Principal Supplier Quality Engineer Jobs
Principal Supplier Quality Engineer jobs are open across aerospace, medical devices, automotive, and industrial manufacturing, covering specializations in supplier auditing, quality management systems, and corrective action programs, from senior engineer to principal and staff levels. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 39+ Principal Supplier Quality Engineer jobs
Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems sector is seeking a Principal Supplier Quality Engineer to join our AMC team at the Baltimore location.
The preferred candidate should have knowledge in areas such as manufacturing, special processes, inspection, electronics, or auditing with the ability to use this knowledge to assist suppliers through the entire product life cycle. This role supports a portfolio of production and development programs and requires a candidate who thrives in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative/team settings across all levels. This candidate must possess, and be able to demonstrate, excellent written and verbal communication skills, possess strong leadership abilities and effective problem-solving capabilities. They must think ahead to anticipate potential challenges, addressing them in advance or providing recommended options to programs and leadership when necessary. This position provides opportunities to interface with all levels of leadership, Suppliers and Customers in support of program execution.
This position will be required to work a 9/80 schedule with an estimated 25-50% of travel. This position is 100% onsite at of our Baltimore, MD facility and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
Responsible for Supplier Quality risk management and other duties to include:
Engage with Program, Mission Assurance, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to support evaluation and disposition of nonconforming product, including use‑as‑is, repair, and scrap decisions, and to ensure proper documentation and traceability.
Review supplier corrective action responses for root cause rigor and effectiveness.
Support LSA reviews and supplier waiver/deviation requests with risk-based recommendations to programs.
Review supplier objective evidence (FAIs, CofC’s, test data, and OEM traceability) against drawing, specifications and purchase order requirements.
Build and maintain relationships with suppliers and internal customers, allowing the team to achieve expected processing and results through clear communication and confidence that goals are aligned.
Visit supplier sites as necessary to perform on-site root cause investigation, audit support, support source inspections, and verification of implementation of corrective actions.
Understand contractual flow downs and requirements, implementing applicable quality clauses on procurements of commodity-specific hardware.
Document, track and report on all potential Supplier product or process non-conformances. Collaborate with other program SQEs and management to escalate Supplier non-conformances that may have a critical impact on multiple programs.
Develop and execute path to closure plans for non-conforming material in partnership with GSC, Mission Assurance and Engineering.
Analyze quality metrics and trends related to nonconformances, rework, supplier performance, and acceptance issues; recommend and help implement improvement actions.
Support audits and assessments (internal, customer, regulatory) related to supplier quality, configuration, and documentation.
Collaborate on supplier management plans, support maintenance of the approved Supplier list, supplier requests for waivers/deviations and discrepancy reporting process.
Keep management apprised of supplier performance, quality status, and risks.
Serve as a lead for supplier product readiness reviews, and other similar assessments, as needed. Position requires collaboration with other functions (Supply Chain, Engineering, Mission Assurance and Manufacturing) to ensure quality standards are in place.
#MPR
#GSCCMP
Basic Qualification:
Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing, quality and/or engineering role or a minimum of 3 years with a Masters (and a STEM Bachelors or a STEM Masters) in a manufacturing, quality and/or engineering role.
Ability and willingness to travel domestically up to 50%
US Citizenship
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with Tableau dashboards and SAP.
Hands on experience facilitating Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities.
Experience with Net inspect
Defense industry experience, including interfacing with suppliers.
Experience in a quality, supplier quality role.
SAP Business System experience.
Experience with ISO 9001 / AS9100 Quality Management System certification processes.
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems sector is seeking a Principal Supplier Quality Engineer to join our AMC team at the Baltimore location.
The preferred candidate should have knowledge in areas such as manufacturing, special processes, inspection, electronics, or auditing with the ability to use this knowledge to assist suppliers through the entire product life cycle. This role supports a portfolio of production and development programs and requires a candidate who thrives in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative/team settings across all levels. This candidate must possess, and be able to demonstrate, excellent written and verbal communication skills, possess strong leadership abilities and effective problem-solving capabilities. They must think ahead to anticipate potential challenges, addressing them in advance or providing recommended options to programs and leadership when necessary. This position provides opportunities to interface with all levels of leadership, Suppliers and Customers in support of program execution.
This position will be required to work a 9/80 schedule with an estimated 25-50% of travel. This position is 100% onsite at of our Baltimore, MD facility and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
Responsible for Supplier Quality risk management and other duties to include:
Engage with Program, Mission Assurance, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to support evaluation and disposition of nonconforming product, including use‑as‑is, repair, and scrap decisions, and to ensure proper documentation and traceability.
Review supplier corrective action responses for root cause rigor and effectiveness.
Support LSA reviews and supplier waiver/deviation requests with risk-based recommendations to programs.
Review supplier objective evidence (FAIs, CofC’s, test data, and OEM traceability) against drawing, specifications and purchase order requirements.
Build and maintain relationships with suppliers and internal customers, allowing the team to achieve expected processing and results through clear communication and confidence that goals are aligned.
Visit supplier sites as necessary to perform on-site root cause investigation, audit support, support source inspections, and verification of implementation of corrective actions.
Understand contractual flow downs and requirements, implementing applicable quality clauses on procurements of commodity-specific hardware.
Document, track and report on all potential Supplier product or process non-conformances. Collaborate with other program SQEs and management to escalate Supplier non-conformances that may have a critical impact on multiple programs.
Develop and execute path to closure plans for non-conforming material in partnership with GSC, Mission Assurance and Engineering.
Analyze quality metrics and trends related to nonconformances, rework, supplier performance, and acceptance issues; recommend and help implement improvement actions.
Support audits and assessments (internal, customer, regulatory) related to supplier quality, configuration, and documentation.
Collaborate on supplier management plans, support maintenance of the approved Supplier list, supplier requests for waivers/deviations and discrepancy reporting process.
Keep management apprised of supplier performance, quality status, and risks.
Serve as a lead for supplier product readiness reviews, and other similar assessments, as needed. Position requires collaboration with other functions (Supply Chain, Engineering, Mission Assurance and Manufacturing) to ensure quality standards are in place.
#MPR
#GSCCMP
Basic Qualification:
Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing, quality and/or engineering role or a minimum of 3 years with a Masters (and a STEM Bachelors or a STEM Masters) in a manufacturing, quality and/or engineering role.
Ability and willingness to travel domestically up to 50%
US Citizenship
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with Tableau dashboards and SAP.
Hands on experience facilitating Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities.
Experience with Net inspect
Defense industry experience, including interfacing with suppliers.
Experience in a quality, supplier quality role.
SAP Business System experience.
Experience with ISO 9001 / AS9100 Quality Management System certification processes.
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
Principal Supplier Quality Engineer Jobs by Experience Level
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Find JobsPrincipal Supplier Quality Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman16
- Leidos5
- ASM2
- GE Appliances2
- VSE1
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal supplier quality engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, or a closely related technical field
- Seven or more years of supplier quality or manufacturing quality engineering experience
- Demonstrated experience with APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and control plan development
- Proficiency in ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or ISO 13485 quality management standards
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or equivalent professional certification preferred
- Experience conducting on-site supplier audits and driving corrective and preventive action
Tips for Your Principal Supplier Quality Engineer Job Search
Quantify supplier audit outcomes on your resume
Hiring managers for principal-level roles want to see the business impact of your audits, not just that you conducted them. Cite defect reduction rates, supplier qualification timelines you shortened, or cost savings from corrective action programs you led.
List your quality certifications prominently
ASQ certifications like CQE or CQA, plus IATF 16949 or ISO 13485 familiarity, often appear in requirements. Place these near the top of your resume so a recruiter skimming for credential matches finds them before reading your work history.
Target openings that match your commodity experience
Principal supplier quality engineers are frequently hired for specific commodity categories such as castings, electronics, or machined components. Filter your search by industry vertical and read job descriptions carefully for commodity mentions before applying.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal supplier quality engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare for a supplier development scenario question
Interviewers at the principal level routinely ask you to walk through how you would take an underperforming supplier from initial assessment to qualified status. Rehearse a specific example that covers your PPAP or APQP process, timeline, and measurable outcome.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
Principal roles vary widely in whether you own supplier selection, corrective action authority, or cross-functional program leadership. Clarify during offer conversations which of these responsibilities fall within your mandate, as that directly affects your leverage and your day-to-day impact.
Principal Supplier Quality Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal supplier quality engineers?
Northrop Grumman, Leidos, and ASM are hiring the most principal supplier quality engineers right now, with openings concentrated in Utah, Alabama, and Maryland, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Aerospace, medical device, and automotive manufacturers consistently account for the largest share of principal-level supplier quality roles.
How many principal supplier quality engineer jobs are remote?
About 56% of principal supplier quality engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the role's audit and supplier-site requirements mean fully remote positions are less common than in software-focused engineering fields. Supplier development and corrective action coordination roles that rely heavily on data analysis and virtual communication tend to offer the most remote flexibility.
How do you become a principal supplier quality engineer?
Start with a bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, or manufacturing engineering, then build foundational experience in a quality engineering or supplier quality role where you own corrective action and audit programs. Earn credentials such as an ASQ CQE certification and gain hands-on exposure to APQP and PPAP processes. Progress by taking on cross-functional projects, mentoring junior engineers, and demonstrating measurable supplier performance improvements until you can lead programs independently.
Can I get a principal supplier quality engineer job without direct supplier quality experience?
Moving directly into a principal supplier quality role from outside the discipline is uncommon because the title signals deep domain expertise, but a strong background in manufacturing quality, program management, or commodity management can serve as a bridge. Emphasize transferable skills such as root cause analysis, audit facilitation, and cross-functional stakeholder management. Targeting a senior supplier quality engineer role first and earning relevant certifications can shorten the path to a principal-level opening.
What does the principal supplier quality engineer interview process look like?
Most employers run a phone screen focused on your quality systems background, followed by a technical interview where you walk through a past supplier development or corrective action case in detail. A panel interview with procurement, program management, and manufacturing engineering typically follows, assessing how you collaborate across functions. Some companies add a written exercise or presentation asking you to outline how you would assess and qualify a new supplier for a critical component.
Where can I find and apply to principal supplier quality engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to principal supplier quality engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your experience and target industry, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 39 Principal Supplier Quality Engineer Jobs
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