Senior Suppler Quality Engineer

San Mateo, California, United States - Full-time

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best‑in‑class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond.

Insightfully designed manufacturing processes and fully qualified supplier relationships are critical elements in bringing tightly integrated, sophisticated electromechanical systems to major markets. As a member of Skydio’s Supplier Quality Engineering team, you’ll work with our Product Design, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Design, Supply Chain, and Quality teams and interface with current and potential suppliers to strengthen Skydio’s supplier base to meet our increasing production volume & quality needs.

• Conduct supplier assessments and on‑site audits to evaluate PCB, PCBA, and electronics manufacturing suppliers’ quality systems, process controls, and overall production capabilities.
• Partner with Electrical, Manufacturing, and Design Engineers throughout the Hardware Product Development Process to ensure robust quality planning, manufacturability, testability, and supplier readiness for new product introductions and volume production.
• Drive supplier qualification activities including process audits, First Article Inspections (FAI), Production Validation Builds (PVT), and manufacturing readiness reviews to ensure compliance with Skydio's design, reliability, and quality requirements.
• Lead supplier quality planning during prototype, pre‑production, and mass production phases, including control plans, PFMEAs, process validations, and outgoing quality strategies to minimize incoming inspection and maximize field reliability.
• Manage supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), 8D investigations, containment actions, and root‑cause analysis efforts to rapidly resolve quality issues and drive systemic improvements.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards and key performance indicators (KPIs) focused on quality, reliability, yield, and responsiveness, driving continuous improvement initiatives toward zero defects.
• Analyze manufacturing and field quality data to identify trends, assess supplier performance, and proactively mitigate risks related to PCB fabrication, SMT assembly, component quality, and electronic system reliability.
• Collaborate with suppliers to implement robust inspection, test, and process control methodologies that ensure consistent product quality and long‑term process capability.

• You are a self‑starter with a passion for delivering exceptional quality and reliability in advanced electronic products.
• You possess strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and supplier partners to achieve quality objectives.
• You have experience developing, qualifying, and managing electronics manufacturing suppliers across multiple geographies.
• You have quality engineering experience in high‑volume, high‑complexity consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, robotics, or similar industries, with deep knowledge of PCB fabrication, SMT processes, electronic assembly, test systems, and component quality management.
• You are familiar with PCB and PCBA manufacturing processes, including PCB fabrication technologies, soldering processes, AOI, SPI, ICT, flying probe, functional test, X‑ray inspection, and reliability testing methodologies.
• You are experienced interpreting electrical schematics, assembly drawings, Gerber files, fabrication notes, and engineering documentation, and can effectively communicate technical requirements with suppliers.
• You are proficient with quality tools such as PFMEA, DFMEA, Control Plans, PPAP, 8D, Root Cause Analysis (5‑Why, Fishbone), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Process Capability Analysis, and Design of Experiments (DOE), with…