Supplier Development Engineer

Insight Global; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Insight Global is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to provide hands-on supplier development and manufacturing recovery leadership across critical suppliers facing challenges related to quality, delivery, capacity, and operational performance.

This individual will partner closely with suppliers to assess manufacturing constraints, drive recovery plans, improve operational execution, and build sustainable processes that ensure long-term success.

Qualifications

• Approximately 10 years of experience in manufacturing environments.
• Experience in Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, Purchasing, Procurement, or Supply Chain functions.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and capacity planning.
• Hands-on bottleneck analysis and Theory of Constraints methodologies.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing in production environments.
• Knowledge of structured problem-solving tools (8D, A3, DMAIC).
• Experience developing and utilizing management operating systems and performance metrics.
• Ability to influence and coach supplier leadership teams.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency with SAP, Excel, PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Lead supplier development and recovery for suppliers facing quality, delivery, or capacity issues.
• Assess supplier operations and identify constraints impacting performance.
• Develop, validate, and monitor recovery plans.
• Coach supplier leadership on Lean and continuous improvement.
• Drive problem-solving using 8D, A3, and DMAIC.
• Establish KPI dashboards and performance reviews.
• Collaborate with Procurement to improve supplier performance.
• Travel extensively to supplier sites in US/Canada.

Skills

Ten years exp

Lean manufacturing

Theory of Constraints

8D/A3/DMAIC

Supplier development

Stakeholder mgmt

Tools

SAP

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

• Lead supplier recovery initiatives at critical suppliers experiencing operational, quality, delivery, or capacity challenges
• Assess supplier manufacturing operations and identify constraints impacting performance
• Develop, validate, and monitor supplier recovery plans
• Conduct value stream mapping, bottleneck analysis, and capacity assessments
• Coach supplier leadership teams on lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies
• Drive structured problem-solving efforts utilizing methodologies such as 8D, A3, and DMAIC
• Establish KPI management systems, accountability reviews, and performance tracking processes
• Evaluate supplier organizational capabilities, staffing models, and leadership effectiveness
• Provide risk assessments and recommendations to internal procurement leadership
• Ensure sustainable ownership of improvements by supplier management teams
• Support development and standardization of supplier development processes across the organization
• Partner closely with internal Procurement and Purchasing teams to drive supplier performance improvements

Must Haves

• Approximately 10 years of experience within manufacturing environments
• Experience in Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, Purchasing, Procurement, or Supply Chain functions
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and capacity planning
• Hands-on experience performing bottleneck analysis and applying Theory of Constraints methodologies
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing principles in production environments
• Knowledge of structured problem-solving tools, including: 8D, A3, DMAIC
• Experience developing and utilizing management operating systems and performance metrics
• Ability to influence and coach supplier leadership teams
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Proficiency with: SAP (preferred ERP system), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint

Plusses

• Industrial manufacturing experience strongly preferred
• Experience within metal fabrication, machining, or assembly environments
• Prior Operations Manager or Manufacturing Leadership experience
• Experience supporting supplier recovery initiatives across multiple facilities
• Automotive manufacturing background
• Electrical manufacturing or engineering experience
• Exposure to procurement-focused supplier optimization programs
• Proven track record driving measurable improvements in quality, delivery, capacity, and operational performance
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving suppliers and internal stakeholders

Position Overview

Our client is seeking a Senior Supplier Development Engineer to provide hands-on supplier development and manufacturing recovery leadership across critical suppliers experiencing challenges related to quality, delivery, capacity, and operational performance. This individual will partner closely with suppliers to assess manufacturing constraints, drive recovery plans, improve operational execution, and build sustainable processes that ensure long-term success.

This is a highly visible role within the Procurement organization and requires extensive travel to supplier locations throughout the United States and Canada.