Supplier Quality Engineer, Safety Systems

Harbinger; Garden Grove (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental & Vision

Stock options

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Wellness benefits

Cell phone stipend

Free meals / stocked kitchen

Job summary

Harbinger seeks a Supplier Quality Engineer to drive supplier quality for frames, safety, and thermal systems in our EV platform. You will implement QMS, APQP/PPAP, and CAPA, working with engineering, suppliers, purchasing, and manufacturing to ensure safety and performance across all stages of production.

The role demands hands-on QA expertise in automotive environments, strong problem-solving, and the ability to travel as needed to coordinate with suppliers globally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop supplier quality standards and processes for chassis/frame structures and thermal systems.

Skills

QA engineering

Automotive quality

APQP/PPAP

Root cause analysis

ISO 9001/IATF 16949

Auditing

FMEA

QMS proficiency

SPC

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related

Tools

Quality Management System (QMS)

APQP/PPAP software

Excel / MS Office

Job description

About Harbinger

Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best‑in‑class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first‑of‑its‑kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium‑duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.

About Harbinger

Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best‑in‑class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first‑of‑its‑kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium‑duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.

Job Overview

We are looking for a Supplier Quality Engineer (Safety Systems, Frame, Thermal) with broad responsibilities, working cross-functionally with Engineering, Suppliers, Purchasing, and Manufacturing teams to define and implement supplier quality engineering processes and drive continuous improvement activities throughout the organization. The Quality Engineer will play a key role in implementing and maintaining Harbinger’s quality management system (QMS) and will establish and improve the quality of our operational processes and outputs. Responsibilities include defining quality standards for critical structural frames, occupant safety components, and thermal systems, inspecting materials, equipment, processes, and products, developing quality control systems, supplier selection, PPAP, leading APQP, and determining corrective actions. A successful Quality Engineer should have excellent troubleshooting skills and be able to ensure that complex mechanical, structural, and thermal systems consistently meet strict safety and functional standards.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and implement supplier quality standards, supplier quality portal, and supporting supplier quality processes tailored to chassis/frame structures, functional safety components, and thermal management systems.
• Inspect and test materials, sub-assemblies, and finished components (e.g., structural frame weldments, extrusions, castings, heat exchangers, pumps, coolant lines, airbags, seatbelts, and crash sensors) to ensure safety and performance specifications are met.
• Conduct supplier assessments and evaluations to ensure suppliers meet stringent automotive safety standards, structural integrity compliance, and leak-tightness specifications.
• Plan and conduct supplier audits to assess quality systems, welding/joining processes, heat treatment, leak testing methods, and technical capabilities.
• Participate in the supplier selection process by providing quality-related, structural integrity, and regulatory compliance input.
• Lead weekly calls with suppliers to ensure frame weldments, safety modules, and thermal components are on track to meet quality, safety, and timing requirements for various build stages of the production line.
• Monitor and report on supplier performance metrics, such as defect rates, structural test yields, leak test pass rates, delivery times, and compliance with specifications.
• Identify areas for improvement and work with suppliers to implement robust root cause analysis and corrective actions (8D, 5-Why).
• Investigate and resolve quality issues related to material defects, weld integrity, structural tolerances, safety component traceability, and thermal fluid leakage.
• Collaborate with suppliers to determine root causes of defects and implement robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance supplier quality, structural integrity, and thermal performance.
• Work with suppliers to implement lean manufacturing practices, non‑destructive testing (NDT), automated leak checks, and statistical process controls.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of supplier quality performance, structural test reports, leak rate certifications, audits, and corrective actions.
• Ensure that suppliers comply with all relevant industry standards, safety regulations (e.g., FMVSS, ISO 26262 functional safety basics), and company policies.
• Stay updated on changes in industry standards and regulations affecting automotive safety systems, structural crashworthiness, and thermal/environmental compliance.
• Lead supplier audits, APQP, PPAP, Gauge R&R, non‑destructive validation, leak testing validation, and safe launch activities.
• Participate in Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/DFA) and risk mitigation reviews (DFMEA/PFMEA) with design engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Lead MRB (Material Review Board) meetings and act as a quality representative for the engineering change control board regarding frames, structural components, safety assemblies, and thermal hardware.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, or a similar technical field required.
• 3 – 7 years of experience in manufacturing quality or supplier quality engineering in the automotive, commercial vehicle, EV, or aerospace industries.
• Hands‑on experience or familiarity with structural frame manufacturing (tubing, high‑strength steel, aluminum extrusions, stampings, welding/brazing), thermal systems (heat exchangers, chillers, fluid lines, pressure testing, leak detection), or occupant safety components (airbags, seatbelts, crash sensors).
• ASQ Certifications such as Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Manager (CQM), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or higher preferred.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001:2018 or IATF 16949 standards strongly desired.
• Understanding of core quality tools such as Quality Management Systems, Supplier/Internal Audits, APQP, SPC, PPAP, FMEA (DFMEA/PFMEA), and MSA.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex supplier projects simultaneously.
• Strong understanding of fabrication and manufacturing processes, including structural welding (MIG/TIG/Robotic), metal stamping, castings, extrusions, plastic molding, vacuum brazing, and fluid seal/leak testing methodologies.
• Ability to travel (domestic and international) up to 30% to 50%.
• Proven experience in a quality engineering role within an automotive or commercial vehicle production environment.
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance methodologies, mechanical/thermal test validation, structural inspection techniques, and root cause analysis tools.
• Experience with supplier quality management, including auditing suppliers of safety‑critical structural or fluid‑handling components.
• Proficiency in quality management systems (QMS) and relevant software applications.

Key Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) – 100% employee covered
• Early‑stage Stock Options
• Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA)
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave
• Annual Vacation Bonus
• Wellness & Fertility Benefits
• Cell Phone Stipend
• Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens

California Pay Range

$120,000—$180,000 USD

Equal Opportunity

Harbinger is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Candidate Data Privacy

Harbinger may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Harbinger may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Harbinger may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our HR, legal, and finance teams, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Harbinger affiliates; and (iii) Harbinger’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Harbinger may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.