Eaton’s Corporate Sector division is currently seeking a Manager, Supplier Development Engineering, Metals & Fabrication. The expected annual salary range for this role is $146000 - $215000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program. This will be a hybrid remote/in-office position that can be located at one of the following facilities: Beachwood, OH – Charlotte, NC – Detroit/Jackson, MI – Menomonee Falls, WI – Moon Township, PA – Peachtree City, GA – Raleigh, NC. Relocation benefits will be provided within the United States only. Travel of up to 50% is required.
Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
Job Summary:
Leads a team of Supplier Development Engineers responsible for developing supplier manufacturing capability, capacity, scalability, and operational readiness for the metals and fabrication categories to support current and future business requirements. Drives supplier performance improvement through structured supplier development strategies focused on manufacturing excellence, capacity readiness, operational maturity, new product introduction, supplier transfers, and business growth initiatives.
Provides leadership for supplier capability assessments, development plans, risk mitigation, and strategic supplier improvement initiatives. Partners closely with Supplier Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and business leadership to ensure suppliers can meet quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and growth objectives.
Develops organizational capability within the Supplier Development Engineering team while establishing consistent methodologies, governance, metrics, and best practices across the supplier network.
1. Supplier Development Strategy & Leadership
Develop and execute the supplier development strategy for assigned regions, commodities, or business segments. Establish priorities, objectives, and resource allocation to address supplier capability risks and support business growth initiatives.
2. Team Leadership & Talent Development
Lead, coach, and develop a team of Supplier Development Engineers. Establish performance expectations, development plans, technical capability-building programs, and succession plans to strengthen organizational effectiveness and future leadership capability.
3. Supplier Risk Management
Provide oversight of supplier capability, manufacturing, operational, and capacity risk assessments. Ensure risks are identified proactively and appropriate mitigation plans are established, executed, and sustained.
4. Manufacturing Excellence & Capability Improvement
Drive supplier manufacturing excellence initiatives utilizing Lean principles, Six Sigma methodologies, process capability improvement, advanced quality tools, material flow optimization, and structured problem-solving approaches.
5. Capacity & Scalability Readiness
Lead assessment and management of supplier production capacity, scalability, and operational readiness to support forecasted demand, growth initiatives, new product introductions, localization efforts, and footprint optimization activities.
6. New Product Introduction, Launch & Transfer Readiness
Ensure suppliers are prepared to support new product launches, capacity expansions, industrialization projects, insourcing/outsourcing activities, supplier transitions, and strategic sourcing initiatives through early engagement and readiness assessments.
7. Supplier Assessment Governance
Establish consistent processes and standards for supplier capability assessments, operational reviews, manufacturing audits, production readiness evaluations, and supplier development planning across the organization.
8. APQP & Supplier Readiness Support
Collaborate with Supplier Quality, Engineering, and Procurement teams to ensure supplier readiness throughout product development, APQP, PPAP, industrialization, and launch processes, with emphasis on manufacturing capability and operational performance.
9. Cross-Functional Alignment
Partner with Procurement, Supplier Quality, Operations, Engineering, Materials Management, Planning, and Business Leadership teams to align supplier development priorities with strategic business objectives.
10. Performance Management & Governance
Establish and monitor key performance indicators for supplier development activities, team effectiveness, supplier capability improvements, risk reduction, capacity readiness, and operational performance improvements.
11. Continuous Improvement & Best Practices
Drive standardization, knowledge sharing, process improvements, and implementation of best practices across supplier development activities globally. Promote a culture of continuous improvement within both the supplier base and supplier development organization.
Basic Qualfications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, or related technical discipline
- Minimum 8 years of experience in Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field
- Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing technical teams and cross-functional initiatives
Preferred Qualifcaitons:
- Prior experience with metals or fabrication category
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, operational excellence, and supplier development methodologies
- Proven experience leading supplier capability improvement and recovery initiatives
- Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and structured problem-solving methodologies
- Experience with capacity planning, industrialization, and production readiness assessments
- Strong project and program management skills
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills
- Demonstrates strong business acumen and technical judgment when assessing supplier and operational risks.
- Successfully balances short-term business needs with long-term supplier capability development.
- Operates effectively in a highly matrixed global organization.
- Influences executive stakeholders and supplier leadership without direct authority.
- Leads through ambiguity while maintaining disciplined execution and accountability.
- Requires domestic and international travel to supplier locations and Eaton facilities.
All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.
We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.
Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.
You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.
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We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, or a related technical discipline
- Minimum 8 years of experience in Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field
- Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing technical teams and cross-functional initiatives
- Prior experience with metals or fabrication categories
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, operational excellence, and supplier development methodologies
- Experience leading supplier capability improvement and recovery initiatives
- Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and structured problem-solving methodologies
- Experience with capacity planning, industrialization, and production readiness assessments
Eaton Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Eaton and has not been reviewed or approved by Eaton.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, prescription, life, and company‑paid disability, with HSAs/HRAs and wellness programs enhancing access and support.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) with company matching alongside additional retirement contributions, with some sites also featuring pension and profit‑sharing components.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents, childbirth leave via short‑term disability for birth mothers, adoption benefits, and subsidized backup care signal strong family‑focused support.
Eaton Insights
What We Do
Planes. Hospitals. Factories. Data centers. Vehicles. The electrical grid. These are things people depend on every day. And the companies behind them depend on Eaton to solve some of the toughest power management challenges on the planet. Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We provide sustainable solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and we sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. We have approximately 92,000 employees.
Why Work With Us
At Eaton, we make what matters work—creating exciting new power management technologies that keep the world moving every day. We create an environment where creativity, invention and discovery become reality every day. It’s where bold, bright professionals can reach their full potential—and where they help us reach ours.
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