Lead Principal Supply Chain Engineer

Key Responsibilities
Select and Qualify Components:
-Provides advanced technical assessments of supplier components at varying degrees of complexity and integration level, by evaluating material composition, electrical characteristics, mechanical properties, and durability.
-Reviews component reliability using supplier-provided failure rate data and accelerated life testing, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
-Guides Supplier Quality, Supply Chain Security, and Test Engineering teams in establishing and updating qualification criteria for critical components.
-Reviews and recommends improvements regarding supplier manufacturing processes, introducing best practices for material traceability, process controls, and consistent component quality.
Supplier Engagement:
-Builds and manages strategic supplier relationships, negotiating technical specifications, quality benchmarks, and capacity commitments for critical components.
-Leads high-impact audits of new and existing suppliers, evaluating advanced production processes, risk management practices, and compliance with international quality and security standards.
-Develops and executes supplier development programs, driving innovation, efficiency, and quality improvements within supplier operations.
-Serves as a key contributor in cross-functional initiatives to develop new supply chain strategies that align with product development goals.
New Product Introduction:
-Supports the New Product Introduction (NPI) process by validating that components and supplier processes are production-ready before launch.
-Leads design reviews, offering technical guidance on component selection and manufacturability, and supplier capabilities.
-Guides suppliers to align production ramp-up plans with project milestones and demand forecasts.
-Oversees pilot production runs to confirm that manufacturing processes meet established quality and performance standards.
Failure Analysis:
-Oversees quality management processes, directing root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) for supply chain issues, including with sub-tier component suppliers.
-Leads complex failure analysis efforts on supplier components, leveraging advanced analytical techniques (e.g., X-ray, scanning electron microscopy [SEM], electrical testing) to resolve systemic issues.
-Collaborates with suppliers to develop robust quality management systems, implementing process improvements that enhance product reliability and performance.
-Establishes and tracks advanced quality metrics, guiding continuous improvement initiatives to drive supplier excellence.
-Develops and enforces comprehensive procedures for managing non-conforming components, ensuring alignment with regulatory and operational standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
-Works closely with Design, Operations, Quality, and Procurement teams to ensure that component strategies align with overall product development goals.
-Acts as the primary technical liaison between suppliers and internal stakeholders to facilitate clear communication and timely resolution of issues.
-Leads cross-functional projects aimed at improving product quality, reducing costs, and enhancing supply chain performance.
-Provides expert consultation regarding design changes, process optimizations, escalations, and supply chain transitions across lines of business (LOB).

Core Responsibilities
Planning & Execution:
-Manages and provides direction on timelines, deliverables, and budgets when applicable for critical high-impact projects or initiatives that impact the line of business, ensuring timely completion and adherence to requirements. Anticipates and plans for shifts in resources or timelines based on changing business priorities, ensuring optimal outcomes.
Collaboration & Partnership:
-Influences cross-functional leaders and external stakeholders to gain alignment on strategic objectives. Fosters partnerships with key business leaders, stakeholders, and/or customers, identifying opportunities for expanding partnerships and promoting long-term organizational success. Champions transparency and inclusivity by actively seeking, listening to, and incorporating diverse perspectives.
Problem Solving:
-Leads specialized, advanced problem-solving efforts, serving as an escalation point for complex issues. Guides others to leverage innovative data-driven techniques to address ambiguous or novel issues, identify root causes, and drives the implementation of solutions that prevent future issues.
Continuous Learning:
-Leverages deep industry knowledge and expertise to serve as a thought leader within the organization. Contributes to the advancement of the field or industry through thought leadership (e.g., conference presentations, white papers, research contributions). Maintains and evolves expertise in relevant areas by proactively monitoring emerging trends, technologies, and industry standards, ensuring the organization remains current with best practices. Champions continuous learning and knowledge sharing, promoting professional development across teams. Applies new knowledge to drive advancement and mentors others to do the same.
Continuous Improvement:
-Develops innovative solutions and drives the implementation of ideas that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, protocols, and workflows across the organization. Evaluates effectiveness of updated approaches and methods for continued improvement to enhance efficiencies and ensure changes align with organizational goals. Designs and develops metrics to measure success of improvement initiatives.
Performance and Development:
-Serves as a subject matter expert regarding talent needs and organizational talent strategy. Imparts leadership and expert knowledge throughout the talent development pipeline including candidate interviews, candidate assessment, and hiring decisions, ensuring alignment with organizational talent strategy.