Supplier Quality Engineer

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats. 

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.

Role Overview

The Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) is responsible for qualifying, developing, and sustaining suppliers to ensure conformance to quality management system requirements and detailed technical design specifications across mechanical and electrical components and assemblies.

This role partners closely with Engineering, Sourcing, Manufacturing, and Program Management to ensure suppliers can consistently deliver parts and assemblies that meet performance, reliability, and production scalability requirements. The SQE drives supplier readiness from early design engagement through production ramp and lifecycle support.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical fluency in mechanical and electrical manufacturing processes, deep working knowledge of QMS standards (e.g., ISO 9001 / AS9100), and experience implementing structured supplier qualification frameworks (APQP, PPAP, FAI, audits, control plans, etc.).

Responsibilities

1. Supplier Qualification & Technical Capability Assessment

• Evaluate supplier manufacturing capabilities for mechanical components (machining, fabrication, casting, additive, special processes) and electrical assemblies (cables, harnesses, PCBAs, electro-mechanical assemblies).
• Assess supplier ability to meet detailed engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and performance requirements.
• Conduct on-site supplier audits and technical assessments.
• Qualify suppliers through structured processes including:
  • Process audits
  • First Article Inspection (FAI/AS9102)
  • Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
  • Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)
  • Process Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (PFMEA)

2. Design & Development Integration

• Partner with Engineering during design reviews to:
  • Provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback.
  • Identify high-risk features, special processes, and key characteristics.
  • Define inspection and validation requirements.
• Ensure clear technical flow-down of:
  • Drawings and specifications
  • Critical-to-quality characteristics
  • Source control requirements
  • Regulatory and compliance requirements

3. Quality Systems & Compliance Oversight

• Audit and evaluate supplier Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001, AS9100 or equivalent).
• Ensure suppliers maintain:
  • Control plans
  • Inspection plans
  • Calibration systems
  • Traceability and configuration control
• Verify compliance with contractual quality clauses and regulatory requirements (e.g., ITAR where applicable).

4. Production Readiness & Risk Mitigation

• Drive supplier readiness for prototype, low-rate initial production, and rate increases.
• Analyze key and critical characteristics and validate process capability.
• Develop containment plans and manage supplier risk mitigation activities.
• Support MRB and nonconformance management related to purchased materials.

5. Corrective Action & Continuous Improvement

• Lead Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR).
• Perform root cause analysis (8D, DMAIC, 5-Why, Fishbone).
• Validate effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions.
• Drive measurable improvements in:
  • First pass yield
  • Defect rate
  • On-time delivery
  • Process capability (Cp/Cpk)

6. Cross-Functional Supplier Performance Management

• Partner with Sourcing to manage supplier scorecards.
• Support strategic sourcing decisions with technical and quality input.
• Provide executive-ready summaries of supplier risk and performance trends.

 Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical discipline.
• 5–10+ years of experience in Supplier Quality Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Quality Engineering in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience qualifying suppliers for:
• Precision mechanical components
• Electrical assemblies (e.g., cables, harnesses, electro-mechanical systems)
• Working knowledge of:
• ISO 9001 and/or AS9100 quality systems
• APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC
• AS9102 First Article Inspection
• GD&T interpretation
• Experience conducting supplier audits and source inspections.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including:
• CNC machining, fabrication, special processes (heat treat, coating, anodize)
• Wire harness fabrication and electrical termination methods
• Functional and environmental testing methodologies
• Experience managing supplier corrective action and root cause investigations.
• Ability to travel up to 75%.

Preferred Requirements 

• AS9100 Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor certification.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Experience scaling suppliers from prototype to high-rate production.
• Experience working with government or defense programs.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and PLM tools.
• IPC-A-620 or IPC-A-610 familiarity (for electrical assemblies).

Why CHAOS?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch, ‘No meeting Fridays’, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 200 employees and counting across 5 global offices

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. 

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

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