Lead, Supplier Quality Engineer

The Lead, Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) is responsible for ensuring that delivered products and/or services conform to contractual and the Company’s requirements. The SQE will work closely with their assigned suppliers on activities such as Early Supplier Engagements, First Article Inspections, Root Cause / Corrective Action activities, and audits. The SQE will also work with the assigned Contract Source Inspector to ensure that product releases are timely and meet the expectations of the internal customers.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the voice of the site to represent their unique needs into the overall enterprise Supplier Quality strategy, standard work, etc. Assist site quality leadership in gathering and reporting information related to supplier performance for the site. Develops supplier strategies for the site and coordinates enterprise supplier quality assurance (SQA) resources in the field to support needs of the site. Participates and supports internal and supplier site activities including management reporting, SQE training, supplier issue investigation support, customer-supplier initiatives, direct supplier product acceptance, supplier management activities and support as required.
•  Visit suppliers to review product & process issues and perform investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective to drive improvements into their processes.  Be accountable for assigned suppliers performance and ensure suppliers are performing with a 100 quality rating.
•  Be an active contributor in Early Supplier Engagements such as Post Award Reviews (PAR), Supplier Manufacturing Readiness Reviews, and Control Plan activity. Perform as the leading contributor for PAR-Lites.
• Interface with internal and external customers; i.e., engineering, manufacturing, supplier, procurement to ensure requirements are met. Analyze supplier processes and planning to verify compliance with purchase orders, engineering drawings, processes, specifications, etc.
•  Work with suppliers to resolve issues with purchase order inspection packages. Investigate and report supplier quality history as requested by quality engineering or Quality & Mission Assurance (Q&MA) management.
•  Create reporting documents to status Suppliers Performance, Non-Conformance History, impact to the Companys CoPQ, and other metrics as assigned.
•  Participates in managing the supplier ratings/scorecard system and overseeing periodic meetings.
•  Perform periodic source inspections at assigned suppliers.
• Ability to travel up to 50 of the time.
• Ability to travel 150 miles by vehicle one way and air travel when required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years of prior relevant engineering experience.
• Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related engineering experience.
• In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related engineering experience.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience in manufacturing and/or inspections required.
• Strong problem solving, RCCA and investigation experience required.
• Certified Quality Engineer strongly preferred.
• Ability to synthesize and analyze data from several sources and develop a plan to take action based upon the data.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within a close-knit team environment.