Sr. Supplier Quality Engineer

Sr. Supplier Quality Engineer

Date: Aug 7, 2025

Location:Garden Grove, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) will be responsible for supporting the company’s efforts to drive a proactive culture of enhanced, consistent compliance, as well as being a catalyst for change and continuous improvement both internally and at suppliers. This role is responsible for the qualification of suppliers, for ongoing monitoring and measurement of supplier performance, for supplier development activities, and for all supplier corrective action activities. The SQE is responsible for the flowdown of quality requirements to suppliers, to review and approve supplier first articles, and to ensure that Receiving Inspection activities are performed, as required, to reduce supplied material defects.

Job Responsibilities

• Represent GKN with credibility, confidence and professionalism.
• Conduct supplier quality control audits on a periodic basis to ensure suppliers and their sub-tier suppliers remain in compliance with GKN, customer, and regulatory requirements
  Perform various types of audits (quality system, process and product audits) at supplier sites, or remotely for supplier qualification and performance evaluation Collect and maintain supplier performance metrics and report on performance to suppliers and management. Monitor and measure supplier risk based on performance.
• Develop, maintain and analyze supplier metrics to identify ways to reduce cost of poor quality.
• Analyze and interpret data to identify suppliers' process issues and develop corrective actions.
• Proactive reduction and prevention of supplied material defects. Strategically lead supplier improvement projects in an effort to increase the supplier capability to consistently meet Supply Chain equirements. Maintain an Approved Supplier Listing (ASL) database.
• Include performance evaluations and audits in the database.
• Ensure that supplier surveys and approvals are completed in advance of expiration.
• Perform supplier qualification and/or recommend suppliers for disqualification using risk-based criteria
• Perform reviews with suppliers to determine manufacturability of components
• Provide technical guidance and advice to suppliers, including process improvements or changes to improve manufacturability or to reduce defect rates.
• Work closely with the suppliers to ensure improvements are successfully implemented.
• Ensure critical suppliers have adequate control plans, schedules, and resources to make continued improvements to incoming quality of supplied products.
• Communicate with suppliers regularly to address any concerns and foster an environment that facilitates continuous improvement
• Work with Receiving Inspection to ensure proper part surveillance.
• Conduct appropriate tests and assessments on incoming products to identify recurring errors or quality issues.
• Disposition nonconforming materials and initiate follow up activities to ensure proper corrective action a suppliers and preclude recurrence of rejections.
• Investigate identified quality issues related to purchased products, identify repeat quality issues by supplier and, if necessary, issue Supplier Corrective Action Reports (SCARs).
• Track all actions to completion.
• Work as liaison between suppliers and GKN to ensure highest level of product quality and supplier performance.
• Review and approve first articles on procured components in accordance with AS9102.
• Review item masters or supplier purchase requisitions and apply appropriate quality requirements.
• Assist with logistics, including communications with suppliers, when supplied materials have packaging or receiving issues.
• Maintain successful relationships with Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Inspection and Quality.
• Write/revise internal procedures and instructions, as assigned.
• Assist in internal audits (as needed).
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing other Quality duties, as assigned.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 2+ years’ experience in quality engineering in the manufacturing environment
• Experience required with: GD&T; performing and facilitating first article inspection (AS9102); MRB/non-conforming parts; reading and understanding engineering drawing and specifications, including dimensional requirements.
• Willingness to work weekends required.
• Ability to travel up to 25% (daily commutable and overnight combined).
• Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and/or program requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• ASQ Certification
• Quality Accreditation (i.e., Internal Auditor, QMS)
• Lean and Continuous Improvement skills with background/certification in Lean Six Sigma
• Green belt or black belt certification

Compensation Data

Compensation Range: $100,588.00 - $125,736.00

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
​

Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles