Senior Supplier Engineer

Company Description

At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints.
As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible.
Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves.
Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential.
Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.

Job Description

Primary Function of Position

Lead Supplier Engineer on a design project. Responsible to influence the design architecture, component specifications, and component manufacturing process based on supplier capabilities. Responsible for DFM, cost modeling, commodity knowledge, to support supplier selection. Responsible for qualification of all components and launch plan. Post launch, responsible to drive suppliers to continuously improve business, manufacturing processes and quality.

Essential Job Duties

• Partner with design engineering to understand the design intent and how it translates to component design. Ensure critical design outputs are clearly documented and measurable on the component specification.
• Collaborate with Quality Engineering and Design Engineering to support dFMEA /spFMEA reviews and confirm the feasibility of various design risk mitigations.
• Influence and drive changes to Intuitive component specifications to ensure a robust component manufacturing process that can scale.
• Work with design engineering to develop test methods and acceptance criteria for the supplied part or sub-assembly. Understand functional test methods used to verify the product and translate those tests to component level testing at the supplier.
• Partner with Engineering team to select the component technology that will meet requirements for short- and long-term needs from prototype to production, while meeting business priorities for cost and utilizing preferred suppliers.
• Manage and develop supplier relationship, bridge communication gaps and promote constructive relationship between Intuitive and Supplier.
• Create strategies to effectively optimize the supply base to reduce the risk of complex sub-tiers suppliers and long lead times.
• Establish risk mitigations for high severity parts, sole suppliers or proprietary materials.
• Complete Design Transfer and component qualification: pFMEA, Special Process Validations, FAI, correlation, Gage R&R and Cpk by leading, training and mentoring suppliers through the process.
• Effectively prioritize and advance multiple concurrent projects and tasks.
• Develop supplier ramp readiness plans by judging business risk based on forecast, supplier capacity, quality performance, and process capability.
• Resolve component non-conformances and drive suppliers to true root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and influence supply chain using metrics for supplier part cost, delivery, quality, capacity and capability.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven ability to work alongside design engineer and assess supplier capability during the design iteration process
• Demonstrable knowledge in evaluating and challenging supplier technical, quality, and business capabilities
• Demonstrable knowledge of a wide range of manufacturing processes including understanding of key input variables for quality, cost and capacity (specialization can be in metal fabrication, plastics, electronics, and/or contract manufacturing)
• Excellent Project Management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentations to executive level management
• Excellent Interpersonal skills and team building skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills along with good judgment
• Significant computer experience using Windows, Word, Excel, Smartsheets, Minitab, Solidworks, and ERP Information Systems, preferably SAP
• Ability to read and interpret detailed mechanical drawings, including GD&T and communicate technical information to suppliers

Required Education and Training

• Minimum BS degree in Engineering
• Minimum 8 years related experience

Working Conditions

• Ability to travel to suppliers on an as-needed basis – domestic and international

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Supplier Engineering, Supplier Quality Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer or Design Engineer experience is preferred.
• Medical Device experience is a plus
• Able to perform impartial analysis: should cost model and tolerance stack
• Knowledge of 21 CFR part 820 and ISO 13485 (experience in auditing suppliers to these standards)
• Experience implementing lean, 6-sigma or SPC programs at suppliers.

Additional Information

Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19.  Details can vary by role.

Intuitive is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.

EEO and AA Policy

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target salary ranges are listed.