Supplier Quality Engineer II

Job Summary

The Supplier Quality Engineer II is a fully proficient professional individual contributor responsible for ensuring that purchased electronic, electrical, electromechanical, and mechanical components, materials, assemblies, and supplier-provided services meet company, customer, regulatory, and contractual quality requirements. Working with limited supervision, this position independently manages routine to moderately complex supplier-quality assignments across supplier qualification, risk assessment, auditing, performance monitoring, nonconformance investigation, corrective and preventive action, change management, and continuous improvement. The (Supplier Quality Engineer II) partners with suppliers and internal stakeholders in Strategic Purchasing, Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Logistics, and other functions to resolve quality issues, strengthen supplier capability, reduce risk, and improve product and process performance. The role applies broad working knowledge of quality engineering principles, electronics-component manufacturing processes, drawings and specifications, quality systems, structured problem-solving methods, and statistical analysis to identify root causes, evaluate containment and corrective actions, and recommend practical solutions. Consistent with a second-level professional contributor role, the Supplier Quality Engineer II independently handles varied assignments within established policies and professional standards, exercises judgment when selecting and adapting methods, manages multiple priorities, and escalates issues that involve significant technical, commercial, customer, or compliance risk. The position may lead to defined supplier-quality projects, facilitate cross-functional problem-solving activities, and provide technical guidance or knowledge sharing to less-experienced employees without formal people-management responsibility. This is the second level within the Supplier Quality Engineer career path. This position is an individual contributor role and does not include formal people-management responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Establishes and maintains supplier-quality requirements for purchased electronic, electrical, electromechanical, and mechanical components, materials, assemblies, and supplier-provided processes.
• Participates in the evaluation, qualification, approval, and ongoing monitoring of suppliers based on technical capability, manufacturing processes, quality-system maturity, performance history, risk, and business requirements.
• Reviews supplier quality documentation, including process flows, control plans, inspection plans, work instructions, capability studies, validation records, material certifications, test reports, and change notifications.
• Conducts or supports supplier audits, process assessments, source inspections, and quality-system reviews; documents findings and verifies the effective closure of identified gaps.
• Monitors and analyzes supplier performance data, including defects, deviations, returns, complaints, delivery-related quality issues, corrective-action responsiveness, cost of inadequate quality, and recurring trends.
• Leads routine to moderately complex supplier nonconformance investigations and coordinates containment activities to protect production, inventory, customers, and downstream processes.
• Applies structured problem-solving methodologies—including 8D, 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, fault-tree analysis, and other appropriate techniques—to determine root cause and prevent recurrence.
• Issues, reviews, and follows through on supplier corrective-action requests, evaluating whether root-cause analysis, containment, corrective action, preventive action, and effectiveness verification are complete and technically sound.
• Partners with suppliers to develop and implement quality-improvement plans that strengthen process capability, defect prevention, inspection effectiveness, traceability, documentation, and sustained performance.
• Supports Advanced Product Quality Planning, Production Part Approval Process, first-article inspection, component qualification, validation, and product or process launch activities when applicable.
• Reviews engineering drawings, specifications, bills of material, acceptance criteria, and technical requirements to identify supplier-quality risks and clarify inspection, testing, documentation, and traceability expectations.
• Collaborates with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality teams on component failure analysis, material review, deviation disposition, design or process changes, and risk-reduction activities.
• Supports supplier change-control activities by evaluating proposed changes to materials, designs, manufacturing locations, equipment, tooling, processes, sub-tier suppliers, and inspection or test methods.
• Uses statistical and analytical methods to evaluate process capability, variation, defect patterns, and supplier performance and to recommend appropriate actions based on the data.
• Supports development and implementation of supplier controls for counterfeit-part prevention, product safety, restricted substances, environmental compliance, electrostatic-discharge protection, and component traceability, as applicable.
• Contributes to the Quality Management System through accurate documentation, record retention, procedure development, audit support, and compliance with applicable standards and company requirements.
• Communicates supplier-quality risks, performance trends, containment status, corrective-action progress, and recommendations clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Supports decisions related to supplier escalation, controlled shipping, increased inspection, supplier development, deviation approval, requalification, or disqualification.
• Builds constructive supplier relationships while maintaining accountability for agreed quality, corrective-action, and performance expectations.
• Leads or contributes to cross-functional projects intended to improve supplier quality, reduce cost of inadequate quality, improve component availability, strengthen customer value, and reduce operational risk.
• Shares technical knowledge, tools, and effective practices with colleagues and may provide task guidance to less-experienced quality professionals.
• Maintains awareness of relevant industry standards, electronics-component risks, quality technologies, regulatory requirements, and emerging supplier-quality practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Quality Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field.
• Three or more years of relevant professional experience in supplier quality, quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, component engineering, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Working knowledge of supplier-quality management practices, supplier qualification, auditing, nonconformance management, corrective and preventive action, change control, risk management, and continuous improvement.
• Experience supporting electronic, electrical, electromechanical, or mechanical components and familiarity with associated manufacturing, inspection, testing, handling, packaging, and traceability requirements.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 or a comparable quality-management
• Demonstrated ability to conduct or support supplier, process, product, or quality-system audits and document objective evidence, findings, and follow-up actions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead structured root-cause analysis and evaluate corrective actions using methodologies such as 8D, 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, and mistake-proofing.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, bills of material, inspection criteria, technical documentation, and supplier quality records.
• Working knowledge of statistical analysis, process capability, measurement systems, sampling, trend analysis, and data-based decision making.
• Ability to use inspection and test data to assess product and process conformance and determine when escalation or additional controls are required.
• Ability to independently manage multiple supplier-quality assignments, establish priorities, make sound recommendations, and meet commitments with limited supervision.
• Ability to communicate technical requirements, risks, findings, and recommendations effectively with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to facilitate cross-functional problem solving, influence outcomes, and maintain constructive working relationships without formal authority.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and quality, supplier, enterprise-resource-planning, or data-analysis systems relevant to the assigned work.
• Demonstrates a willingness to collaborate with others, build relationships, and involve others in decision making.
• Demonstrates the ability to deliver results by solving or supporting others in solving problems, prioritizing tasks and resources, and focusing on outcomes.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and a willingness to learn and grow, accept change, and adapt effectively to changing work demands.
• Demonstrates the ability to drive customer value through knowledge of the business, identification of customer needs, and delivery of work that maximizes value.
• Demonstrates a willingness to promote improvement and innovation by staying informed about trends, creating ideas and opportunities, and increasing speed and effectiveness.
• Demonstrates a willingness to take ownership by making decisions, accepting responsibility, and driving work forward.

Supporting Qualifications

• Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Supplier Quality Professional, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or comparable quality certification.
• Experience with Advanced Product Quality Planning, Production Part Approval Process, first-article inspection, control plans, process failure mode and effects analysis, measurement-system analysis, and statistical process control.
• Knowledge of relevant electronics-industry standards and requirements, such as IPC workmanship standards, electrostatic-discharge controls, counterfeit-part prevention, product-safety requirements, and component traceability.
• Experience with supplier quality in an electronics-component, industrial automation, connector, printed-circuit-board, semiconductor, electromechanical, or comparable manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with environmental and material-compliance requirements such as RoHS, REACH, conflict-minerals reporting, and supplier sustainability expectations.
• Experience working with global suppliers, contract manufacturers, distributors, or sub-tier supply chains.
• Experience using supplier scorecards, audit tools, corrective-action systems, enterprise-resource-planning systems, and statistical or business-intelligence applications.

Essential Job Functions

• Ability to work at a computer and review detailed technical, quality, and supplier documentation for extended periods.
• Ability to safely enter manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, and supplier production environments while complying with required personal protective equipment and safety procedures.
• Ability to safely use or observe the use of inspection, measurement, electrical, and electronic test equipment applicable to assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to travel to supplier, company, customer, or training locations as business needs require.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing, with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to distinguish and evaluate visual product characteristics, markings, workmanship conditions, and documentation details relevant to component quality.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond to urgent supplier-quality issues, and occasionally work outside normal business hours when needed to support containment or operational continuity.
• Regular and on-time attendance.

Perks & Benefits

Phoenix Contact offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k matching, and a generous time off package. There are also a wide variety of additional benefits available including 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave & 10 weeks fully paid paternity leave, life insurance, short & long-term disability, on-site gym access, health & wellbeing center, on-site café, walking trails, tuition assistance, and more!

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