Supplier Quality Manager

Crane Aerospace & Electronics; California (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Crane Aerospace and Electronics in Burbank, CA, is seeking a Supplier Quality Manager to lead the supplier quality strategy and ensure purchased materials meet requirements. You will manage a team of SQEs, drive APQP/PPAP (AS9145), implement corrective actions, and foster a zero-defect culture across the supply base.

Your role includes risk assessments, supplier development, and aligning quality programs with customer and regulatory standards to sustain exceptional product integrity.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years in supplier or manufacturing quality in aerospace/defense/high reliability industries.
• 3+ years in leadership or people management.
• Strong knowledge of Quality Management Systems and process control methodologies.
• Experience with APQP tools and AS9145 standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of supplier quality operations and lead SQEs.
• Oversee supplier nonconformance, NCRs, SRRs, and MRB dispositions.
• Lead corrective actions and root-cause investigations; participate in audits.
• Promote a zero-defect culture via AS9145/APQP deployment.
• Coordinate with Receiving Inspection to align criteria and dispositions.

Skills

Supplier quality leadership

Quality management systems

APQP/PPAP (AS9145)

Process control methodologies

Root cause analysis

Analytical skills

Tools

Process flow Diagram

FMEA

Control Plan

MSA

Process Capability

SPC

Job description

Crane Aerospace and Electronics has an exciting opportunity for a Supplier Quality Manager at our Burbank, CA location.

About Crane:

Crane Aerospace & Electronics supplies critical systems and components to the aerospace and defense markets. You'll find Crane Aerospace & Electronics in some of the toughest environments: from engines to landing gear; from satellites to medical implants and from missiles to unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Every 1.2 seconds, product built at our Crane Aerospace & Electronics Burbank facility is stopping aircraft - delivering passengers and military personnel safely to their destination. Home to our Landing & Cabin Systems team, Crane A&E's brake control systems and premium cabin actuation solutions are flying on tens of thousands of aircraft throughout the world. You'll join a business with a long track record of engineering excellence, set in the wonderful town of Burbank filled with great community atmosphere, schools, weather and no shortage of entertainment. Start the next chapter of your career with Crane Aerospace & Electronics!

Job Summary:

The Supplier Quality Manager is responsible for leading and executing the organization's supplier quality strategy to ensure that all purchased materials, components, and services conform to internal, customer, and regulatory requirements. This role manages the overall quality and compliance performance of the Burbank supply base, drives continuous improvement across suppliers, and leads a team of Supplier Quality Engineers (SQEs) in executing Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), risk mitigation, and root-cause-based quality improvements. The individual in this role serves as the primary interface between the company and its suppliers for all quality related matters.

Essential Functions:

• Supplier Quality Leadership: Provide strategic oversight of supplier quality operations. Lead, mentor, and develop Supplier Quality Engineers, ensuring effective performance, technical competency, and consistent execution of qualitypolicies. Supportnew product design and introduction
• Non-Conformance Management: Oversee the management of supplier nonconformance, including NCRs and SRRs. Ensure suppliers proactively report nonconforming material prior to shipment, verify completeness of submissions, authorize MRB dispositions where appropriate, and ensure timely closure anddocumentation. Responsiblefor investigation of and formal response to all customer complaints (SCARS)
• Corrective Action & Root Cause Implementation: Ensure robust root cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions addressing systemic issues. Establish standards for thorough investigation, enforce corrective action timeliness, and verify effectiveness to preventrecurrence. Participatein internal and external quality audits
• Establish a zero-defect culture by leading the deployment and continuous improvement of AS9145 and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
• Inspection Oversight: Lead the alignment between Supplier Quality and Receiving Inspection. Ensure inspection criteria are current and receiving teams validate supplier dispositions appropriately. Support improvements in inspection processes and incoming quality verification.
• Process Control & Continuous Improvement: Partner with operations, engineering, and supply chain teams to implement preventive process controls, optimize control plans, align with PFMEAs and process flows, and champion a prevention focused quality culture.
• Supplier Risk Management: Lead annual and ongoing supplier risk assessments, identifying risks related to performance, capability, capacity, and compliance. Ensure mitigation plans are developed, implemented, and monitored.
• Supplier Development & Performance Management: Drive supplier performance through KPIs, scorecards, audits, development plans, and joint improvement initiatives. Facilitate strategic supplier reviews and ensure alignment and training to APQP/PPAP (AS9145) standards.
• Training & Technical Development: Ensure the SQE team maintains strong proficiency in AS9100, AS9145, root cause analysis methods, SPC, risk management tools, and QMS utilization (Oracle, etc.). Provide structured training programs, mentor engineers, and leadtechnical workshops to elevate team capability.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of relevant experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, or related roles in aerospace, defense, space electronics, or otherhigh reliabilityindustries,3+ years of leadership orpeople managementexperience.
• Strong knowledge of Quality Management Systems and process control methodologies.
• Understanding of manufacturing best practices,logistics/inventory processes, project management, safety management, and APQP/PPAP (AS9145).
• Experience with APQP tools - Process flow Diagram, FMEA, Control Plan, MSA, Process Capability, SPC
• Strong analytical,problem solving, and investigative sk