Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE)

About the role

The Supplier Quality Engineer is responsible for improving supplier quality performance and preventing supplier-related defects from impacting STER Seating's manufacturing operations and customers. This position will serve as the primary Quality interface with STER Seating's North American and European supply base, working closely with Sourcing, Engineering, Operations, Incoming Inspection, and suppliers to identify risk, resolve quality issues, and drive sustainable corrective and preventive actions. The role is intended to move STER's supplier quality function from primarily reactive inspection and containment toward proactive supplier development, process control, qualification, and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will be comfortable spending time both on the manufacturing floor and at supplier facilities. This position requires someone who can identify a quality problem, understand the manufacturing process that created it, work collaboratively with the supplier to establish root cause, and ensure that corrective action permanently prevents recurrence. The Supplier Quality Engineer is not intended to function solely as an inspector or administrator of supplier corrective actions. The expectation is to actively improve STER's supply base and reduce quality risk before defects reach STER production or STER customers.

Responsibilities

• Own supplier quality performance and corrective-action activities across assigned North American and European suppliers.
• Lead supplier investigations, containment, root-cause analysis, 8D, CAPA, and permanent corrective actions.
• Conduct supplier visits, process audits, quality-system audits, and supplier-development activities.
• Partner with Sourcing to evaluate supplier performance, capabilities, risks, and improvement priorities.
• Support qualification and development of new suppliers and manufacturing processes.
• Establish and maintain appropriate supplier quality requirements, inspection standards, First Article Inspection (FAI), PPAP or equivalent qualification processes, and change-control expectations.
• Develop supplier scorecards and quality KPIs in partnership with Sourcing and monitor supplier performance and recurring issues.
• Identify high-risk suppliers and develop improvement plans to reduce defects, disruptions, rework, incoming inspection, and customer exposure.
• Work directly with suppliers to improve manufacturing processes, process controls, inspection methods, documentation, and quality systems.
• Coordinate supplier-related nonconforming material activities and support the cross-functional Material Review Board