POSITION PROFILE
- Required Academic Degree: Professional Career / Bachelor's Degree
- Experience in the role: 5 years above
- Level of supervision: Low
- Autonomy to recommend/implement process changes: Yes
- Type of Supervision: Supervises Suppliers
- Complexity of the function: Strategic definition of the area requiring the application of new knowledge and innovation
- Scope of relationships: Organizational, both internal and external (other organizations or agencies)
GENERAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) is responsible for executing supplier quality processes to ensure that all materials, components, and services consistently meet internally and customer's quality and regulatory requirements. This role acts as the primary operational quality interface with suppliers, supporting performance improvement initiatives, driving effective corrective actions, and ensuring robust compliance throughout the supply base.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY
Responsibilities
- Support the deployment and execution of supplier quality strategies, policies, and processes.
- Execute supplier qualification and approval activities, ensuring compliance, customer, and regulatory requirements.
- Plan, conduct, and document supplier audits and assessments; track corrective and preventive actions to timely and effective closure.
- Collect, analyze, and report supplier performance data in collaboration with local and regional quality teams.
- Monitor supplier quality performance metrics, including defect rates, delivery performance, and responsiveness, and actively support improvement actions.
- Lead and support root cause analysis and corrective actions for supplier-related nonconformities, applying structured problem-solving tools such as 8D, 5-Why, and Ishikawa.
- Prepare and maintain supplier scorecards, dashboards, and quality performance reports; communicate results and trends to stakeholders.
- Collaborate closely with sourcing, engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to align on supplier quality requirements and improvement opportunities.
- Support new product introductions (NPI) by assessing supplier readiness, reviewing quality plans, and verifying process capability.
- Ensure technical and quality requirements are clearly communicated, understood, and implemented by suppliers.
- Support the implementation and execution of receiving inspection processes based on supplier risk and performance to ensure compliance at incoming inspection.
- Perform supplier risk assessments and support mitigation actions for high-risk components, processes, and underperforming suppliers.
- Serve as the primary operational point of contact for supplier quality-related communication and issue resolution.
- Promote continuous improvement within the supply base by supporting corrective action effectiveness, best practice sharing, and process optimization initiatives.
- Support training, onboarding, and technical development activities for suppliers and internal quality personnel as required.
Authorities
- Support supplier approval or disqualification processes by evaluating quality performance data and audit results and providing technical recommendations.
- Implement, communicate, and support compliance to supplier quality requirements and standards across the supply base.
- Review, track, and support supplier corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), ensuring effectiveness and timely closure.
- Escalate critical supplier quality issues to quality management and sourcing teams, providing data-driven analysis and technical recommendations.
- Participate in quality-related discussions and technical reviews with suppliers, supporting alignment and compliance requirements.
- Review and support approval of quality plans and supplier readiness activities for new product introductions (NPI) and major process or design changes.
- Monitor supplier performance metrics, analyze KPIs, and support continuous improvement actions aligned to defined performance targets.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
General Competencies
- Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis.
- Global mindset and cultural awareness.
- Negotiation and relationship-building skills.
- Continuous improvement and quality-driven approach.
Specific Competencies
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical field, Quality, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field.
- Must be able to communicate effectively in English.
- Experienced in quality management.
- Strong knowledge of quality systems and tools such as PPAP, APQP, FMEA, 8D problem-solving.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-cultural collaboration skills.
- Analytical mindset with a strong ability to drive data-based decision-making.
- Willingness to travel internationally to support supplier development and audit activities (up to 30–40%).
