Director, Supplier Development Engineering

About the Team: 

The Reliability team at Relativity Space ensures quality is built into every stage of the Terran R design and production process, embedding reliability from the very beginning. The team works directly with design, manufacturing, test, and launch teams to stay close to the hardware, understand constraints, and proactively shape decisions. As the program moves from development into production and scaled operations, this is the time to establish the right processes, controls, and inspections without slowing progress. The team plays a key role in balancing risk, fostering a culture of ownership, and making sure speed never comes at the cost of reliability. Success means creating a quality system that scales with the Terran R program and Relativity as a whole.

About the Role:

• Develop and lead a high-performing Supplier Development Engineering team, fostering ownership, technical rigor, and data-driven decision-making.
• Set and execute the supplier development strategy, reliability roadmap, and SQMS processes to meet Terran R production, launch, and compliance requirements (AS9100/ISO 9001).
• Drive supplier performance management, establishing key metrics and scorecards to improve PPM, yield, PPAP timing, and overall supplier capability.
• Own major supplier risk escalation and resolution, guiding disciplined problem solving (e.g., 8D) and ensuring rapid recovery on quality or capacity issues.
• Lead cross-functional alignment with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain on supplier qualification, technical requirements, and NPI execution.
• Oversee technical and operational execution, including supplier qualification, APQP/DFM/DFA, PPAP/FAIR approvals, and CI initiatives (Lean/Six Sigma) to ensure robust manufacturing and protect build schedules. 

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field)
• 10+ years of experience in Supplier Industrialization, Supplier Development, or Manufacturing Engineering, ideally within the aerospace or a high-reliability/safety-critical industry.
• 5+ years of direct people management experience, including coaching, mentorship, and performance management of an engineering team
• Expert knowledge of quality systems (AS9100/ISO 9001) and core quality tools (APQP, PPAP, FAIRs, PFMEA, Control Plans), with a proven ability to influence the implementation and compliance of key quality initiatives.
• Demonstrated capability to build processes from the ground up and successfully deploy them across diverse teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the work week when needed. 

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field).
• Professional certification such as Six Sigma Black Belt, ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), or PMP.
• Familiarity with high-volume inspection methods and data-driven acceptance methods.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise applications (i.e., PLM, ERP, MES) and proficient in data analysis.