Strategic Supplier Development Engineer

Leonardo DRS, Inc.; Fitchburg (MA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to bridge requirements with external suppliers, maturing designs into producible, repeatable products. You will assess supplier welding, machining and inspection capabilities, lead manufacturability and cost-reduction efforts, and drive first-article builds and process validation with engineering and suppliers.

The role requires a BS in engineering, at least 5 years in heavy fabrication or precision machining,

Qualifications

• BS in engineering or related field or equivalent experience with at least 5 years in heavy fabrication, weldment manufacturing, or precision machining.
• Proficient technical expertise and application domain knowledge.
• ASQ certification or Black Belt preferred.
• Proficient with ISO Standards, Six Sigma tools, statistics.
• Ability to understand military specifications and to read blueprints.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, communication and writing skills.
• Self-directed and willing to travel 50%.
• Ability to define problems and drive to root cause and effective corrective action.

Responsibilities

• Assess prospective and incumbent suppliers’ welding, machining, and inspection capabilities, including equipment, certifications, qualified personnel, capacity, and process controls.
• Participate in concept and detailed design reviews, representing supplier capabilities and manufacturing constraints before drawings are released.
• Lead design-for-manufacturability and cost-reduction efforts with engineering and suppliers. Identify opportunities to simplify weldments, optimize joint design and weld volume, reduce machining setups and tolerance stack-ups, and lower material and process costs.
• Review drawings, models, and specifications for build readiness, including weld symbols, GD&T, surface finishes, nondestructive testing callouts, and process requirements.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing plans for completeness and risk, including fabrication sequences, weld procedure specifications and qualifications, fixturing, distortion controls, machining plans, and in-process inspections.
• Support quoting and proposal activities by providing technical input on potential sources of supply, evaluating supplier estimates against proposed manufacturing processes, and identifying cost drivers.
• Serve as a day-to-day technical point of contact for suppliers. Work with DRS engineering to resolve technical questions, drawing clarifications, and deviation requests in a timely manner.
• Drive first-article, prototype, and pre-production builds. Help suppliers develop the processes and capabilities needed to complete accurate first-article inspection packages, qualify weld procedures and personnel, and close technical risks before rate production.
• Visit supplier facilities as needed to support design reviews, process and build validation, first-article activities, and issue resolution.
• Lead or support root-cause investigations and corrective actions for supplier nonconformances, including build defects, dimensional escapes, requirements gaps, and process failures.
• Support the transition to stable production by helping establish documented work instructions, inspection criteria, and process controls; assist with production ramp-up and capacity growth.
• Drive continuous improvement across the supply base by sharing lessons learned, standardizing effective practices, and incorporating supplier producibility insights into internal design standards.

Skills

Technical leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Problem solving

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to bridge requirements with external suppliers, maturing designs into producible, repeatable products. You will assess supplier welding, machining and inspection capabilities, lead manufacturability and cost-reduction efforts, and drive first-article builds and process validation with engineering and suppliers.

The role requires a BS in engineering, at least 5 years in heavy fabrication or precision machining,