Sr. Supplier Technical Engineer

Career Area:

Supply Chain and Logistics

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition

This position is based at the supplier’s facility in Whitehall, Michigan. The Supplier Technical Engineer (STE) is responsible for assessing and improving supplier quality processes to reduce product defects and ensure compliance with manufacturing specifications and standards. The role involves daily interaction and collaboration with cross-functional teams including Supply Chain, Engineering, and Production located in San Diego, California. The SQE will serve as a key quality liaison between the supplier and internal teams, driving continuous improvement and ensuring alignment with quality expectations and operational goals.

Responsibilities

•             Ensure quality of received components by reviewing supplier provided data against drawing requirements.

•             Generating reports on supplier quality, by monitoring their defect rates and areas that can lead to potential flaws; Guiding suppliers to reduce these defect rates.

•             Researching the potential vendors, assessing their manufacturing environment, practices, and procedures; Conducting supplier quality control audits to ensure compliance with organizational policies and quality certifications (ISO, NADCAP).

•             Supporting suppliers in improving their performance through process enhancements, implementing process controls, and developing quality assurance plans.

Skill Descriptors

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Level: Working Knowledge

•             Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.

•             Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.

•             Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work.

•             Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.

•             Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Level: Extensive Experience

•             Ensures capture of lessons to be learned from a problem-solving effort.

•             Organizes potential problem solvers and leads problem resolution efforts.

•             Uses varying problem-solving approaches and techniques as appropriate.

•             Contributes to standard practices for problem-solving approaches, tools, and processes.

•             Analyzes and synthesizes information and devises alternative resolution strategies.

•             Develops successful resolutions to critical or wide-impact problems.

Process Improvement: Understanding and insight into evaluating current product quality and production methods and ability to maintains focus on the continuous improvement of processes, products and services.

Level: Extensive Experience

•             Streamlines the critical workflow for executing key processes.

•             Sets priorities for addressing process problems that limit performance.

•             Develops methods for improving and establishing controls for critical processes.

•             Monitors external sources for applicable new methods and controls.

•             Analyzes findings from improvement cycles to ensure success of interventions.

•             Coaches others to develop the skills to improve processes.

Quality Orientation: Knowledge of quality management methods, tools, and techniques; ability to create and support an environment that meets the quality goals of th