Senior / Staff Supplier Quality Engineer

Waabi, founded by AI visionary Raquel Urtasun, is the leader in Physical AI. With a world-class team, we're unlocking the next era of autonomous transportation with technology that's powering commercial autonomous trucks and robotaxis. Waabi is backed by and partners with world leaders in AI, automotive, logistics, and deep tech.   With offices in Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, and Pittsburgh, Waabi is growing quickly and looking for diverse, innovative and collaborative candidates who want to impact the world in a positive way. To learn more visit: www.waabi.ai You will... Lead Supplier Qualification and Onboarding: Conduct technical audits of potential and existing suppliers to evaluate their manufacturing maturity, quality management systems (QMS), and alignment with IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 standards. Manage the Supplier Life Cycle: Serve as the primary technical point of contact for a portfolio of suppliers, managing all quality activities from initial sourcing through Start of Production (SOP) and into service-life support. Partner with internal Engineering teams during the DFM (Design for Manufacturing) phase to ensure that complex mechanical designs are optimized for high-yield production and assembly at the vendor site. Supplier and CM APQP/PPAP Ownership, leading the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process. Owning the delivery of the PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) package, ensuring every component is validated before Start of Production (SOP). Lead the development of Supplier PPAP deliverables, including PFMEAs, Process Flow Diagrams, and Control Plans, ensuring the supplier has identified and mitigated all assembly-related risks with "Poka-Yoke" (error-proofing) solutions. Be responsible for supplier mechanical assembly, test, and integration of sensors, compute, and actuation systems, defining the special characteristic (SC/CC) steps for the manufacturing process. Work closely with the internal teams to define, deploy, and validate hardware End-of-Line (EOL) testers and calibration requirements. Support Process Verification (PV) Testing, conducting run-at-rate studies to prove supplier manufacturing lines can sustain quality targets at full production speed. Interface with Product Quality to analyze field performance data, identifying hardware trends and driving corrective actions back to the supplier. Lead the RCCA (Root Cause Corrective Action) process for all supplier-related non-conformances, utilizing the 8D methodology to move from initial containment to long-term systemic prevention. Be QMS responsible for supporting and improving the quality management system relative to suppliers, CMs, and Tier 1s.   Qualifications: Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Deep understanding of APQP, PPAP, including FMEA, MSA, Gage R&R, and SPC. Advanced APQP & PPAP Management: Proven experience driving the 5 phases of APQP, managing design maturity milestones, and ensuring all 18 elements of PPAP are met for safety-critical components. Problem-Solving Expert: Mastery of 8D, 5-Why, and Fishbone (Ishikawa) analysis. Must have a proven track record of implementing RCCA that successfully prevents the recurrence of complex electromechanical failures. Proficient with Solidworks or similar 3D CAD and CAE software tools for design review, fixture development, and tolerance stack-up analysis. Experience with technical drawing tolerancing (e.g. GD&T) for various manufacturing operations to ensure clear communication of design intent to vendors. Experience with various manufacturing processes (e.g. printed circuit board, PCBA, wire harness, sheet metal, injection molding, stamping, die casting, and CNC machining). Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to evaluate supplier DFMs, as well as supplier-proposed design changes or material substitutions. Experience with PLM tools and document revision control to manage Engineering Change Orders (ECO) across the supply base. Experience with automotive standards (e.g. ISO 9001, IATF 16949 or ISO26262). Travel Expectations: Approximately 25-50% travel required. This is objective-based and fluctuates according to APQP program milestones, such as on-site supplier audits, process validations (PV), and production ramp-ups.   Bonus Qualifications: Automotive, Aerospace, Autonomous Vehicle (AV) or EV industry experience is highly preferred. IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC-A-610 knowledge for acceptance of wire harness assemblies and electronic assemblies. Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt is highly preferred.