Supplier Quality Engineer

About the role

The Supplier Quality Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring that external suppliers meet the organization’s standards for quality, capability, and performance. This position partners closely with internal engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to develop robust supplier relationships, drive continuous improvement, and support the successful introduction of new products.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and maintains quality expectations for suppliers, including specifications, inspection criteria, and performance metrics.
• Makes supplier performance data-driven through regular reviews (e.g. PPM, yield, defect trends).
• Drives root-cause analysis and corrective action activities to resolve supplier-related quality issues (e.g. 8D, CAPA, SCAR, Physical Failure Analysis, DOE, etc).
• Translates engineering, regulatory, and contractual requirements into clear, actionable flow-downs for suppliers.
• Ensures suppliers understand and comply with all technical documentation, standards, and process requirements.
• Collaborates with internal teams to maintain accurate and complete supplier documentation packages.
• Oversees the identification, containment, and disposition of non-conforming supplier material.
• Facilitates Material Review Board (MRB) activities and ensures timely closure of non-conformance reports.
• Drives corrective and preventive actions to eliminate recurrence.
• Evaluates supplier manufacturing processes, technologies, and capacity to ensure alignment with current and future business needs.
• Identifies risks and opportunities within supplier operations and recommends improvement strategies.
• Supports supplier selection decisions through technical assessments and capability audits.
• Plans, executes, and documents supplier audits focused on quality systems, process controls, and compliance.
• Tracks audit findings and verifies effective implementation of corrective actions.
• Maintains audit schedules and supports supplier development initiatives.
• Collaborates with design engineering to ensure manufacturability and supplier readiness for new product designs.
• Validates supplier processes through PPAP, FAI, or equivalent qualification activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field and a minimum of 4 years experience in supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or supply chain engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong understanding of quality tools (e.g., FMEA, SPC, 8D, PPAP).
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel to supplier sites as needed.

Physical Requirements

The essential functions of this role require the ability to work in office and manufacturing environments, move throughout production and supplier facilities, use standard computer and office equipment, and occasionally lift or move items up to 20 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.