Sr Supplier Manufacturing Engineer, Plastics

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 the Position:

Responsible for ensuring suppliers meet ISI requirements for quality, service, delivery, and cost. Drive suppliers to continuously improve business and manufacturing processes. Evaluate and select suppliers. Guide Engineering in choosing suppliers for new products and provide DFM input to new designs. Supports both NPI and on-going production, monitors and works with suppliers to improve supplier performance. Executes detailed projects with suppliers to implement changes and improvements affecting quality, cost, capacity, risk, and sub-supplier management.

The ideal Candidate possesses broad and deep hands-on plastic injection molding, extrusion and silicone molding experience along with skills to select and develop suppliers.

Essential Job Duties:

• Complete project/ part qualification deliverables including Supplier pFMEA, Process Validations (IQ/OQ/PQ), Inspection Reports, Gage R&R, and Process Capability Analysis
• Work with suppliers to execute cost reductions, capacity improvements, and risk mitigation.
• Select the right process and supplier for the part, considering long-term fit and total cost of ownership.
• Manage supplier changes including manufacturing process changes, production optimization, facility changes, new equipment qualification, and new line validations.
• Drive changes to ISI requirements as necessary by initiating and managing changes to specifications and drawings through the engineering change order process.
• Own and drive to closure supplier variances from symptom through root cause analysis to corrective action, including careful CAPA documentation.
• Effectively prioritize and advance multiple concurrent projects and tasks
• Clearly communicate project status to key stakeholders
• Build, own, and relentlessly pursue a vision for developing suppliers.
• Understand proper level of documentation detail for tracking of actions and justification of decisions.
• Generate key metrics for the team and suppliers, and continually drive for timely achievement of those metrics.
• Drive suppliers to continually improve their business and manufacturing process performance to meet Intuitive’s requirements for supplier excellence using a collection of best practices in project management, Six Sigma, Lean, SPC and negotiation. Lead these efforts without managerial guidance at several suppliers simultaneously.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions for supplier process by driving supplier’s investigations and root cause analysis.
• Provide effective and timely supply base health information and recommendation to management by creating and delivering data-driven supply base information to any level of management at ISI with little or no guidance.
• Prepare and deliver supplier communications as required by independently working with suppliers on scorecard creation. 
• Work with suppliers and ISI engineering for the new product introduction to:
• Create product supplier landscapes to determine launch readiness and report to management.
• Develop supplier ramp readiness plans by judging business risk based on forecast, supplier capacity, quality performance, and process capability.
• DFM by engaging suppliers early in development cycle to feedback manufacturability improvements in the designs prior to production.
• Influence and guide Engineering in choosing suppliers by determining selection criteria for preferred suppliers and leading the team effort to evaluate preferred suppliers. 
• Review, analyze and close customer complaints, manufacturing variance requests, and first article inspections by judging risk analyses and justifications.
• Evaluate corrective and preventive actions at suppliers, looks for opportunities with suppliers to eliminate recurrence.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 8 years related experience with an BS Engineering degree or 6 years’ experience with MS in Engineering, or 3 years’ experience with PhD.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentations to executive level management.
• Excellent Interpersonal skills and team building skills.
• A proven history of implementing Lean/6 Sigma/SPC Programs at suppliers.
• Excellent Project Management skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills along with good judgment.
• 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).

Required Education and Training:

• Minimum Education: BS degree in Engineering, advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with statistical analysis software such as Minitab
• Ability to read and interpret detailed mechanical drawings (GD&T) and communicate technical information.

Working Conditions

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

Preferred Skills and Experience

• CAD experience with 3D modeling tools
• Experience in a high-volume medical device company

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.