Senior Supplier Development Engineer
About Northwood:
Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.
Role:
Northwood is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to be the first quality-focused hire. This role is ideal for someone eager to build supplier quality processes from the ground up and shape how we scale high-reliability manufacturing for satellite ground stations. You will play a critical role in establishing our quality systems, developing our supply base, and partnering with engineering and operations to ensure our products are designed and built for long-term performance. This is a rare opportunity to influence the foundation of quality and supplier operations at a company on the frontier of satellite connectivity.
Responsibilities:
Design and implement the company’s first supplier quality assurance system, documentation, and workflows
Lead the identification, evaluation, and qualification of new suppliers for key components (RF, PCBA, mechanical, electromechanical) and conduct supplier audits, performance reviews, and corrective action processes
Collaborate with product design and manufacturing teams on DFM, NPI, and pilot builds
Support in defining supplier KPIs (quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness) and establish reporting mechanisms
Drive resolution of supplier quality issues through root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (NCR/CAPA)
Support the development of incoming inspection plans and testing protocols
Act as a hands-on technical liaison between internal engineering teams and external manufacturing partners
Own capacity expansion readiness and production ramp-up at suppliers
Develop and implement supplier technical requirements and quality flow downs to meet hardware manufacturing needs
Provide feedback to suppliers as appropriate on manufacturing methods, with a specific focus on eliminating costs, reducing cycle times, and increasing yields
Drive supplier root cause failure analysis and corrective actions associated with any quality gaps, escapes, or containments
Lead cost engineering activities to converge the bottoms-up cost curve to product cost, maximizing the total cost of ownership
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related field
5+ years of experience in Supplier Quality or Supplier Development roles in manufacturing
Experience with quality standards and tools (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, PPAP)
Experience qualifying new suppliers and managing supplier performance
Experience building or scaling quality systems in a low-to-medium volume, high-complexity manufacturing environment
Able to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally
Preferred Qualifications:
Prior experience in the aerospace, satellite, telecommunications, or defense industries
Experience with RF components, PCBA, custom enclosures, and electromechanical assemblies
Familiarity with ERP, PLM, and digital quality management systems
Experience supporting early-stage product development through to production ramp
Lean Six Sigma or other quality certifications
Proficient in SQL or other data tools for supplier and quality analytics
Additional Information:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.