Component Engineer 3

Component Engineer 3

The Supplier Engineer is responsible for ensuring suppliers reliably support plant production by meeting client 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.

This position owns supplier performance for assigned commodities and components supporting plant production, with direct accountability for issue resolution, process capability, risk mitigation, and long-term supplier health. Deep expertise in electronics manufacturing and components, acting as the SME for supplier issues related to PCBAs and electronic assemblies.

Core Technical Expertise

Strong background in: PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) SMT (Surface Mount Technology), through-hole processes Electronic components (ICs, connectors, sensors, cables, harnesses) Understanding of:
Soldering processes (reflow, wave) IPC standards (IPC-A-610, J-STD-001) ESD controls and reliability concerns Supplier Process & Quality Focus

Experience with:
Electronics failure analysis (signal integrity, shorts/opens, component failures) Environmental and reliability testing (thermal cycling, vibration) Ability to investigate:
Field returns, intermittent failures, firmware/hardware integration issues Validation & Inspection

Electronic test methods: ICT (In-Circuit Testing) Functional testing AOI (Automated Optical Inspection), X-ray Strong focus on:
Electronic process validation (PCBA line qualification)

Preferred Experience

EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) supplier management Knowledge of embedded systems integration (nice-to-have)

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

Supplier Performance & Plant Support

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.

Supplier Manufacturing Process Improvement

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.

Supplier Qualification, Validation & Change Management

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…