Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Lincoln Electric•Euclid, OH

3d•$111,115 - $138,894•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Supplier Quality Engineer (SSQE) owns quality outcomes, supplier risk posture, and recovery execution for Lincoln Electric’s strategic, high‑impact suppliers. This role acts as the quality decision authority for suppliers that directly affect production continuity, customer experience, regulatory compliance, and total cost of ownership. This is not an audit or support role. The SSQE is accountable for preventing supplier‑driven disruption, exercising judgment under pressure, and making escalation, containment, launch‑gate, and supplier exit recommendations when risk is unacceptable.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline
7–10+ years of experience in Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, or Operations Engineering
Demonstrated experience exercising judgment in supplier escalation and launch decisions
Strong working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, SPC, and structured problem solving
Proven ability to influence sourcing and operations without direct authority

Responsibilities

Act as quality decision authority for assigned suppliers, including stop-ship and controlled release decisions, deviation approval, and supplier exit and resourcing recommendations.
Lead supplier risk assessments covering process capability, capacity, financial health, and geographic exposure.
Define and drive mitigation plans aligned with Global Sourcing strategy.
Lead and govern APQP and PPAP for strategic suppliers and high‑risk launches.
Approve or block launch readiness based on demonstrated capability, not intent.
Has authority to delay or stop launches when supplier risk is unacceptable.
Escalate unresolved launch risks to executive leadership with clear business impact.
Own supplier quality performance outcomes (PPM, COPQ, OTIF) for assigned suppliers.
Lead cross‑functional escalation and recovery when performance degrades.
Validate root cause and corrective action effectiveness; reject superficial or non‑systemic fixes.
Drive permanent countermeasures (process redesign, tooling changes, error‑proofing, automation).
Serve as primary quality advisor to Commodity Managers for supplier nomination and award decisions, and dual‑sourcing and exit strategies.
Translate quality risk into financial impact (downtime, warranty, COPQ, recovery cost).
Influence sourcing decisions through total cost of ownership, not piece price.
Mentor Supplier Quality Engineers and define escalation thresholds.
Establish standard work for APQP rigor, audit depth, and supplier recovery.
Act as senior quality representative in cross‑functional and executive reviews.