Supplier Development Engineer

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Job Description:

Senior Quality Engineer - Supplier Quality

Sturm, Ruger & Co. - Prescott, AZ

Position Summary

The Senior Quality Engineer (SQE) is responsible for ensuring externally supplied materials, components, and services consistently meet Ruger quality, safety, and delivery requirements. This role emphasizes prevention over detection by embedding quality early in the supply chain through APQP execution, PPAP approval, supplier capability assessments, and continuous improvement. The SQE partners cross-functionally to reduce supplier-driven risk, prevent quality escapes, and improve overall Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) while supporting new product introduction and production readiness.

Responsibilities

• Steward of Quality - Uphold Ruger's tradition of craftsmanship by ensuring that every firearm meets our exacting standards of safety, reliability, and performance.
• Strategic Visionary - Shape Ruger's quality strategy for the future, building systems that are not just compliant but world-class, scalable, and innovative.
• Cultural Leader - Inspire our teams to embrace quality as a shared responsibility, fostering a mindset where excellence is built into every decision and every process.
• Voice of the Customer - Champion customer trust by translating feedback and field insights into meaningful improvements that strengthen our products and brand.
• Operational Partner - Work closely with Engineering, Operations, and Product Development to ensure quality is designed in, built in, and sustained across all Ruger facilities.
• Drive Organizational Maturity - Operate as a self-starter to identify gaps, establish structure, and develop scalable systems and processes that advance the organization's quality and operational maturity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead supplier quality activities from sourcing through production lifecycle with focus on defect prevention.
• Conduct supplier audits and capability assessments.
• Drive supplier corrective actions using structured root cause methods.
• Reduce supplier quality incidents and production disruptions.
• Lead APQP and PPAP execution for new product launches.
• Develop MSA, gauge strategies, and validation plans.
• Act as liaison between engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and suppliers.
• Drive process standardization and continuous improvement.
• Support FAI, capability studies, and validation of critical features.
• Provide guidance on measurement practices where needed to support supplier alignment.

Core Competencies

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA proficiency
• GD&T interpretation
• Supplier auditing and capability assessment
• Data-driven decision making
• Process improvement and poka-yoke
• Cross-functional collaboration

Qualifications

• 8+ years manufacturing experience in Quality/Supplier Quality
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent experience
• Strong GD&T knowledge
• Experience with supplier processes (machining, molding, casting, etc.)
• Understanding of measurement systems and variation reduction
• ASQ or Six Sigma certification preferred
• Ability to travel up to 50%