Sr Manager Supplier Engineering

Intuitive•Sunnyvale, CA

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Supplier Engineering leads a team of SP Instruments Supplier Engineers and helps ensure continuity of purchased-part supply at the lowest landed cost. The role develops supplier quality, capability, and capacity, supports operational excellence and risk mitigation, and aligns production priorities with enterprise supply-chain objectives. It builds trusted relationships with cross-functional teams and represents the Supply Chain perspective while reducing production continuity and design-for-manufacturing issues and supporting smooth product scale-up. The position develops and executes a global supply-chain strategy and roadmap that supports Intuitive’s product strategy and enables a sustainable, resilient supply chain. It leads supplier selection, development, collaboration, performance monitoring, compliance, risk management, and change management. The Senior Manager also develops organizational effectiveness and talent through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and team development. The position may require domestic and international supplier travel on an as-needed basis, estimated at 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.
At least 10 years of related experience in Process Engineering, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supplier Quality, Supplier Development, or a related field, with significant medical or medical-device experience.
At least 3 years of experience leading teams.
Proven ability to lead teams in solving complex technical and process problems.
Proven ability to hire capable staff and develop and mentor team members.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive presentations.
Demonstrated project-management skills and ability to influence and negotiate with stakeholders to deliver projects on time.
Broad domain expertise in areas such as plastics, metals, electronics, and motion-control components.
Knowledge of a wide range of manufacturing processes and measurement techniques.
Deep understanding of key input variables affecting quality, cost, schedule, and capacity.
Strong analytical skills and sound judgment.
Proficiency in Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing techniques.
Ability to travel to domestic and international suppliers as needed (25%).

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Six Sigma certification preferred.
Knowledge of document management and ERP systems, preferably Agile and SAP.
Knowledge of 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 13485 preferred.
Experience in a high-volume medical-device company is a plus.
Demonstrated track record of launching new products preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop leadership capability through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and organizational development.
Lead a team of supplier engineers delivering business value.
Develop and execute a global supply-chain strategy and roadmap that supports product strategy and a sustainable, resilient supply chain.
Research commodity-market trends and select and evaluate suppliers to support agility, innovation during new product introduction, and global production scale-up.
Partner with the NPI sourcing team to incorporate commercial viability into supplier selection.
Drive adoption of new technologies and automation in the supply chain to improve efficiency and production scale.
Champion supply-chain best practices, including DFX, Lean, SPC, Six Sigma, and project management.
Establish clear supplier communication channels and manage technical and business relationships.
Partner with suppliers to select manufacturing processes and controls that achieve quality and cost objectives.
Develop KPIs for supplier delivery, capacity, cost, and quality, and execute continuous-improvement projects against them.
Partner with Supplier Quality to resolve supplier audit findings through processes such as CAPA and SCARs and maintain QMS compliance.
Work with Global Supply Chain and cross-functional Engineering teams to identify supply-chain risks and implement mitigation measures.
Execute change-management processes, including MCF, SCR, and CO, for commercially launched products to support capacity scaling, cost reduction, quality improvement, and supply-chain risk mitigation.
Align or negotiate project ownership and hand-off points with peer Supplier Engineering groups.
Influence decisions with partners in Global Ops, including planning, sourcing, and purchasing; Engineering, including Design, Process, and Quality; and the Project Management Organization.