Sr. Supplier Quality Engineering Manager

States Manufacturing Corporation•Dayton, MN

1h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and maintaining the Supplier Quality function supporting low and medium voltage switchgear products. This role provides direction and oversight for supplier quality systems, supplier development, and risk management activities to ensure product safety, regulatory compliance, and business continuity. The Senior SQE Manager builds and leads the SQE organization, partners closely with Supply Chain and Engineering leadership, and ensures supplier quality considerations are integrated early into sourcing, design, and change decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
10+ years of experience in Supplier Quality, Quality Engineering, or Manufacturing Quality
5+ years of quality or engineering leadership experience
Strong working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, supplier audits, and corrective action systems
Experience supporting electrical or electromechanical products

Nice To Haves

Experience in switchgear, transformers, or power distribution equipment
Knowledge of UL and IEC standards
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Six Sigma certification
Experience working with global suppliers
Strong leadership and accountability
Risk-based decision making
Strategic and analytical thinking
Clear, effective communication
Cross-functional collaboration
Results-driven execution

Responsibilities

Establish and lead the supplier quality strategy aligned with product safety, regulatory compliance, and business objectives
Establish governance models defining decision authority, escalation thresholds, and accountability across supplier quality activities
Ensure supplier quality systems support applicable UL, IEC, and ISO 9001 requirements using a risk-based approach
Work closely with Strategic Sourcing and Supply Chain leadership to qualify and approve new suppliers
Ensure supplier quality assessments and risk evaluations are completed prior to supplier award, alternate sourcing, or supplier transitions
Provide supplier quality and risk input to sourcing trade-off decisions
Establish supplier segmentation models based on quality, safety, and business risk
Establish and maintain supplier scorecards and performance metrics
Lead supplier corrective action and improvement efforts to reduce recurring quality issues and improve long-term capability
Establish expectations and requirements for supplier APQP and PPAP proportional to product and process risk
Ensure suppliers develop and maintain effective PFMEAs, control plans, and validation activities
Ensure quality requirements are maintained through design changes, material substitutions, and supplier transfers
Establish and maintain supplier audit processes focused on system and process capability
Ensure supplier risk assessments address electrical safety, insulation integrity, thermal performance, and mechanical reliability
Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits related to supplier quality
Build, lead, and develop the Supplier Quality Engineering team to support current and future business needs
Ensure SQEs are trained, prepared, and empowered to make independent, risk-based quality decisions
Work collaboratively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program Management to prevent supplier-driven risk