Supplier Quality Engineer

nVent•Blaine, MN

23d•Onsite

About The Position

The Supplier Quality Engineer serves as a key partner among suppliers, operations, engineering, program teams, and customers to ensure high-quality products and a reliable supply chain. The role manages supplier quality activities, resolves supplier issues, identifies and escalates risks, builds supplier partnerships, and develops supplier quality systems. Supplier-site visits and direct work with supplier teams are required, with travel up to 30%. The position leads root cause and corrective action activities, manages supplier corrective actions, and verifies that corrective actions are effective and sustainable. It works with customers and internal teams to understand requirements and mitigate risks; supports APQP and PPAP for new products and engineering changes; and partners with suppliers on process capability studies, FMEA reviews, and control plans. The role also leads supplier quality improvement and development initiatives, including Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma projects, with an emphasis on sustainable improvements, defect prevention, cost reduction, and efficiency. It maintains supplier quality documentation, audit reports, and performance records, and supports compliance with applicable environmental, health, safety, and quality standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related field.
At least 4 years of experience in supplier quality-related functions.
Solid understanding of APQP, PPAP, SPC, process capability studies, FMEA, control plans, and GD&T.
Proficiency in root cause analysis investigations, such as RCCA, 8D, and 3L5Y.

Nice To Haves

Quality certifications such as CQE, CMQ, or CQA.
ISO 9001:2015 Internal Auditor training.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary liaison between suppliers, program teams, production, and customers to resolve supplier quality issues and drive performance improvements.
Lead daily supplier quality management activities and proactively identify and escalate risks.
Build supplier partnerships through regular engagement and performance reviews.
Visit supplier locations and work with supplier teams to develop and strengthen quality systems; travel may be up to 30%.
Participate in supplier assessments, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Coach, mentor, and provide quality-related training to suppliers.
Lead Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) activities for supplier quality issues.
Issue and manage supplier corrective actions, evaluate their effectiveness and sustainability, and verify and validate actions to prevent recurrence.
Assess supplier performance and recommend actions to improve supplier relationships and quality outcomes.
Communicate the urgency and business impact of quality concerns to suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Collaborate with customers, engineering, sourcing, program management, operations, and quality teams to understand requirements, mitigate risks, and ensure uninterrupted product quality.
Support APQP and PPAP activities for new product introductions and engineering changes.
Partner with suppliers on process capability studies, FMEA reviews, and control plan development and validation.
Lead supplier quality improvement initiatives and champion supplier development, including Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma projects.
Identify opportunities to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase supply-chain efficiency.
Maintain supplier quality documentation, audit reports, and supplier performance records.
Support compliance with applicable environmental, health, safety, and quality standards.