Sr Mgr, Supplier Quality Management

Siemens Healthineers AG; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 193,000 - 265,000; Full time

Job summary

Siemens Healthineers in Palo Alto, CA seeks a Senior Manager, Supplier Quality Management to lead regional supplier quality activities across the Americas. You will drive prevention-focused quality programs, governance, supplier audits, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure regulatory compliance and product quality.

You will guide early involvement in supplier processes, implement QATS concepts, and leverage APQP/PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, and Lean methods to improve supplier

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership in supplier quality across multiple sites or regions.
• Strong knowledge of QMS requirements including FDA QMSR, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, EU MDR.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC and Six Sigma.

Responsibilities

• Lead Americas Supplier Quality Management organization with clear objectives and governance.
• Drive supplier qualification, monitoring, audits, changes, and development programs.
• Implement Quality at the Source and preventive quality methodologies across regional supplier networks.
• Collaborate with Procurement, R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Regulatory Affairs to integrate supplier quality requirements.
• Monitor regional performance metrics and escalate risks to leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Supplier Quality

APQP/PPAP

QMS & Regulatory

Risk Management

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical field

Tools

SAP/SAP HANA

Excel / Power BI

Job description

Join us in pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

Our inspiring and caring environment forms a global community that celebrates diversity and individuality. We encourage you to step beyond your comfort zone, offering resources and flexibility to foster your professional and personal growth, all while valuing your unique contributions.

Ensure and continuously improve quality of suppliers and their deliveries. Support and drive cross-functional cooperation with Procurement, Quality Management, Manufacturing and Logistics, R&D or/and Project Management (PM).

Ensure compliance of SQM with applicable regulatory and quality requirements.

Join us in pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

Our inspiring and caring environment forms a global community that celebrates diversity and individuality. We encourage you to step beyond your comfort zone, offering resources and flexibility to foster your professional and personal growth, all while valuing your unique contributions.

Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers company, is seeking a Senior Manager, Supplier Quality Management to lead our Supplier Quality Management organization across the Americas. In this role, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for regional Supplier Quality Management activities, ensuring the quality, reliability, and compliance of externally supplied components, materials, products, and services.

Working closely with Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, Service, and global Supplier Quality Management and Engineering partners, you will lead the Americas Supplier Quality Management team, establish regional priorities, strengthen supplier quality management governance and technical capability, and drive supplier performance and continuous improvement in alignment with the global Supplier Quality strategy.

A key focus of this role will be advancing Quality at the Source (QATS) across the Americas, shifting quality management toward defect prevention through earlier supplier involvement, stronger supplier processes, risk-based controls, and the effective application of APQP, PPAP, SPC, process capability, FMEA, Lean, Six Sigma, and other preventive quality methodologies.

In this role, you will mainly be responsible for the following:

• Lead, coach, and develop the Americas Supplier Quality Management organization, establishing clear objectives, priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations while ensuring appropriate resources, competencies, and capabilities are in place.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the supplier quality lifecycle, including supplier selection and early involvement, qualification, onboarding, monitoring, development, NPI, Quality at the Source, product acceptance, supplier changes, quality controls, and supplier performance improvement.
• Execute the global Supplier Quality Management strategy across the Americas while contributing regional expertise, performance insights, and priorities to the continued development of global Supplier Quality processes, standards, and ways of working.
• Establish and maintain effective Supplier Quality Management governance across the Americas, ensuring consistent process execution, risk-based supplier controls, performance expectations, escalation mechanisms, and accountability.
• Ensure regional Supplier Quality activities and supplier controls comply with applicable Quality Management System and regulatory requirements, including FDA QMSR, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14971:2019, EU MDR, and other applicable global and regional requirements.
• Lead regional implementation and execution of Quality at the Source (QATS), driving proactive defect prevention through early supplier involvement, robust manufacturing processes, risk-based controls, and integration with Incoming Inspection and Product Quality requirements. Drive the effective application of APQP, PPAP, FAI, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA, process capability, process validation, Lean, and Six Sigma to improve supplier capability and reduce variation and defects.
• Provide governance and oversight for supplier qualification, risk assessment, supplier audits, Quality/Master/Supplier Quality Agreements, supplier changes and change notifications, ongoing supplier monitoring, and supplier development, ensuring controls and qualification requirements are appropriate to product, process, compliance, and business risk.
• Provide leadership and oversight for significant supplier nonconformances, SCARs, supplier escapes, quality escalations, and supplier development plans, ensuring timely containment, effective root cause analysis, sustainable corrective action, effectiveness verification, and appropriate escalation.
• Provide leadership during critical supplier quality events, production interruptions, field issues, and other significant supplier-related risks, ensuring timely risk mitigation, cross-functional coordination, business continuity, and sustainable resolution.
• Establish and monitor regional Supplier Quality Management performance indicators and operational metrics, integrating supplier, Incoming Inspection, manufacturing, field, warranty, nonconformance, and Cost of Poor Quality data to identify systemic trends and emerging risks and translate them into clear priorities, actions, and escalation.
• Lead Supplier Quality Management involvement in New Product Introduction, design transfer, and supplier industrialization across the Americas, ensuring appropriate early involvement, quality planning, supplier readiness, product and process qualification, and effective transition into ongoing production.
• Partner with Procurement, R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, Service, and other functions to integrate Supplier Quality requirements into sourcing, NPI, manufacturing, product acceptance, field-performance evaluation, and supplier management decisions.
• Drive supplier development, standardization, simplification, digitalization, and continuous improvement across the region, prioritizing initiatives based on supplier performance, product and compliance risk, business impact, Cost of Poor Quality, and supplier capability.
• Build strong relationships with strategic suppliers and engage supplier leadership as appropriate to drive accountability, resolve significant quality issues, strengthen manufacturing and quality capability, and improve long-term supplier performance.
• Develop the technical and leadership capability of the Americas Supplier Quality Management organization through coaching, competency development, knowledge sharing, and succession planning, ensuring the team has the skills required to effectively manage complex supplier and manufacturing quality risks.
• Promote a culture of quality, prevention, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement across the Americas Supplier Quality organization and supplier network.

Minimum Required Skills and Knowledge

• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to build effective, trust-based relationships with direct reports, peers, senior leadership, cross-functional partners, and suppliers.
• Demonstrated experience leading Supplier Quality teams across multiple sites or a regional organization, including operating effectively within global and matrixed environments.
• Strong knowledge of Supplier Quality Management requirements and practices within medical devices or another highly regulated or quality- critical manufacturing environment, including supplier qualification, monitoring, auditing, development, change management, and quality escalation.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable Quality Management System and regulatory requirements, including FDA QMSR, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14971:2019, EU MDR, MDSAP, and applicable GMP requirements.
• Strong technical understanding of supplier and manufacturing quality methods, including APQP, PPAP, FAI, PFMEA/FMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA/Gauge R&R, process capability (Cpk/Ppk), process validation, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action.
• Demonstrated technical understanding of engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, critical characteristics, manufacturing processes, inspection requirements, and process qualification, with the ability to provide direction and coaching on complex supplier quality issues.
• Experience leading supplier audits, supplier quality escalations, complex corrective actions, SCARs, and supplier development programs, including rapid containment and risk mitigation where production, customers, or patients may be impacted.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, supply chain, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, and supplier operations, including their impact on product lifecycle quality and business performance.
• Proven experience in project and change management, process excellence, organizational development, and cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to identify systemic improvement opportunities, benchmark performance and practices, establish improvement priorities, and drive sustainable change across multiple sites and functions.
• Strong business acumen and data-driven decision-making skills, with the ability to connect supplier quality performance and risk with product quality, manufacturing performance, field performance, supply continuity, compliance, and Cost of Poor Quality.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical, quality, and supplier issues into clear risks, priorities, decisions, and calls to action for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and significant supplier escalations with appropriate independence, judgment, urgency, and accountability.
• Ability to travel up to 50%, including domestic and international supplier locations.

Typical Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Materials Engineering, or another related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience managing technical teams within Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related technical function.
• Demonstrated progressive people leadership experience, including hiring, developing, coaching, retaining, and leading high-performing technical teams across multiple locations.
• Experience establishing measurable objectives, performance expectations, priorities, and accountability, and effectively delegating responsibilities across direct and matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead significant cross-functional and multi-site Supplier Quality or process improvement initiatives, influence senior stakeholders, and drive alignment around strategic and operational priorities.
• Strong business acumen with working knowledge of Supplier Quality, Product Quality, Incoming Inspection, Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Service and their interdependencies.
• Experience establishing and using Supplier Quality KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, trend analysis, and data-based performance reviews to drive priorities, escalation, supplier development, and decision-making.
• Experience with ERP, MES, eQMS, and data analytics/reporting tools, preferably including SAP/SAP HANA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, QlikView, Minitab, JMP, or similar platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant Supplier Quality or manufacturing quality experience in the medical device, automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, electronics, or another highly regulated or quality-critical manufacturing industry.
• Experience leading a regional or multi-site Supplier Quality organization and collaborating across global teams to drive consistent processes, governance, and performance.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or scaling Quality at the Source, APQP, PPAP, supplier development, or similar preventive supplier quality programs.
• Experience supporting quality across the complete product lifecycle, including NPI, design transfer, supplier qualification, production ramp-up, manufacturing, product changes, field performance, and ongoing production.
• Experience driving reductions in supplier defects, nonconformance, scrap, rework, warranty impact, and Cost of Poor Quality through supplier capability and process improvement.
• ISO 13485:2016 Lead Auditor certification preferred, with demonstrated experience conducting or leading supplier, process, and Quality Management System audits.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, Lean certification, or equivalent professional certification preferred.

What Will Set You Apart

• Proven leadership of regional Supplier Quality operations, balancing supplier performance, regulatory compliance, product quality, supply continuity, business priorities, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop technically strong, high-performing Supplier Quality teams and drive accountability across geographically dispersed and matrixed organizations.
• Strong technical credibility in supplier manufacturing processes, APQP/PPAP, process controls, supplier audits, root cause analysis, and supplier development, with the ability to coach and challenge experienced Supplier Quality professionals.
• Demonstrated success advancing supplier quality from downstream inspection and defect detection toward Quality at the Source, process control, and defect prevention.
• Experience leading through high-impact supplier quality events, balancing speed of containment and business continuity with quality-system discipline, evidence-based root cause analysis, and sustainable corrective action.
• The ability to connect supplier quality performance with Incoming Inspection, manufacturing, field performance, warranty, supply continuity, regulatory compliance, and Cost of Poor Quality.
• A practical, risk-based, and data-driven leadership approach that translates complex supplier issues into clear priorities, ownership, escalation, and sustainable improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior internal stakeholders and supplier leadership, resolve complex cross-functional issues, and drive organizational change.
• A continuous improvement mindset focused on strengthening supplier capability, preventing recurrence, reducing Cost of Poor Quality, and improving the overall maturity and effectiveness of Supplier Quality Management.

Who we are

We are a team of more than 72,000 highly dedicated Healthineers in more than 70 countries. As a leader in medical technology, we constantly push the boundaries to create better outcomes and experiences for patients, no matter where they live or what health issues they are facing. Our portfolio is crucial for clinical decision-making and treatment pathways.

How we work:

When you join Siemens Healthineers, you become one in a global team of scientists, clinicians, developers, researchers, professionals, and skilled specialists, who believe in each individual’s potential to contribute with diverse ideas. We are from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, political and/or sexual orientations, and work together, to fight the world’s most threatening diseases and enable access to care, united by one purpose: to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

To find out more about Siemens Healthineers businesses, please visit our company page here.

The base pay range for this position is:

$192,600 - $264,825

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

If this is a commission eligible position the commission eligibility will be in accordance with the terms of the