Global Supplier Development Engineer

Tennant Company•Eden Prairie, MN

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Supplier Development Engineer (SDE) plays a critical role in ensuring the quality, reliability, and performance of Tennant’s global supplier base. This role focuses on proactively qualifying new suppliers and part designs to meet company standards in quality, cost and delivery. The SDE will primarily partner with New Product Development and Global Strategic Supply to ensure aggressive product launch schedule is achieved. SDE will partner with lifecycle management teams including production, supplier quality and material control to ensure successful transition from concept to release. SDE will be responsible for a broad range of electrical categories including PCBA’s, Chargers, Controllers and Autonomy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering
5-7 years of experience in supplier development, quality engineering, product engineering, or manufacturing engineering
Deep knowledge of PCB manufacturing & testing, electronic components, SMT processes and microelectronics
Demonstrated expertise in root cause analysis tools.
Demonstrated experience defining, executing, and continuously improving production processes.
Familiarity with global supplier management and working across multiple time zones and cultures.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, requirements, and specifications.
Must be capable of working without direct supervision.
Must be self-driven with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Must be capable of managing multiple projects and prioritized based on data driven necessities.
Driven to improve internal and external processes.
Elevated level of customer service and collaboration skills
Strong oral and written communication skills
Ability to influence without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

SAP experience a plus

Responsibilities

Engage directly with a broad range of suppliers in multiple categories building on Tennant Company’s legacy of quality and innovation supporting our mission of creating a cleaner, safer, healthier world.
Manage supplier performance to ensure they successfully supply Tennant parts per requirements.
Lead onsite evaluations of supplier operations from design control to raw materials, from order intake, production, and delivery with periodic audits.
Qualify and onboard new suppliers to ensure alignment with company standards and regulatory requirements.
Identify supplier leading risk indicators.
Develop and effectively manage the successful execution of the part approval & supplier development opportunities within assigned categories and programs.
Drive a structured approach, with suppliers, during the NPD phases utilizing tools such as capability assessments, process mapping, PFMEA, and part qualification - Material Design Review and First Articles.
Facilitate supplier reviews encompassing supplier design simulation, testing, and validation activities to ensure delivered quality at both the prototype and product launch phase.
Ensure supplier capability and design requirements are aligned with requirements and growth strategies.
Ensure SDE activities (product, tool, or process) align with program goals and support quality objectives.
Partner with design engineering and suppliers to develop drawings, tolerances, GD&T including identifying areas for improvement in both component and manufacturing cost optimization.
Support product launches by collaborating with suppliers on process validation, PPAP, FAI, and capability studies.
Function as a liaison between suppliers and internal stakeholders to align expectations and ensure compliance with technical and quality requirements.
Contribute to the development and refinement of project plans, schedules, and metrics.
Contribute to the development and refinement of supplier quality procedures, documentation, and best practices.
Own and lead continuous improvement activities with suppliers ensuring step changes in cost, quality, and delivery.
Leverage strong project management and change management skills to drive continuous improvements for the categories and introduce innovative strategies.