Supplier Quality Engineer III

The Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) III is responsible for leading supplier quality activities and driving the quality performance of external product and service suppliers used in spinal orthopedic implants, instruments, software, and capital equipment.

This role serves as a technical leader within Supplier Quality, providing expertise in supplier auditing, supplier development, supplier risk management, corrective action management, supplier process qualification, and supplier performance improvement.

The SQE III partners closely with Supply Chain, Purchasing, Operations, R&D, Manufacturing Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality teams to ensure supplier performance supports business objectives, regulatory compliance, product quality, and supply continuity. This position operates with minimal management oversight and serves as the primary quality leader during supplier engagements and quality escalations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supplier Quality Management
• Lead supplier quality activities, including supplier performance management, issue resolution, supplier development, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with assigned suppliers while serving as the primary quality contact.
• Lead supplier qualification, requalification, classification, and supplier development activities.
• Evaluate supplier quality system effectiveness and manufacturing process controls using risk-based decision-making principles.
• Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives supporting quality, delivery, compliance, and operational excellence objectives.
• Support Approved Supplier List strategy and supplier risk management activities.
• Supplier Auditing
• Serve as Lead Auditor and regularly conduct supplier quality system and process audits.
• Develop supplier audit plans, audit reports, audit finding responses, and effectiveness reviews.
• Lead supplier audit finding closure, corrective action follow-up, and verification of effectiveness.
• Represent Supplier Quality during internal audits, external audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Supplier Corrective Actions and Quality Escalations
• Lead complex Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) from initiation through effectiveness verification.
• Lead supplier-related NCR investigations, containment activities, disposition strategies, and corrective action implementation.
• Facilitate structured root cause investigations using methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, Fishbone, Fault Tree Analysis, and 5 Why analysis.
• Lead difficult supplier discussions and quality escalations while maintaining productive supplier relationships.
• Independently manage complex supplier quality issues with minimal management support.
• Supplier Change and Risk Management
• Lead Supplier Change Request reviews, ensuring appropriate risk assessment and cross-functional evaluation.
• Lead supplier-specific process FMEAs and supplier process risk assessments.
• Evaluate the impact of supplier changes on product quality, validation status, regulatory compliance, and business continuity.
• Develop risk mitigation plans for critical suppliers, processes, and commodities.
• Supplier Development and Business Partnership
• Partner regularly with Strategic Supply Chain and Purchasing teams to support sourcing decisions and supplier strategies.
• Lead supplier business reviews and supplier quality performance reviews.
• Develop supplier improvement roadmaps focused on capability, capacity, compliance, responsiveness, and quality performance.
• Support new supplier onboarding, second-source development, and supplier transfer activities.
• Product and Process Support
• Lead supplier qualification activities, including process development, capability studies, process validation support, Gage R&R studies, correlation studies, and First Article activities.
• Provide statistical leadership supporting supplier process controls and manufacturing improvements.
• Support complaint investigations, design transfer activities, and post-market quality investigations involving suppliers.
• Provide supplier quality input to New Product Development, Design Transfer, Manufacturing Readiness, and sustaining product activities.
• Quality Agreements and Continuous Improvement
• Lead development, negotiation, implementation, and revision of supplier Quality Agreements.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within Supplier Quality and assigned supplier areas.
• Mentor Supplier Quality Engineers and Quality Engineers on auditing, supplier risk management, supplier investigations, and supplier development practices.
• Share supplier lessons learned, quality trends, and best practices across Quality Engineering, Operations, Purchasing, and Supply Chain teams.