Senior Supplier Process Engineer

Company DescriptionIt started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.Job DescriptionPrimary Function of PositionResponsible for ensuring suppliers meet ISI requirements for quality, service, delivery, and cost.Drive both suppliers and internal teams to continuously improve both manufacturing and businessprocesses. Evaluate and collaborate on supplier selection with cross functional partners. Supportboth NPI and ongoing production by engaging with suppliers to improve supplier performance,monitor product and process performance, scale-up production, and work with design andmanufacturing teams to implement improvements. Lead and execute detailed supplier projects toimplement changes affecting product quality, cost, capacity, risk mitigation/supply continuity, andintegration of new manufacturing technologies.The ideal candidate possesses a broad process experience in metal machining and/or plasticInjection molding and extrusions, and has the skills and experience to assess and developoptimal supplier partners in these categories while mentoring others in this skillset.Essential Job Duties Partner with suppliers to execute cost reductions, capacity improvements, and riskmitigation projects for high severity parts, sole suppliers, or proprietary materials Manage complex supplier changes including manufacturing process changes, designchanges, production optimization, facility changes, new equipment qualification, and newline validations. Complete part qualification deliverables including: First Article, Supplier pFMEA, ProcessValidations (IQ/OQ/PQ), Inspection Reports, Gage R&R, and Process CapabilityAnalysis, and lead, train, and mentor suppliers through the process. Participate in supplier selection process: selecting the right process and supplier for thepart, considering long term fit, and total cost of ownership. Drive suppliers to continually improve their business and manufacturing processperformance to meet Intuitive’s requirements for supplier excellence using a collection ofbest practices in project management, Six Sigma, Lean, SPC and negotiation. Leadthese efforts at several suppliers simultaneously, without managerial guidance. Own and drive to closure supplier nonconformances from symptom through root causeanalysis to corrective action, including Nonconformance Reports and SCARdocumentation. Drive changes to ISI requirements as necessary, by initiating and managing changes tospecifications and drawings through the Engineering Change Order process Develop metrics for supplier part cost, delivery, quality, capacity, and capability, andcontinually drive for timely achievement of those metrics. Provide effective and timely component inventory health information andrecommendations to management by creating and delivering data-driven supply baseinformation. Review, analyze, and close customer complaints, manufacturing variance requests, andfirst article inspections by judging risk analyses and justifications, determining correctiveand preventive actions at suppliers. Look for opportunities with suppliers to eliminaterecurrence. Effectively prioritize and advance multiple concurrent high priority projects. Effectivelyintegrate and distill communications across multiple teams for cohesive and unifiedmessaging both internally and externally. Create formal networks with key decisionmakers and serve as external spokesperson for the organization. Work with suppliers and ISI New Product Development/Introduction Engineering to:Create product supplier landscapes to determine launch readiness and report tomanagementDevelop supplier ramp readiness plans by judging business risk based onforecast, supplier capacity, quality performance, and process capability.DFM by engaging suppliers early in development cycle to feedbackmanufacturability improvements in the designs prior to productionInfluence and guide Engineering in choosing suppliers by determining selectioncriteria for preferred suppliers and leading the team effort to evaluate preferredsuppliersReview, analyze and close customer complaints, manufacturingnonconformances, and first article inspections by judging risk analyses andjustificationsQualificationsRequired Skills and Experience Demonstrable knowledge in evaluating and challenging supplier technical, quality, andbusiness capabilities Demonstratable knowledge of supplier part qualifications, supplier change controls, anddesign controls A proven history of implementing Lean/6 Sigma/SPC Programs at suppliers Demonstrable knowledge of a wide range of manufacturing processes includingunderstanding of key input variables for quality, cost, and capacity (i.e. metal fabrication,plastics, extrusions, electronics, and/or contract manufacturing) Demonstratable knowledge of CAPA process (specifically containment, root causeanalysis, corrective/preventive actions) Excellent Project Management skills and experience in influencing without formalauthority Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentations to upper-levelmanagement Excellent interpersonal skills and team building skills Excellent analytical, root-cause, and problem-solving skills along with good judgment Excellent knowledge of 21 CFR part 820 and ISO 13485 (experience in auditing suppliersto these standards preferred) Proficiency with Windows, Word, Excel, ERP Information Systems (preferably SAP), andPLM Systems (preferably Agile)Required Education And Training BS degree in Engineering or equivalent. Minimum 8 years related experience in Supplier Quality Engineering and/or SupplierDevelopment or related field.Working Conditions Ability to travel to suppliers on an as needed basis – domestic and international (approx20%)Preferred Skills And Experience Experience with one or more of the following commodities is preferred: metal fabrication,plastics, extrusions, electronics, and/or contract manufacturing. Experience in the Medical Device industry is preferred Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack and CAD experience with 3D modeling tools is aplus Ability to read and interpret detailed mechanical drawings (GD&T) and communicatetechnical information Proven ability to work alongside Design Engineering and assess supplier capabilityduring the design iteration process Experience with statistical analysis software such as Minitab is a plusAdditional InformationDue 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 Opportunity 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.Mandatory NoticesU.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.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.This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending onbusiness need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and theCandidate’s Qualifications, Consistent With Applicable Law.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 compensation ranges are listed.Base Salary Range Region 1:$160,600 - $231,000Base Salary Range Region 2: $136,500 - $196,400Shift: DayWorkplace Type: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.