Engineer, Senior

Bellwood - Illinois - USA

Full time

R2026-4072

The Senior Supplier Quality Engineer is responsible for leading supplier quality assurance and improvement activities from supplier selection and product development through series production and ongoing performance management. The position ensures suppliers consistently meet applicable customer, engineering, quality, delivery, and regulatory requirements.

This role serves as the primary quality interface with assigned suppliers and leads cross-functional resolution of supplier-related concerns. The Senior Supplier Quality Engineer drives effective containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and prevention using structured problem-solving methods, including 8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa, and statistical analysis.

NATURE AND SCOPE

The Senior Supplier Quality Engineer works closely with Purchasing, Engineering, Program Management, Manufacturing, Logistics, and plant Quality to ensure purchased components and materials are capable of meeting requirements. The position supports new product introduction through APQP and supplier PPAP approval, manages supplier changes, conducts supplier audits, and monitors supplier performance throughout the product life cycle.

The incumbent is expected to exercise independent judgment, influence suppliers without direct authority, communicate effectively with all levels of supplier and internal management, and provide technical guidance to less-experienced engineers and quality team members.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead supplier quality planning for new programs, product changes, resourcing activities, and supplier transfers through the APQP process.

• Review and approve supplier PPAP submissions, including process flow diagrams, PFMEAs, control plans, measurement system studies, capability studies, dimensional results, material certifications, and supporting records.

• Develop, communicate, and monitor supplier quality requirements and ensure alignment with drawings, specifications, customer-specific requirements, and applicable quality-management-system requirements.

• Lead containment, investigation, and disposition of supplier nonconforming material to protect production and the customer.

• Issue and manage supplier corrective action requests; verify root cause, corrective action effectiveness, recurrence prevention, and timely closure through the 8D process.

• Plan and conduct supplier process, system, capacity, and special-process audits; document findings and drive closure of identified gaps.

• Monitor supplier performance using quality, delivery, responsiveness, and improvement metrics; identify risk and lead recovery or improvement plans for underperforming suppliers.

• Partner with Purchasing and Engineering on supplier selection, technical reviews, feasibility assessments, supplier development, and sourcing decisions.

• Lead supplier readiness reviews and production-launch activities, including safe launch, early production containment, and escalation when performance does not meet requirements.

• Coordinate supplier deviations and engineering-change implementation, ensuring appropriate validation, documentation, and approval before production use.

• Apply AIAG core tools, statistical methods, and problem-solving techniques to reduce variation, improve process capability, and prevent defects.

• Maintain accurate supplier-quality records and provide clear reports, risk assessments, and escalation updates to management and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Assess and monitor supplier management of critical sub-tier suppliers, ensuring appropriate flow-down of technical, quality, regulatory, and customer-specific requirements and effective management of sub-tier supplier risk.

• Lead supplier development activities to improve manufacturing process capability, process controls, error proofing, measurement systems, preventive maintenance, material flow, and overall process robustness.

• Establish and maintain supplier quality risk assessments using supplier performance, process capability, audit results, launch status, technical complexity, capacity, change activity, and business continuity considerations to prioritize supplier-development activities.

• Plan and execute supplier capacity verification and run-at-rate assessments to confirm equipment, tooling, labor, cycle time, scrap assumptions, material flow, and quality controls support required production volumes.

• Track and drive reduction of supplier-related Cost of Poor Quality, including scrap, rework, sorting, production disruption, premium freight, containment, customer impact, and other recoverable supplier-related costs.

• Support IATF 16949 and QMS compliance, internal and external audits, warranty or field investigations related to purchased components, and continuous-improvement initiatives.

• Mentor engineers, technicians, inspectors, and suppliers in APQP, PPAP, problem solving, auditing, and quality-tool application.

• Perform other quality and supplier-development assignments as directed by Quality leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Materials Science, or a related technical field required; equivalent directly related experience may be considered.

• Typically 7 or more years of progressive experience in supplier quality, manufacturing quality, process engineering, or a related automotive manufacturing discipline.

• Demonstrated experience leading supplier APQP, PPAP, corrective action, supplier audits, and launch-readiness activities.

• Strong working knowledge of IATF 16949, ISO 9001, AIAG core tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, and SPC), control plans, GD&T, and structured problem solving.

• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, inspection results, capability data, and manufacturing-process controls.

• Experience with machining, stamping, heat treat, coatings, plastics, friction materials, assembly, or other relevant manufacturing processes is preferred.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality-data systems; experience with statistical-analysis software is preferred.

• ASQ certification, certified auditor credentials, Six Sigma, Shainin RED X, or similar advanced problem-solving training is preferred.

• Effective written, verbal, negotiation, presentation, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage conflict and drive accountability.

• Ability to travel to supplier locations, including occasional short-notice travel, as business needs require

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Salary Range:

$92,800 - $127,600

Internal Use Only: Salary

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