Amerex - Supplier Quality Engineer

Thank you for your interest in a career at Amerex. Our company stands as a global leader in fire suppression products, driven by our commitment to our team members, communities, and customers. We embrace individual differences and actively recruit team members from diverse backgrounds and skill sets, irrespective of race, gender, or ethnicity. At Amerex, we are dedicated to continuous collaboration and innovation, striving to remain leaders in our industry.

Every position is rooted in a culture that aligns with eight guiding principles:Teamwork, Excellence, Communication, Leadership, Environment, Safety, Accountability,andTrust. These principles are the foundation of McWane, Inc. and serve as a compass, offering personal guidance to navigate daily work situations.

OVERVIEW

This job operates in a professional office and manufacturing environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers. The position may involve exposure to hazardous materials and environmental changes (heat/cold), and the employee must be able to work under stress caused by production requirements, personnel, and the needs of other departments, utilizing proper body mechanics. Ability to work long hours in emergency situations and occasional overtime is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supplier Quality Management
  • Design, implement, and maintain a structured supplier audit program using defined criteria and standardized reporting; establish and execute a regular audit schedule (targeting top 25 vendors on a 2-3 year cycle).
  • Conduct on-site supplier audits and develop comprehensive audit reports against documented quality standards.
  • Develop and maintain supplier questionnaires and qualification evaluation forms; maintain complete history of completed evaluations.
  • Maintain the approved supplier list; develop and manage a preferred/priority supplier designation framework.
  • Evaluate the supply base to understand market conditions, supplier capabilities, and competitive alternatives for critical sub-components.
  • Design, maintain, and distribute monthly vendor scorecards with comprehensive quantitative metrics (OTD, PPM, reject rate, SCAR history, lead times, communication, pricing) covering the top 25 vendors.
  • Utilize analytical tools such as Power BI and D365 for accurate vendor performance analysis and reporting.

• Incoming Quality Assurance
  • Develop, implement, and maintain Inspection Procedures (IPs) in current format; ensure IPs are incorporated into the ECN process with appropriate QA approval.
  • Implement and manage control plans and Statistical Process Control (SPC) metrics to evaluate and improve incoming inspection results.
  • Leverage inspection equipment (including IM-8000) to generate data analysis and identify systemic supplier issues.
  • Define and enforce sampling plans and incoming quality control criteria based on risk, defect history, and supplier capability.
  • Establish and enforce product compliance requirements related to trade compliance, regulatory approvals, and material and product certifications (e.g., PED mill certs, anodizing specs, material grades).

• Nonconformance Management
  • Initiate, own, and drive to closure supplier-related NCRs, including containment actions and root-cause investigations.
  • Issue and manage Supplier Corrective Action Reports (SCARs) with well-defined initiation criteria and enforce timely supplier response and closure.
  • Communicate defects and quality findings to suppliers with required documentation and ensure issues do not recur.
  • Provide internal updates regarding high-impact or repeated supplier issues to Quality, Production, and Purchasing leadership.

• New Supplier & New Product Qualification
  • Develop and manage new supplier qualification questionnaires and evaluation processes; maintain records of all completed qualifications.
  • Support New Product Introduction (NPI) by validating supplier processes, tooling, and capability prior to production release.
  • Evaluate samples for accuracy and compatibility; complete First Article Inspection (FAI) reports.
  • Ensure all suppliers meet engineering, regulatory, and quality requirements before production approval.

• Continuous Improvement & Risk Mitigation
  • Monitor and manage improvement plans for high-risk or chronically underperforming suppliers.
  • Evaluate industry and market trends for critical raw materials and sub-components to anticipate supply chain vulnerabilities.
  • Support cost-reduction initiatives through process improvements, alternate materials, or quality enhancements without compromising product reliability.
  • Drive preventive actions and systemic improvements to eliminate future failures and reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Design Engineering, Procurement, Operations, and Production Planning to resolve supply chain quality challenges and confirm that design criteria can be effectively evaluated - either by Amerex resources or via vendor certification (COC).
  • Support Purchasing in supplier negotiations with technical and quality data, including capacity, quality history, and risk profiles.
  • Provide feedback for supplier scorecards, quarterly business reviews, and annual supplier evaluations.

• Documentation & Reporting
  • Maintain detailed records of supplier audits, NCRs, SCARs, corrective actions, and quality evaluations.
  • Prepare monthly supplier quality performance reports and KPIs for management review.
  • Conduct root cause analysis of component failures and quality issues identified on the manufacturing floor.

• Future Scope / Strategic Initiatives
  • Lead development of an Amerex Supplier Quality Manual to standardize quality expectations across all suppliers.
  • Develop and implement a PPAP protocol for critical sub-components.
  • Evaluate and implement technology and software improvements to modernize the Receiving Inspection process.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, or related technical field. (Required)
• 3-7 years of experience in supplier quality, supply chain quality, or a related manufacturing quality role; 5+ years preferred. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience conducting structured supplier audits against documented criteria (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or equivalent). (Required)
• Proficiency in quality management methodologies: FMEA, SPC, PPAP, DMAIC, 8D, and 5-Why. (Required)
• Experience in an industrial manufacturing environment, quality department, or laboratory environment. (Required)
• Proven ability to independently manage supplier relationships, drive corrective actions to closure, and communicate effectively across functions. (Required)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word). (Required)
• Experience with Microsoft D365 or comparable ERP system. (Preferred)
• Proficiency with Power BI or similar data visualization/analytics tools for supplier performance reporting. (Preferred)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification. (Preferred)
• ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor certification. (Preferred)
• Experience developing or maintaining a Supplier Quality Manual or PPAP program. (Preferred)
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills; must be comfortable presenting findings and driving accountability with external suppliers and internal leadership.
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

SUMMARY OF WORKING CONDITIONS

This position may involve potential exposure to hazardous materials and environmental changes (heat/cold). The employee must be able to work under stress occasioned by production requirements, personnel, and the needs of other departments, utilizing proper body mechanics.

Travel expected 10-20%, including periodic on-site supplier visits. Some domestic and international travel may be required depending on supply base.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

McWane is a Federal VEVRAA contractor, and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices. McWane will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran or service member status, marital status, citizenship status (In IL - sex, including same sex, ancestry, order of protection status, physical or mental disability, military status, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge status, genetic information), (In IA - gender identity), (In CA- gender identity or expression, and genetic information) or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.