Supplier Development Engineer - Mechanical Fasteners & Hardware

United States Digital Space LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical, vision & dental coverage

Paid vacation & holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC is seeking a Supplier Development Engineer focused on Mechanical Hardware & Fasteners for Starship. You will own fasteners and related hardware from supplier selection through production, resolving manufacturing and quality issues on a hands-on basis on shop floors and labs.

The role requires manufacturing depth, a passion for fasteners, and the ability to drive supplier quality and process improvements under tight schedules, with travel to suppliers up to 50–75%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• 1+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or supplier development.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical hardware commodity for Starship: fasteners, dynamic hardware, and fluid control from supplier selection through production.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for assigned parts and suppliers; resolve manufacturing, quality, and capacity issues.
• Lead new product introduction (NPI) and transfers for fastener and hardware products; qualify suppliers and ramp production to takt times.
• Drive PPAP, FAIR, and capability studies to ensure controlled, proven hardware.
• Lead containment of nonconforming hardware; define scope and disposition.
• Root-cause defects at supplier and/or company; use structured methods and statistical tools.
• Collaborate with design and manufacturing to improve part designs and process callouts for manufacturability and cost.
• Assess supplier capability and capacity; develop underperforming suppliers or re-source when needed.
• Identify and grow exceptional fastener suppliers meeting aerospace quality and rate requirements.
• Be the go-to expert on parts and processes; drive defects to zero escapes.
• Represent the company with SAE and attend technical committee meetings.

Skills

Fasteners & hardware

Supplier development

Root cause analysis

Aerospace standards

Lean manufacturing

Supplier communication

NPI & process transfers

Quality systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

CAD

GD&T

Minitab

PPAP

APQP

FMEA

Job description

United States Digital Space LLC is seeking a Supplier Development Engineer focused on Mechanical Hardware & Fasteners for Starship. You will own fasteners and related hardware from supplier selection through production, resolving manufacturing and quality issues on a hands-on basis on shop floors and labs.

The role requires manufacturing depth, a passion for fasteners, and the ability to drive supplier quality and process improvements under tight schedules, with travel to suppliers up to 50–75%.