Supplier Development Engineer

Caterpillar•Mossville, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Supplier Development Engineer supporting Caterpillar's RISM Steel Components supply base, you will play a critical role in ensuring supplier quality, manufacturing excellence, and supply chain reliability for forged, cast, and machine bar components. This position is responsible for assessing supplier quality systems, evaluating manufacturing processes, and ensuring all supplied products meet quality standards, manufacturing specifications, and regulatory requirements. Working closely with suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders, you will drive defect reduction, improve supplier performance, support Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities, and strengthen quality management systems across strategic suppliers. The successful candidate will bring experience in supplier quality, manufacturing processes, continuous improvement, and component manufacturing environments such as steel forgings, castings, and machine bar. This role offers the opportunity to influence supplier quality performance while supporting products that help build the world's infrastructure, energy, and transportation systems.

Requirements

Extensive knowledge of manufacturing standards, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
Ability to monitor manufacturing processes and support adherence to organizational quality expectations.
Extensive knowledge of supplier management processes and supplier relationship management.
Ability to monitor supplier performance, develop quality standards, and strengthen supplier partnerships.
Extensive knowledge of quality management methods, quality systems, and continuous improvement techniques.
Demonstrated ability to develop and support quality standards that improve operational and supplier quality performance.
Demonstrated ability to effectively transmit, receive, and interpret information with suppliers, manufacturing teams, engineering stakeholders, and cross-functional partners.
Ability to deliver constructive feedback, create technical reports, and communicate complex quality issues clearly.
Extensive experience applying structured approaches, tools, and methodologies to resolve operational, manufacturing, and supplier quality issues.
Ability to lead problem resolution efforts, develop alternative solutions, and drive successful outcomes for critical supplier quality concerns.
Extensive experience evaluating production methods and quality processes while driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Ability to establish controls, improve workflows, analyze results, and implement sustainable process enhancements.
Extensive knowledge of PPAP requirements, submissions, documentation, validation activities, and supplier approvals.
Ability to evaluate supplier capability and ensure consistent production performance against customer requirements.
Extensive experience evaluating supplier capabilities, quality systems, manufacturing readiness, and supplier certification requirements.
Ability to identify and resolve supplier quality, support, and performance issues.

Nice To Haves

Engineering degree or equivalent experience working with steel forgings, castings, machining, heat treatment, or machine bar products preferred.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes and quality performance associated with either steel forgings, steel castings, iron castings, or machine bar.
Experience conducting supplier audits, manufacturing process assessments, or supplier capability evaluations within forging, foundry, metals, automotive, heavy equipment, off-highway, or industrial manufacturing environments.
Familiarity with advanced quality planning and validation methodologies including Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Control Plans, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).
Experience leading supplier quality improvement initiatives, supplier corrective action investigations, and defect reduction efforts using root cause analysis, or similar structured problem-solving methodologies.
Experience utilizing supplier scorecards, quality metrics, audit findings, and performance data to drive measurable supplier performance improvements.
Strong understanding of manufacturing process controls, process capability, variation reduction, and continuous improvement principles within a production environment.
Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, Lean Manufacturing certification, or equivalent continuous improvement experience preferred.
Experience partnering directly with suppliers to improve quality performance, manufacturing capability, and operational effectiveness.

Responsibilities

Assess supplier quality and ensure forged, cast, and machine bar components meet Caterpillar manufacturing specifications, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
Conduct supplier assessments, product evaluations, manufacturing reviews, and quality audits to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
Develop and maintain supplier inspection, testing, and evaluation processes to improve product quality and supplier performance.
Monitor supplier quality metrics, defect trends, and performance indicators while generating reports that support quality improvement initiatives.
Partner with suppliers to reduce defect rates through process improvements, corrective actions, manufacturing controls, and quality assurance planning.
Evaluate supplier manufacturing environments, capabilities, procedures, and quality systems to ensure alignment with organizational requirements.
Conduct supplier quality control audits and support supplier compliance with organizational, customer, and industry standards.
Support Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities and supplier readiness efforts to ensure long-term manufacturing capability and quality performance.
Collaborate with engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and supplier teams to resolve supplier quality issues and implement sustainable solutions.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve process capability, product quality, and overall supplier performance.