Supplier Development Engineer

Skill Descriptors

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors. Level Working Knowledge: • Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient. • Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness. • Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work. • Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate. • Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations. Level Working Knowledge: • Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives. • Examines a specific problem and understands the perspective of each involved stakeholder. • Develops alternative techniques for assessing accuracy and relevance of information. • Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decision on resolution. • Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems.

Process Improvement: Understanding and insight into evaluating current product quality and production methods and ability to maintains focus on the continuous improvement of processes, products and services. Level Working Knowledge: • Defines the critical workflow for executing key processes. • Identifies process problems that limit performance. • Implements methods for improving and establishing controls for critical processes. • Focuses on the most significant problems to maximize efficiency gains. • Surfaces systemic problems to be addressed at the organizational level.

Quality Orientation: Knowledge of quality management methods, tools, and techniques; ability to create and support an environment that meets the quality goals of the organization. Level Working Knowledge: • Confronts root causes of problems wherever they exist. • Eliminates unnecessary work and all non value-added activities. • Uses objective quality criteria and data to drive decisions. • Documents learnings regarding quality outcomes so that the data can be used for improvement. • Surfaces quality problems whose root causes fall outside the group's responsibility.

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP): Knowledge of Production Part Approval Processes (PPAP) elements, submissions, and objectives; ability to determine whether a supplier can manufacture products that meet the quality requirements and standards of their customers consistently. Level Extensive Experience: • Develops testing and validation procedures to test the quality of manufactured parts/products so that it meets desired customer standards. • Identifies and resolves key issues with PPAP implementation and submissions. • Monitors the execution of PPAP steps within a facility and ensures their compliance with industry standards and internal guidelines. • Oversees PPAP implementation; establishes a high trust relationship between stakeholders. • Reviews the complex documentation and elements required during the PPAP submission process. • Trains others on the execution of PPAP to get the required approvals and teaches them about the different PPAP submission levels.

Manufacturing Standards, Procedures and Policies: Knowledge of organizational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities; ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for compliance. Level Working Knowledge: • Contributes to the development and implementation of specific manufacturing procedures. • Investigates the need to refer potential exceptions upward for review and approval. • Explains the rationale for procedures and standards in own area of responsibility. • Participates in the implementation of manufacturing standards and procedures to one's own function. • Provides feedback for improvement of procedures.

Supplier Management - MFG: Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice. Level Extensive Experience: • Facilitates supplier partnering arrangements that share risk and reward. • Monitors supplier performance; works to resolve discrepancies between performance and agreements. • Develops quality standards and controls for suppliers. • Builds and maintains partnerships with multiple and/or large suppliers. • Evaluates issues and terminates supplier relationships as appropriate; works with legal departments. • Ensures the fulfillment of report and record-keeping requirements.

Supplier Evaluations and Certification: Knowledge of supplier evaluations and certification; ability to identify the methods, tools and documentation for evaluating, selecting and certifying vendors, suppliers and partners. Level Working Knowledge: • Documents and pursues results of reference calls or other sources for a specific supplier. • Participates in selecting and certifying a specific supplier and/or product. • Assists with the steps and procedures for supplier certification. • Researches several types of sources of information for a supplier's or a product's reputation. • Assesses a product or service using pre-defined evaluation criteria.