Director SP Supplier Engineering

Intuitive; Sunnyvale (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive seeks a Director of Supplier Engineering to lead cross‑functional teams ensuring supplier quality for robotic surgical components. You will mentor staff, manage CAPA programs, and shape multi‑site supplier strategy to support growth and regulatory compliance.

The role requires extensive medical device manufacturing background, strong leadership, and the ability to drive continuous improvement across suppliers and internal partners.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and mentoring across interdepartmental boundaries.
• Track record in medium to large-scale medical device manufacturing.
• Proven ability to drive supplier development programs.
• Experience with CAPA documentation and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a Supplier Engineering and Development program.
• Own and drive supplier variances from symptom through root cause analysis to corrective action.
• Select suppliers with appropriate processes to ensure high quality and repeatability.
• Drive supplier process improvements including Six Sigma, SPC, and Lean techniques.
• Develop metrics to measure supplier performance and program effectiveness.
• Coordinate with NPD, Regulatory, Purchasing, and QA groups on supplier issues.
• Build department through training, coaching and recruiting.
• Develop staff skills in project management and SPC to address problems.
• Ensure supplier audits for compliance with supplier agreements.

Skills

Leadership

Supplier development

CAPA

Regulatory compliance

Project management

Statistical process control

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Six Sigma

SPC

Job description

Job Description

Primary Function of Position:

Provide leadership as well as technical, quality and administrative mentoring across interdepartmental boundaries to effectively develop suppliers providing components for robotic surgical equipment. This key Director role will be challenged to lead the Supplier Engineering resources as required to support business growth and sales demand. Proven experience achieving results through others and managing a broad range of individuals is required. Track record in medium to large-scale medical device manufacturing is preferable.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a Supplier Engineering and Development program.
• Build, own and relentlessly pursue a vision for developing suppliers
• Own and drive to closure supplier variances from symptom through root cause analysis to corrective action, including careful CAPA documentation
• Select suppliers with appropriate processes to ensure high quality and repeatability
• Drive supplier process improvements including but not limited to the following programs: 6 Sigma, SPC, and other statistical techniques, supplier certification and rationalization, and Lean Manufacturing Techniques
• Develop metrics that measure supplier performance and program effectiveness, and manages program of continuous improvement to drive these metrics
• Reach across the multiple organizations to identify opportunities for supplier development that benefit Intuitive Surgical’s core goals
• Support Project Management and Commodity Team functions
• Build department function through training, coaching and recruiting
• Develop staff skills in project management and statistical process control to grow staff who are capable of addressing difficult problems, apply good judgment, exhibit ownership, and deliver quality work, on time and based on sound science
• Develop staff skills in auditing suppliers for compliance with supplier agreements and ensuring that agreements are being met
• Facilitate, influence and work cross-functionally to improve supplier processes with the following:
  • NPD, NPI and Quality Engineering groups in support of Early Supplier Involvement regarding all new products; reaches into early NPD stages to provide guidance on component selection; assists in design for manufacturing analysis; supports Intuitive design control
  • Corporate Purchasing group in support of supplier consolidation, cost reduction programs and Commodity Teams
  • Regulatory and Compliance groups in support of CAPA programs and SCAR resolution
  • Product Quality Assurance (Systems) and Clinical Engineering groups regarding component and product functional compliance
• Support the Supplier Quality department in holding responsibility for all aspects of regulatory compliance for suppliers, within the broader scope of Intuitive’s Quality System
  • Manage Supply Base to full compliance, including all relevant guidance and regulations
  • Manage Supplier Engineering Function to full compliance
• Employ proven attention to detail and excellent process to ensure success
• Understand proper level of documentation detail for tracking of actions and justification of decisions
• Direct staff to generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports regarding supplier performance; direct supplier corrective actions from VR generation to IQC; support data complaint review data mining, interpretation, and presentation for Quarterly Management reviews
• Generate key metrics for the team and suppliers and continually drive for timely achievement of those metrics.