Component Engineer

Supplier Process Engineer (Contingent)

Position Overview:

The Supplier Engineer is responsible for ensuring suppliers reliably support plant production by meeting Intuitive requirements for quality, delivery, capacity, cost, and service. This role is highly execution-focused and serves as the primary technical interface between the plant and suppliers to resolve line-impacting issues, improve supplier manufacturing processes, and maintain stable production operations across multiple product families.

The Supplier Engineer partners closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Planning, Operations, Design Engineering, Commodity / Supply Chain Engineering, and Procurement to drive supplier performance, qualify manufacturing processes, support New Product Introduction (NPI), and execute continuous improvement initiatives across the supply base.

• Serve as the primary technical interface between plant manufacturing teams and suppliers for quality issues, line disruptions, yield loss, delivery concerns, and capacity constraints.
• Lead supplier issue resolution from containment through root cause investigation and corrective/preventive action implementation.
• Support manufacturing operations by investigating and resolving supplier-related deviations, variances, nonconformances, and first article issues.
• Monitor supplier performance across quality, delivery, responsiveness, and manufacturing stability, driving improvement where gaps exist.
• Support uninterrupted production by proactively managing supplier risks and escalating critical issues appropriately.

• Work directly with suppliers to improve manufacturing processes, process capability, inspection methods, and process controls.
• Drive sustainable corrective actions using structured problem-solving methodologies and data-driven analysis.
• Lead investigations into recurring defects, quality escapes, process variation, and manufacturing inefficiencies impacting production.
• Partner with suppliers to improve yield, reduce variability, and strengthen manufacturing robustness.
• Build and execute supplier development plans using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, SPC, and continuous improvement principles.

• Own and execute supplier qualification and validation activities, including:
• Supplier pFMEA
• IQ/OQ/PQ and process validations
• First Article Inspections and inspection reports
• Gage R&R and process capability analysis (Cp/Cpk)
• Support execution and closure of Variance Requests (VRs), Supplier Change Requests (SCRs), and supplier-driven manufacturing changes.
• Approve and manage supplier process changes including new equipment, process transfers, facility moves, tooling changes, and production line validations.
• Support implementation of ECO changes impacting suppliers, ensuring validation and risk mitigation prior to production release.
• Assess supplier readiness and manufacturing capability to support sustaining production and NPI ramp activities.

• Identify and proactively manage supplier-related risks including quality, capacity, continuity, and manufacturing constraints.
• Convert recurring supplier issues into structured improvement initiatives to eliminate root causes.
• Drive continuous improvement projects focused on quality, operational efficiency, manufacturing consistency, and supply continuity.
• Generate and track supplier performance metrics and provide data-driven recommendations to improve supplier health and performance.
• Support supplier audits, process reviews, and operational assessments as required.

• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Procurement, and Engineering teams to support plant objectives.
• Communicate supplier risks, issue status, recovery plans, and project updates clearly to cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by evaluating supplier readiness, process capability, validation strategy, and production ramp risk.
• Maintain strong supplier relationships to effectively partner between Intuitive…