Sr Mgr, Supplier Quality Management

Siemens Healthineers•Greendale, WI

1d•$192,600 - $264,825

About The Position

Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers company, is seeking a Senior Manager to lead its Supplier Quality Management organization across the Americas. The role provides strategic and operational leadership for regional supplier quality activities, ensuring the quality, reliability, and compliance of externally supplied components, materials, products, and services. It leads the Americas team, establishes regional priorities, strengthens governance and technical capability, and improves supplier performance in alignment with the global Supplier Quality strategy. The position advances Quality at the Source (QATS), emphasizing defect prevention through early supplier involvement, robust supplier processes, risk-based controls, and application of preventive quality methods such as APQP, PPAP, SPC, process capability, FMEA, Lean, and Six Sigma. It works with Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, Service, and global Supplier Quality partners. The role also ensures supplier quality activities comply with applicable quality-system and regulatory requirements; oversees supplier qualification, audits, agreements, changes, monitoring, and development; and leads responses to nonconformances, supplier escalations, production interruptions, and other supplier-related risks. It establishes performance measures, supports NPI and design transfer, drives cross-functional and supplier improvement, and develops the capabilities of the regional team. The position requires travel up to 50%, including domestic and international supplier locations. The stated base pay range is $192,600–$264,825. Benefits listed include medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; life insurance; short- and long-term disability insurance; paid parking or public transportation; paid time off; and paid sick and safe time.

Requirements

Strong leadership and influencing skills, including the ability to build trust-based relationships with direct reports, peers, senior leaders, cross-functional partners, and suppliers.
Experience leading Supplier Quality teams across multiple sites or a regional organization, including in global and matrixed environments.
Strong knowledge of Supplier Quality Management in medical devices or another highly regulated or quality-critical manufacturing environment, including supplier qualification, monitoring, auditing, development, change management, and escalation.
Working knowledge of quality-system and regulatory requirements, including FDA QMSR, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14971:2019, EU MDR, MDSAP, and applicable GMP requirements.
Technical knowledge of APQP, PPAP, FAI, PFMEA/FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA/Gauge R&R, process capability (Cpk/Ppk), process validation, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action.
Technical understanding of engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, critical characteristics, manufacturing processes, inspection requirements, and process qualification.
Experience leading supplier audits, quality escalations, complex corrective actions, SCARs, and supplier development programs, including rapid containment and risk mitigation.
Understanding of manufacturing, supply chain, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, and supplier operations and their effects on product lifecycle quality and business performance.
Experience in project and change management, process excellence, organizational development, and cross-functional improvement initiatives.
Ability to identify systemic improvement opportunities, benchmark performance and practices, establish priorities, and drive sustainable change across multiple sites and functions.
Business acumen and data-driven decision-making skills, connecting supplier quality and risk with product quality, manufacturing and field performance, supply continuity, compliance, and Cost of Poor Quality.
Strong communication and executive presentation skills, including translating complex technical and supplier issues into clear risks, priorities, decisions, and actions for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and significant supplier escalations with independence, sound judgment, urgency, and accountability.
Ability to travel up to 50%, including to domestic and international supplier locations.
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Materials Engineering, or another related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
At least 5 years of progressive leadership experience managing technical teams within Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related technical function.
Progressive people leadership experience, including hiring, developing, coaching, retaining, and leading high-performing technical teams across multiple locations.
Experience setting measurable objectives, performance expectations, priorities, and accountability and delegating across direct and matrixed organizations.
Ability to lead significant cross-functional and multi-site Supplier Quality or process improvement initiatives, influence senior stakeholders, and align stakeholders on strategic and operational priorities.
Working knowledge of Supplier Quality, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Service and their interdependencies.
Experience establishing and using Supplier Quality KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, trend analysis, and data-based performance reviews.
Experience with ERP, MES, eQMS, and data analytics/reporting tools.

Nice To Haves

Significant Supplier Quality or manufacturing quality experience in medical device, automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, electronics, or another highly regulated or quality-critical manufacturing industry.
Experience leading a regional or multi-site Supplier Quality organization and collaborating across global teams to drive consistent processes, governance, and performance.
Experience establishing or scaling QATS, APQP, PPAP, supplier development, or similar preventive supplier quality programs.
Experience supporting quality across the product lifecycle, including NPI, design transfer, supplier qualification, production ramp-up, manufacturing, product changes, field performance, and ongoing production.
Experience reducing supplier defects, nonconformance, scrap, rework, warranty impact, and Cost of Poor Quality through supplier capability and process improvement.
ISO 13485:2016 Lead Auditor certification and experience conducting or leading supplier, process, and quality-system audits.
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, Lean certification, or equivalent professional certification.
Experience with SAP/SAP HANA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, QlikView, Minitab, JMP, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop the Americas Supplier Quality Management organization, setting objectives, priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations and ensuring appropriate resources and capabilities.
Provide strategic and operational leadership across the supplier quality lifecycle, including supplier selection and early involvement, qualification, onboarding, monitoring, development, NPI, QATS, product acceptance, supplier changes, quality controls, and performance improvement.
Execute the global Supplier Quality Management strategy across the Americas and contribute regional expertise, performance insights, and priorities to global processes, standards, and ways of working.
Establish and maintain regional Supplier Quality Management governance, including consistent processes, risk-based controls, performance expectations, escalation mechanisms, and accountability.
Ensure regional supplier quality activities and controls comply with applicable quality-system and regulatory requirements.
Lead regional QATS implementation and apply preventive methods including APQP, PPAP, FAI, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, process capability, process validation, Lean, and Six Sigma.
Oversee supplier qualification, risk assessment, audits, Quality/Master/Supplier Quality Agreements, supplier changes and change notifications, monitoring, and development.
Lead responses to supplier nonconformances, SCARs, supplier escapes, escalations, and development plans, ensuring containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, effectiveness verification, and escalation as appropriate.
Lead responses to critical supplier quality events, production interruptions, field issues, and other significant supplier-related risks, coordinating risk mitigation and business continuity.
Establish and monitor regional Supplier Quality Management indicators and metrics, using supplier, Incoming Inspection, manufacturing, field, warranty, nonconformance, and Cost of Poor Quality data to identify risks and set priorities.
Lead Supplier Quality Management involvement in NPI, design transfer, and supplier industrialization, including early involvement, quality planning, supplier readiness, qualification, and transition to production.
Partner cross-functionally to integrate Supplier Quality requirements into sourcing, NPI, manufacturing, product acceptance, field-performance evaluation, and supplier management decisions.
Drive supplier development, standardization, simplification, digitalization, and continuous improvement across the region.
Build relationships with strategic suppliers and engage supplier leadership to drive accountability, resolve significant issues, strengthen supplier capability, and improve performance.
Develop the technical and leadership capability of the regional organization through coaching, competency development, knowledge sharing, and succession planning.
Promote quality, prevention, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement across the organization and supplier network.