Supplier Quality Specialist

Role Summary/Purpose

The Supplier Quality Specialist is responsible for ensuring purchased materials and components consistently meet company quality, delivery, and performance expectations. This position partners closely with Sourcing, Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, and suppliers to improve supplier performance through effective communication, supplier development, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives. The successful candidate will build strong supplier relationships while driving improvements in quality, delivery, responsiveness, and overall supplier performance.

Essential Responsibilities:

Supplier Performance

• Monitor supplier quality, delivery, and overall performance using established KPIs.
• Review supplier scorecards and identify trends requiring corrective action.
• Manage supplier nonconformance activities from initial notification through closure.
• Drive supplier corrective actions (SCARs) and verify effectiveness.

Supplier Development

• Visit supplier facilities to evaluate manufacturing processes and support continuous improvement efforts.
• Assist suppliers in improving manufacturing processes, inspection methods, process controls, and documentation.
• Partner with suppliers to reduce defects, improve consistency, and increase on-time delivery.
• Participate in supplier audits and follow-up improvement activities.

Supplier Qualification

• Assist in evaluating and qualifying new suppliers.
• Support supplier onboarding activities.
• Coordinate first article inspections, sample approvals, and production part qualifications as required.
• Maintain supplier qualification documentation.

Incoming Material Quality

• Review supplier quality trends and disposition activities.
• Coordinate containment activities when supplier issues impact production.
• Work closely with Receiving Inspection, Production, and Quality to minimize disruptions.
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) activities involving supplier-owned nonconforming material.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Purchasing, Manufacturing, Engineering, Production, and Quality
• Support cost reduction initiatives through supplier process improvements.
• Participate in sourcing decisions by providing supplier performance input.

Reporting and Metrics

• Maintain supplier performance dashboards.
• Analyze quality data and communicate trends.
• Prepare reports for supplier review meetings.
• Recommend improvement priorities based on data.

Continuous Improvement

• Participate in Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
• Support Kaizen events involving suppliers.
• Identify opportunities to improve supplier quality systems.
• Promote defect prevention rather than defect detection.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Required

• Associate degree in Manufacturing Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Business, or related field or equivalent manufacturing experience.
• 2 to 5 years of experience in manufacturing, quality, sourcing, supplier quality, purchasing, or operations.
• Experience reading manufacturing drawings and specifications.
• Strong critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in a technical or business-related discipline.
• Experience working with fabricated steel products.
• Experience with: Welding, Machining, Castings, Metal forming, and Fabrication
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Experience performing supplier audits.
• Familiarity with ERP systems.
• Experience working with quality metrics and supplier scorecards.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong mechanical aptitude
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and specifications.
• Root cause analysis experience
• Supplier relationship management
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Data analysis and reporting
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects.
• Strong customer service orientation
• Independent decision-making ability