-molded parts, mechanical assemblies, additive manufacturing, and purchased non-COTS components. The role leads supplier development from RFQ and source selection through advanced development, production qualification, and mass production, while partnering with Design, Quality, Manufacturing, and Purchasing.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 5 years of experience in industrial, manufacturing, or process engineering, supplier development, and/or supplier quality engineering.
Deep understanding of product technologies and manufacturing processes for at least one of the listed commodities.
Experience taking parts from prototype to production at an external supplier or contract manufacturer.
In-depth knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and inspection.
Strong organizational skills, with the ability to delegate while also deep-diving into tactical issues when required.
Demonstrable leadership abilities.
Ability to travel up to 50% domestically and internationally, with a valid passport or the ability to obtain one.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AS9100 and AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI) quality systems.
Experience with process validation tools, including Process Flow Diagrams, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans, Process Capability (Cpk), and other PPAP/APQP elements.
Root cause and corrective action experience, including 8D, 5-Why, and fishbone methods.
Familiarity with NADCAP special-process requirements.
Experience with FAA-certified or other highly regulated products.
Six Sigma Green or Black Belt with SPC experience.
Experience with tooling design or tooling qualification.

Responsibilities

Assess supplier capability from RFQ and source selection against design requirements, and develop plans to address gaps in tooling, equipment, process control, and workforce skills before production commitments.
Partner with Design, Quality, and Manufacturing early on design for manufacturability, including tolerance, material and process selection, and inspection feasibility; provide input on new or alternative materials and processes.
Define tooling and inspection fixture strategies with suppliers, including tooling design reviews, gauging approaches, and tooling qualification.
Lead supplier New Product Introduction from advanced development through mass production qualification, including readiness reviews, AS9102 First Article Inspection, process validation, and production part approval.
Guide suppliers in developing robust processes and procedures for efficient production of high-quality parts.
Support ramp to rate through capacity planning, tooling duplication, and bottleneck removal while maintaining supplier process control.
Translate technical requirements between suppliers and Purchasing, Quality, and Design teams, and determine performance specifications and launch-readiness metrics.
Validate supplier corrective actions involving design or process changes to ensure they are robust, sustainable, and applied to similar potential concerns across manufacturing lines or suppliers.
Build and improve team tools, templates, and methods for rapidly industrializing suppliers.