Job Title: Supplier Quality Engineer

Job Description

The Supplier Quality Engineer manages regional supplier quality and delivery performance to support manufacturing operations. This role leads preventive, proactive, and reactive supplier performance initiatives to ensure suppliers consistently meet requirements for quality, delivery, capacity, and operational excellence. The engineer serves as a key liaison between suppliers and cross-functional teams, driving continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and successful product launches while directly impacting supply chain stability and manufacturing performance.

Responsibilities

• Qualify and develop suppliers to ensure successful product launches and stable, long-term production.
• Lead APQP and PPAP activities, including supplier performance reviews and escalation processes, to improve quality and delivery performance.
• Assess supplier capabilities, capacity constraints, and operational risks, and implement corrective and preventive actions to address identified issues.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including supplier audits, SAT reviews, and long-term supplier development strategies.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and supplier teams to resolve performance issues and support overall business objectives.
• Monitor supplier compliance with internal standards, policies, and applicable regulatory and quality management system requirements.
• Provide clear and timely supplier performance reporting, including KPI management and certification compliance tracking.
• Facilitate improvement workshops with suppliers and internal stakeholders to address root causes and optimize processes.
• Support organizational knowledge development by coaching and mentoring colleagues on supplier quality practices and tools.
• Act as the primary point of contact between the organization and its supplier base, managing both reactive issue resolution and proactive performance improvement.
• Prepare for and conduct onsite supplier visits, typically spending full days at supplier facilities to audit processes, review performance, and align on improvement plans.

Essential Skills

• Strong background in supplier quality and development, with hands-on experience in manufacturing or quality engineering environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in APQP and PPAP processes, including planning, execution, and validation of supplier launch and production readiness.
• Working knowledge of quality management systems, including IATF standards, TS16949, ISO frameworks, and VDA 6.3.
• Proficiency in quality assurance and quality engineering methodologies, including root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Experience managing supplier performance, including quality, delivery, capacity, and risk mitigation activities.
• Ability to interpret and apply regulatory compliance requirements within a supplier quality and manufacturing context.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex supplier issues and develop strategic, data-driven solutions.
• Effective cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working closely with Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and supplier teams.
• Solid project management capabilities, including planning, prioritizing, and executing multiple concurrent supplier quality initiatives.
• 5–7 years of relevant experience in supplier quality, manufacturing, or quality engineering roles.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain, or a closely related discipline.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies to enhance supplier performance and operational efficiency.
• Familiarity with supplier performance and risk management tools and techniques, including KPI reporting and escalation processes.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills to align suppliers and internal teams on quality, delivery, and improvement goals.
• Ability to facilitate workshops and training sessions focused on supplier quality, process optimization, and best practices.
• Strategic thinking capabilities, with the ability to balance reactive issue resolution with proactive long-term supplier development.
• Experience conducting supplier audits and SAT reviews and translating findings into actionable improvement plans.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with high-visibility supplier challenges and frequent problem-solving demands.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to present sup