Supplier Quality Engineer

Position Overview:

The Supplier Quality Engineer ensures that all components, materials, and assemblies sourced from suppliers and products sourced from the CM meet Inseego’s, and the customer’s, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and performance specifications. The Inseego Supplier Quality Engineer will primarily work onsite at one of our (CM) manufacturing partners in India. This role is critical in ensuring production yield and quality for New Product Introduction (NPI), ramp-up, and Mass Production. The engineer will also lead customer complaint management, drive continuous quality improvements, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance supplier performance and product quality. A strong focus will be placed on PCBA manufacturing processes, advanced quality tools, lean methodologies, and smart manufacturing. This role also validates the CM’s QMS systems, production processes and production quality. This is a cross-functional role supporting operations and engineering aimed at ensuring the production quality of Inseego products. This role works closely with procurement, engineering and operations.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with suppliers and R&D teams to ensure production predictability and stability at the supplier (CM) site.
• Support capacity planning and ensure consistent output with high-quality standards at the supplier.
• Manage customer complaints using 8D reporting methodology, ensuring timely resolution and communication.
• Drive the implementation and validation of improvement and corrective actions.
• Conduct risk assessments and provide recommendations for new suppliers and process technologies.
• Oversee sustaining activities and process optimization to ensure long-term efficiency.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive continuous improvement plan.
• Work with suppliers to establish and implement quality management plans using industry-standard tools and methodologies to drive quality improvements.
• Conduct end-to-end audits of PCBA manufacturing processes, including SMT, wave soldering, and selective soldering, to ensure compliance with quality standards.
• Assess and qualify suppliers based on technical capability, quality systems, and production capacity.
• Conduct capability assessments and risk evaluations for new and existing suppliers.
• Maintain AVL (approved vendor list) by conducting regular audits, monitoring KPI’s, organizing and driving supplier QBR’s, and recommending qualification/disqualification.
• Provide regular reporting and visibility into AVL mix used in production.
• Work with the supplier to troubleshoot and resolve manufacturing issues, including root cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
• Collaborate with the supplier and the R&D design teams to ensure Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles are applied to the designs.
• Lead efforts to optimize thermal profiling, soldering processes, and ESD controls in PCBA manufacturing.
• Drive the adoption of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and promote sustainability practices in PCBA manufacturing.
• Support the implementation of Industry 4.0 (smart manufacturing) initiatives, including process automation, real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance and process improvements to increase efficiency and responsiveness.
• Collect, maintain and analyze CM quality data including IQC, QC, OQC, FPY, FYR, FAI, RCCA to identify opportunities for improvement or needed corrective actions.
• Regularly visit key component suppliers, when not working in the CM, to validate the collected quality data in person.
• Work closely at the CM to ensure that the CM’s IQC, QC, OQC, FPY, FYR align as expected with Inseego requirements and industry standards..
• Work with the CM’s to identify process improvements to drive continuous improvement and quality KPI’s above the established Inseego targets.
• Travel regular between CM’s and key Suppliers to provide on site support to resolve quality issues based on defined priorities, KPI’s, quality data and production demand.
• This role is expected to spend most of their time embedded in the CM’s and Key Component Suppliers.
• Work closely with Quality, RL, Repair to align CM KPI’s with expected field quality.
• Ensure adequate inspection (examination) process of incoming materials is in place at CM/ODM to ensure that they meet requirements.
• Work with the CM/ODM to ensure that their team of Quality engineers, inspectors, auditors, analysts, and technicians are performing their duties as required.
• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering team on production/process improvements.
• Analyze factory and field failure data, recommend corrective action(s) and support or lead efforts to improve product quality.
• Conduct failure analysis/correction actions with suppliers utilizing industry-standard failure analysis (FMEA) techniques such as 8D analysis.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 ~ 7 years of hands-on manufacturing quality experience preferably in the telecom or consumer electronics industry, high-mix, high-volume environments.
• Advanced knowledge of SMT (Surface Mount Technology), wave soldering, and selective soldering processes.
• Familiarity with PCBA testing methods, including ICT (In-Circuit Testing), flying probe testing, and functional testing.
• Familiarity with PCBA manufacturing processes and equipment, including:
• ESD/MSD controls
• Calibration of test equipment
• Fixture setup
• Handling of sensitive components
• Familiarity with industry standards, including:
• ISO 9001:2015
• IEC 60812 (FMEA)
• IEC 61000 (EMC)
• IPC-2221 (PCB design rules)
• IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies)
• IPC-J-STD-001 (Solderability)
• Proficiency in quality tools and methodologies, including PFMEA, Control Plans, Process Flow Diagrams, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Expertise in root cause analysis techniques, such as 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams, and Fault-Tree Analysis.
• Strong understanding of DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and DFA (Design for Assembly) principles.
• Knowledge of process automation tools and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 concepts, such as predictive maintenance and real-time production monitoring.
• Proficiency in Lean Manufacturing principles (VSM, Kaizen, ...) to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Experience with Six Sigma methodologies (DMAIC, statistical tools, ...) for process improvement and defect reduction.
• Understanding of sustainability practices in PCBA manufacturing.
• Proven ability to work with ODM/CM’s with regards to design, supplier, manufacturing quality
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks; proven strong organizational, problem solving and project management skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Track record of driving continuous improvement and ensuring quality targets are met in fast growth organizations by working cross-functionally with Engineering, ODM/CM’s, Operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, English fluency, including presenting to senior management, suppliers and customers.
• Agile self-starter with an international mindset, with a passion for quality and continuous improvement, who can work independently and collaboratively
• Ability to travel regularly (up to 50%) locally and internationally, as well as to the US 2-3+ times annually.
• Position to be based in Noida, India. Proficiency in the local language required.

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in electrical/electronic, mechanical or industrial engineering or relevant commensurate experience.
• Desirable certifications in Lean Six Sigma Black belt, ASQ CQE, ISO auditor.
• Proficiency in Chinese is a plus.

Location: Onsite from Gurgaon, Haryana