Component Engineer

Component Engineer

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 specifically related to wire harness and cable assembly
• Evaluate and select suppliers within copper cables/harness industry. 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.

Essential Job Duties:

• Work with NPD to procure custom cables ensuring DFM to achieve quality and cost targets
• Support NPD with proto builds and track material readiness at Supplier
• Drive supplier rootcause analysis for cable harness failures
• Mitigate risks and ensure supply continuity by evaluating capacity, lead times and quality issues
• Develop and maintain harness standards, specifications, and design guidelines.
• Work with Strategic sourcing to evaluate new suppliers and new supplier manufacturing sites
• 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.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Minimum 7 years related experience with an BS Engineering degree or 5 years' experience with MS in Engineering.
• 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 cable assembly, wire cutting, termination, crimping, Soldering, overmold )

Working Conditions:

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

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• 4-7 years of engineering experience in cable assembly, wire harness production, or electromechanical manufacturing.
• The ideal Candidate possesses broad and deep hands-on cable assembly experience along with wire cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering.