Supplier Development Engineer

About the Company

Patrick Industries, a publicly traded company headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, is a leading solutions provider serving diverse markets across the United States. Our commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability has positioned us as a high-growth, diversified team of over 10,000. Sportech, empowered by Patrick Industries, is a rapidly growing company in Elk River, MN, specializing in the design, manufacture, and assembly of cab components and systems for powersports, golf and turf, industrial, and agricultural markets. We are a values-based company focused on helping our people and customers succeed.

About the Role

This position is responsible for improving supplier performance and supporting all supplier activities, including production quality, new product launches, new supplier assessment, supplier resourcing, audits, and continuous improvement. You will collaborate with Operations, Quality Engineering, Strategic Sourcing, and New Product Development to increase PPAP approval rates, lower scrap costs, recommend improvements, establish communication cadences, and support expanded supplier capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Primary responsibility for the selection, onboarding, training, tracking, and development of the supply base.
• Serve as the primary quality assurance resource to the supply base for problem identification, resolution, change management, and continual improvement.
• Effectively communicate significant issues or developments identified during quality assurance activities with suppliers and ensure timely resolution.
• Responsible for corrective action activities with all suppliers.
• Support supplier inspection and testing of materials, parts, and products to ensure adherence to standards.
• Support supplier metrics, including scrap dollars, percent credit recovery, on-time delivery (OTD), and responsiveness.
• Oversee the supplier approval process, including assessments, audits, and approval for purchased products and components.
• Provide input for acceptance criteria and future purchases from suppliers.
• Maintain trip reports, open action lists, and improvement plans.
• Work with outside third-party inspection labs as required.
• Lead, participate in, and champion continual improvement projects, kaizen events, and cost-reduction programs with the supply base.
• Travel to supplier locations (up to 35%, varying throughout the year).
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in Supplier Development or a related discipline.
• Strong manufacturing, process, quality systems, and root cause analysis experience.
• Injection molding experience highly desired; knowledge of metal fabrication & painting, electronics, and plastic extrusion appreciated.
• Demonstrated experience in problem-solving using formal methodologies (8D, A3, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in supplier audits and selection.
• Knowledgeable and hands-on experience in Lean and Six Sigma (or alternative advanced problem-solving methods), including:
  • Value Stream Mapping
  • Cpk/Ppk
  • GR&R
  • SPC
  • Control Plans
  • Sampling Plans
  • Kaizen
  • 5S
  • Statistical Analysis
  • SMED
  • 5 Why's
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Error Proofing
  • Cause and Effect Diagrams
  • Pareto Analysis
• Knowledge and application of AIAG quality tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, etc.).
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to coach suppliers on ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensions and Tolerances (GD&T).
• Demonstrated experience in Supplier Risk Management.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and ERP systems (Epicor preferred).

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification in Quality Management – ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE).
• ISO9001:2015 or IATF 16949:2016 Lead or Internal Auditor Certified.
• Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.

Benefits

Sportech offers eligible full-time employees a robust and competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision plan options, including flexible spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCA).
• Short-term and long-term disability benefits.
• Basic life insurance and voluntary life insurance.
• Hospital indemnity plans, pet insurance, and legal/identity theft services.
• 401k plan with up to a 4% employer match.
• Paid company holidays, paid vacation, and paid volunteer time.
• Sportech Learning Academy (SLA) with onsite courses quarterly, focusing on personal and professional growth, and tuition reimbursement options for external courses.

Pay

Sportech’s reasonable and good-faith estimate for the range of new hire compensation for this position is between $80,000 - $90,000 annually. Pay may also include variable compensation such as overtime for non-exempt positions, shift differentials for specific shifts, and/or bonus targets (subject to plan eligibility and other requirements).

Location: Elk River, Minnesota, US, 55330
Work Arrangement: On-site