Strategic Sourcing Engineer – NPD, VA/VE & Quality

Miller Electric Mfg. LLC; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ITW in Appleton, Wisconsin, is seeking a technical-commercial procurement professional to bridge Engineering and Procurement. This onsite role supports New Product Development (NPD), leads VA/VE initiatives, and upholds supplier quality standards.

The candidate will manage RFQs, risk analyses, and supplier qualifications, ensuring manufacturability and cost competitiveness across BOMs and engineering drawings. Strong collaboration across cross-functional teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or Industrial)
• 3-5 years in procurement, purchasing, engineering, or supply chain roles within technical or manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing, supplier selection and contract negotiation
• Strong understanding of VA/VE principles and experience applying them to reduce costs and improve product value
• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and engineering principles
• Effective communication and collaboration skills for cross-functional teamwork
• Proven technical-commercial acumen (able to balance engineering and purchasing needs)
• Understanding engineering drawings, specifications and manufacturing processes to make informed procurement decisions

Responsibilities

• Materials lead on all NPD projects sourcing materials, components that meet technical specifications, quality standards, and project timelines.
• Perform RFQ, total cost analysis, and negotiations with suppliers to secure favorable pricing, terms, and contracts while ensuring supplier performance meets expectations.
• Perform risk analyses on potential suppliers evaluating financial stability, technical capability, and capacity.
• Interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and BOMs for sourcing feasibility and input during product design to ensure manufacturability and cost competitiveness.
• Ensure adherence to the Approved Vendor List and participate in supplier qualification.
• Identify opportunities for design changes, material substitutions, or process improvements that reduce total product cost without sacrificing quality.
• Partner with suppliers to co-develop innovative, lower-cost solutions.
• Monitor industry trends, new technologies, and alternative sourcing markets.
• Drive sole-source minimization by identifying alternate materials, processes, or qualified suppliers to reduce supply risk and increase sourcing flexibility.
• Analyze non-conformance trends to identify systemic issues within the supply base.
• Act as technical liaison between Engineering and Suppliers to resolve quality roadblocks and interpret specifications.
• Drive Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action conversations with suppliers to ensure permanent resolution of recurring technical issues.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier negotiation

VA/VE principles

Cost reduction

Engineering drawings

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical-commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

ITW in Appleton, Wisconsin, is seeking a technical-commercial procurement professional to bridge Engineering and Procurement. This onsite role supports New Product Development (NPD), leads VA/VE initiatives, and upholds supplier quality standards.

The candidate will manage RFQs, risk analyses, and supplier qualifications, ensuring manufacturability and cost competitiveness across BOMs and engineering drawings. Strong collaboration across cross-functional teams is essential.