Senior Supplier Technical Engineer

Solar Turbines•San Diego, CA

8d•$112,704 - $169,056•Onsite

About The Position

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. The successful candidate in this Senior Supplier Technical Engineer (STE) role will have technical accountability for purchased parts in the Forging and Raw Material Supply Chain for all aspects of quality management. The STE is a technical expert for their forging and raw material products used in our turbomachinery equipment and acts as a liaison between internal customers at all levels including operations leadership, engineering, New Product Introduction (NPI), aftermarket teams, and especially with the external supplier contacts. This position reports to the Supply Chain Manager for the Forging and Raw Material Supply Chain. Some travel is required. This position provides leadership in resolution of quality problems associated with the purchased materials and engineering issues. The STE manages supplier quality through activities that include NPI concept drawings, communication of concept to suppliers, design/drawing review and acceptance, Windchill activities, BAAN functions, tooling management, and Q Notes. Additional activities include supplier and product qualifications by execution of Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) coordinated with suppliers and internal cross-functional supply chain, manufacturing and engineering teams.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree or higher with experience in a Supplier Quality or Engineering role. Preferably in a manufacturing environment.
Experience with ERP software and proficient with MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio).
Fluent in Business English in written and oral form.

Nice To Haves

Engineering or manufacturing background with familiarity of manufacturing processes used in forging and machining operations relevant to turbomachinery products.
Familiarity with engineering practices and process planning including drawing interpretation, tooling concepts, nondestructive testing (NDT), functional test, in addition to technical product knowledge and metallurgy principals.
Knowledge of melting and conversion of turbomachinery alloys as a complementary skill set.
Strong analytical problem solving and statistical skills.
Effective communication in written and oral form.
Well-developed interpersonal skills, leading a cross-functional technical team to consensus, and ability to influence or persuade suppliers and internal clients to effective solutions.
Demonstrated responsiveness and acts with a sense of urgency.
Familiarity with 6 Sigma tools and techniques, and understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles.
Project management skills to advance supplier qualification and improvement projects to completion.
Working knowledge of supplier selection process and quality management systems.

Responsibilities

Quality and Technical Problem Resolution – Responsible for identifying quality problems, leading root cause analysis, and implementing resolution of technical issues in a cross-functional environment with the supplier, manufacturing and engineering. The STE is the focal point for Reject Notices and Request for Technical Authority and will initiate root cause analysis, supplier corrective action and/or preventive action plans as applicable with the utilization of 6 Sigma tools, critical thinking, and a sense of urgency.
Supplier Quality Metrics – Responsible for development of supplier quality metrics and monthly reporting and distribution of metrics. The STE identifies supplier quality performance trends and improvement opportunities with time bound corrective actions or improvement plans to meet Supply Chain metric targets.
Engineering Liaison – Coordinates with Engineering on NPI, Concurrent Product and Process Development, and Continuous Process Improvement to ensure design concept to production status, configuration management, specification approvals and cost reduction goals are met.
Supplier PPAP Management – The STE leads the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and develops the inspection plan with collaboration from Design Engineering, Materials & Processes Engineering, and Manufacturing. Additionally, the STE will provide technical guidance to the Supply Chain team on the requirements and purchase of supplier tooling