Sr. Supplier Process Engineer - Plastics

Role Overview

As Senior Quality Engineer, you’ll lead quality initiatives ensuring Milwaukee Tool’s motor products meet the highest standards of performance and reliability. As Supplier Process Engineer (SPE), you’ll provide quality and technical guidance on R&D and Operations projects, including New Product Development, Product Support, and Value Engineering. Your primary duty involves supplier selection support, technical expertise, and supplier development for key Milwaukee Tool suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership in thermoplastics, mold design, process setup, and optimization.
• Lead tooling-related activities, including design reviews, maintenance evaluations, and validation of new tools through T0/T1/Tn builds.
• Collaborate with engineering on process improvements, tooling robustness, and Value Engineering opportunities.
• Execute end-to-end supplier capability management: process audits, molding assessments, and readiness validation.
• Identify technical gaps in supplier molding processes and drive detailed action plans to close them.
• Implement process-focused supplier quality systems emphasizing controls, metrology, data-driven decision making, and QMS compliance.
• Lead plastics-related PPAP deliverables including DFM, PFMEA, control plans, capability studies, and readiness reviews.
• Ensure suppliers meet timing and performance expectations for injection-molded components.
• Lead structured problem-solving (8D, Six Sigma, Red X), ensuring permanent corrective actions.
• Analyze trends, validate root causes, and deploy prevention systems that stabilize supplier molding capability.
• Validate molding process capability using Cp/Cpk, DOE, control charts, and other statistical methods.
• Ensure suppliers maintain repeatable, predictable molding parameters with robust process windows.
• Partner with engineering, purchasing, and quality teams to communicate technical insights and influence supplier decisions.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to tooling, process variation, capacity, and supplier stability.

Qualifications

• BS in Plastics Engineering Technology or equivalent; RJG Master Molder I/II preferred.
• Minimum 5 years hands-on thermoplastics processing experience.
• Strong understanding of mold design, tooling principles, material data, and injection molding processes.
• Demonstrated leadership in complex project execution within cross-functional environments.
• Experience with supplier management, including assessment, auditing, development, performance evaluation, and improvement planning.
• Working knowledge of Quality Management Systems (QMS), including NCMR, SCAR, PPAP, APQP, FMEA, and root cause methodologies.
• Travel required up to 25-50% domestically and internationally, sometimes on short notice.

Preferred Skills

• Professional certifications (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma Green Belt).
• Experience with ISO-9001, TS16949, or VDA 6.3 audits.
• Self-starter who thrives in fast-paced environments and builds organizational capability.
• Ability to identify risks, communicate effectively, build action plans, and deliver results.