Senior Supplier Quality Engineer

Job Description

This role is ideal for someone experienced in Supplier Quality Engineering with strong skills in manufacturing and mechanical commodities. You will lead supplier quality and supply chain initiatives across custom machining, mechanical fabrication, mechanical assemblies, metal distribution, and custom sheet metal. You will work in a fast-paced environment where multitasking is essential and clear written and verbal communication is critical. The position focuses on supplier selection and management, supply chain optimization, and support of new product development while driving continuous improvement in quality, service, cost, safety, and integrity.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Supplier Engineer for mechanical commodities, focusing on supplier quality and supply chain performance.
• Lead supplier selection and ongoing supplier management for assigned mechanical commodities.
• Define, communicate, and track annual improvement objectives for key suppliers, monitoring performance against agreed metrics.
• Ensure suppliers consistently meet defined quality standards and drive corrective and preventive actions when needed.
• Develop and implement supply chain programs that improve inventory turns, reduce stock-outs, and enable flexible response to changing customer demands.
• Prepare and execute commodity strategies aimed at reducing the supply base while effectively identifying and managing supply risks.
• Support new product development engineering teams by identifying and developing qualified sources for components that meet engineering specifications.
• Identify new components and suppliers that meet technical, quality, and commercial requirements, and negotiate pricing and customer flow-down requirements.
• Prepare supplier agreements with key suppliers, including terms for quality, delivery, cost, and continuous improvement expectations.
• Lead commercial and contractual negotiations with suppliers and implement projects for assigned commodities.
• Develop and maintain a preferred supplier list for each commodity, ensuring alignment with organizational sourcing strategies.
• Categorize assigned suppliers as Grow, Maintain, or Rationalize, and develop and execute associated plans for each category.
• Monitor key supplier metrics including quality, service (including delivery performance), and cost, ensuring all activities align with supplier safety and integrity expectations.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Engineering, Sales, Operations, and other functional leaders to support and lead cross-functional project teams.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to align supplier strategies with product, operations, and customer requirements.
• Communicate supplier-related activities, issues, and improvement plans clearly and effectively to both suppliers and internal customers.
• Apply quality engineering principles, including root cause analysis and corrective action, to resolve supplier quality issues.
• Drive measurable year-over-year savings and improvements in direct spend through strategic sourcing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Leverage Lean principles to drive process improvements within supplier quality and supply chain operations.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in supply chain operations within an industrial or commercial manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years of experience in engineering logistics.
• Proven experience in supplier quality and quality engineering within a manufacturing setting.
• Strong understanding of mechanical components and mechanical commodities, including custom machining, mechanical fabrication, mechanical assemblies, metal distribution, and custom sheet metal.
• Demonstrated experience in sourcing contract administration and negotiation.
• Experience in establishing and implementing strategic commodity plans for world-class sourcing of manufactured parts, preferably mechanical commodities.
• Experience supporting operations that produce highly engineered mechanical product lines.
• History of managing direct spend with measurable improvements in year-over-year cost savings.
• Strong technical and analytical skills with a process-driven mindset and high attention to detail.
• Ability to perform quality assurance activities, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Demonstrated success driving results in a manufacturing organization while embracing Lean principles.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with suppliers and cross-functional internal teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor's degree (BS/BA) in engineering or equivalent experience.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• MBA is highly preferred.
• APICS and/or ISM certifications are highly preferred.
• International commodity sourcing experience is preferred.
• Experience preparing supplier agreements and leading supplier negotiations.
• Experience developing and managing preferred supplier lists and supplier segmentation strategies (Grow, Maintain, Rationalize).
• Comfort working with front-line operations management and cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment where multitasking is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with Engineering, Sales, Operations, and other functional leaders.
• Experience working with data centers or technology-focused markets is beneficial, given the company's growth in these areas.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Woburn, MA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $80000.00 - $100000.00/yr.

Company Benefits Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Woburn,MA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 23, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.