Principal Specialist, Supplier Quality & Development - Commodity

Principal Specialist, Supplier Quality & Development

Join Collins Aerospace as a Principal Specialist, Supplier Quality & Development professional and play a critical role in ensuring the performance, reliability, and continuous improvement of our global supply base. In this highly visible individual contributor role, you'll serve as a key partner to both suppliers and internal stakeholders—driving quality excellence across complex commodities such as composites, plastics, textiles, and interior products. Your work will directly impact product integrity and program success by ensuring suppliers meet stringent aerospace and regulatory standards while proactively identifying and resolving risks.

Operating with a high level of autonomy, you'll lead supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and issue resolution efforts—digging into root cause analysis, driving corrective actions, and influencing long-term improvements. From supporting PPAP approvals and work transfers to analyzing quality data and leading supplier-facing initiatives, you'll be at the center of building a stronger, more resilient supply chain. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, influencing without authority, and making a measurable impact in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

This is a remote role with up to 30% travel throughout the Midwest US, primarily supporting locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Indiana. Geographic proximity to these states may support ease of travel.

What You Will Do:

• Own supplier quality performance across assigned commodities, ensuring compliance with RTX, customer, and regulatory requirements
• Lead supplier qualification, onboarding, and certification activities, including audits, assessments, and capability evaluations
• Monitor supplier performance metrics, identify risks or trends, and drive proactive improvement strategies
• Investigate and resolve supplier-related quality issues, leading root cause analysis (8D, Red-X) and driving effective corrective and preventive actions
• Manage nonconforming material and escape management processes, partnering with suppliers to contain issues and prevent recurrence
• Support source inspection, material release, and work transfer activities, ensuring readiness for production and process changes
• Drive adoption of quality core tools (PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, MSA) to strengthen supplier processes and long-term performance
• Lead or support supplier-facing forums such as Corrective Action Boards and DQ Clinics to ensure accountability and progress
• Ensure supplier readiness for PPAP approvals, Resourcing Gate reviews, and contractual quality requirements
• Influence suppliers and internal stakeholders to implement sustainable improvements aligned with RTX Supplier Gold and continuous improvement initiatives
• Travel up to 30% (approximately two trips per month, based on business needs)

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Typically requires a University Degree and minimum 5 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 3 years of experience
• 5+ years of experience in a supply chain, manufacturing, or supplier quality environment, including supplier monitoring, auditing, and/or development

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Experience supporting suppliers within one or more of the following commodities: composites, plastics, textiles, or interior products
• Working knowledge of quality systems, regulations, and standards (e.g., QMS, industry or regulatory requirements)
• Experience applying quality core tools and methodologies such as APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, and root cause analysis (e.g., 8D, Red-X)
• Experience leading or supporting supplier quality issue resolution, including corrective and preventive action development
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with both internal teams and external suppliers, including presenting to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
• Experience influencing stakeholders and driving alignment across teams without direct authority
• Experience working in cross-functional environments, partnering with engineering, operations, supply chain, and quality teams

What We Offer:

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning
• Adoption Assistance
• Autism Benefit
• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program
• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits
• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services
• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program
• And more!