Supplier Quality Engineer Job

Key Responsibilities:
• Manage quality performance for an assigned group of suppliers and serve as a key
point of contact for supplier quality matters.
• Monitor supplier performance using quality data, dashboards, scorecards, and key
performance indicators. Communicate emerging risks, performance concerns, and
improvement priorities to suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Investigate supplier-related issues affecting incoming inspection, manufacturing,
installation, and field service. Coordinate rapid containment and risk-mitigation
activities to protect production, customers, and patients.
• Lead or support root cause investigations and Supplier Corrective Action Requests
using structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, 5 Whys, Ishikawa diagrams,
and statistical analysis.
• Review supplier corrective actions to confirm that root causes have been identified,
appropriate actions have been implemented, and recurrence has been effectively
prevented.
• Support Qnote/NCR and Material Review Board activities involving supplier-provided
components. Help minimize production disruption, blocked inventory, scrap, rework,
warranty costs, and field impact.
• Work with suppliers to improve manufacturing processes and implement appropriate
quality controls, including PFMEA, Control Plans, Statistical Process Control,
Measurement System Analysis, process capability analysis, Cpk/Ppk, and process
validation.
• Support Quality at the Source (“light” PPAP) by helping suppliers move from reliance
on inspection toward prevention, process control, and data-driven validation.
• Participate in New Product Introduction and design-transfer activities. Partner with
Engineering and suppliers to review drawings, specifications, tolerances, critical
attributes, manufacturability requirements, and inspection strategies.
• Support supplier readiness through First Article Inspection, PPAP, APQP, inspection
planning, and other qualification activities based on product and process risk.
• Review Supplier Change Notifications involving materials, manufacturing processes,
equipment, tooling, sub-tier suppliers, quality systems, or manufacturing locations.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs,
Service, and other stakeholders to evaluate supplier changes and ensure required
qualification and validation activities are completed before implementation.
• Conduct or participate in supplier audits, process assessments, supplier
qualifications, and for-cause investigations. Document findings and track corrective
actions through effective closure.
• Partner with Service and other functions to review field-performance and warranty
data, identify supplier-related trends, and drive appropriate investigations and
corrective actions.
• Analyze non-conformance, scrap, rework, warranty, and operational data to identify
opportunities to reduce defects and Cost of Poor Quality.
• Participate in cross-functional forums to support timely decisions and resolution of
supplier-related issues.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Materials Engineering, or
another related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 15 or more years of relevant experience in Supplier Quality Engineering,
Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, Design Engineering, or a
related technical discipline.
• Experience in medical devices, automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, electronics,
or another highly regulated or quality-critical manufacturing environment where
disciplined process controls, product and process qualification, traceability, and
timely issue resolution are required.
• Hands-on experience investigating manufacturing, component, process, or supplier
quality issues and coordinating rapid containment to protect production and
customers.
• Practical experience with PPAP, APQP, or comparable product and process
qualification methodologies used to establish supplier readiness and production
capability.
• Working knowledge of supplier and manufacturing quality tools, including
PFMEA/FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA and Gauge R&R, process capability, Cpk/Ppk,
First Article Inspection, process validation, root cause analysis, and corrective and
preventive action.
• Experience working in fast-moving manufacturing environments where supplier
issues may require immediate containment, cross-functional coordination, clear
escalation, and timely corrective action.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances,
inspection requirements, and technical documentation.
• Experience working directly with suppliers and cross-functional teams to resolve
technical, manufacturing, and quality issues.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple
supplier investigations, corrective actions, and improvement activities.
• Willingness to travel to supplier locations domestically and internationally
approximately 30-40%, including occasional travel on short notice.
• Ability to work onsite in Palo Alto, California.