Lead Supplier Development & Strategic Sourcing Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Shape the Supply Base Powering Breakthrough Turbomachinery

Barber-Nichols (BN) designs and builds mission-critical turbomachinery for Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy. Our engineers collaborate with world-class customers on programs ranging from the blower supporting NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to components for the U.S. Navy’s MK‑48. We reward outcomes, encourage innovation, and invest in growth—making BN a place where impactful careers take flight.

Your Week, At a Glance

• Build a best-in-class supply base: Work across Operations, Engineering, Program Management, and more to align supplier capabilities with program needs. Create and maintain onboarding plans by supplier type, embedding customer/program-specific quality requirements and BN standards.
• Engage suppliers on the floor: Visit existing and prospective partners to assess capabilities, strengthen relationships, and resolve quality challenges with sustainable solutions. Report supply base health, risks, and performance to leadership across functions.
• Drive strategic sourcing decisions: Lead supplier selection from RFQ through PO issuance, apply “right-part, right-shop” logic, consolidate where it matters, cultivate strategic partners, and—using data and risk assessments—disqualify where necessary.
• Elevate quality and delivery: Apply Lean/Six Sigma methods to improve processes and products. Support First Article Verification and Source Inspection. Participate in supplier design reviews, process changes, qualification tests, and procedure updates. Lead supplier assessments, audits, and reviews. Define guardrails for insourcing vs. outsourcing.
• Measure what matters: Partner with Supplier Quality to plan, monitor, and evaluate supplier performance. Own scorecards/dashboards and ensure countermeasures, CAPAs, source inspections, and audits are completed on plan.

What You’ll Own

• Supplier risk assessments and audits aligned to PO requirements and supplier QMS.
• Clear communication of supplier-, job-, and part-level risks to source selection authorities, Program Management, and Procurement.
• Identification of development initiatives that raise supplier quality and delivery performance.
• Issuance, tracking, and closure of Supplier Corrective Actions, with results shared to Procurement, Quality, Program Management, and Engineering.
• Continuous improvement initiatives across internal procedures, methods, and tools.

Qualifications

Education & Training

• Bachelor’s in Mechanical, Electrical, Supply Chain Management, or another Engineering discipline—or an equivalent blend of education and experience.

Experience

• 7–10 years in Procurement, Sourcing, Quality Assurance, or Manufacturing Engineering.
• 5+ years working within recognized quality systems (ISO9001, AS9100, QS, TS).
• Demonstrated proficiency conducting internal or external audits.

Other

• Willing to work overtime as needed.
• Travel up to 50%.

Desired

• Hands-on knowledge of supplier onboarding in regulated, high‑control manufacturing.
• Background in complex metal manufacturing; aerospace preferred.
• Project management strength to expedite cross-functional outcomes, internally and with suppliers.
• Lean Six Sigma experience.
• Root cause analysis and CAPA expertise.
• Proven relationship development skills.

Skills

• Fluency with word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, project management, ERP, databases, and engineering applications.
• Commitment to BN/client/regulatory policies and safety programs on BN or client sites.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication.
• Organization, time management, and meticulous attention to detail.
• Strategic and hands-on problem solving; ability to deliver on timelines and plans.
• Independent, self-directed contributor who thrives in a collaborative, values-aligned culture.

Compensation & Benefits

Base + bonus range: $120,000 – $140,000. The final offer depends on your education, training, and experience and may fall outside this range based on circumstances. Explore our benefits at Careers | Barber-Nichols.

Compliance Notices

Physical and Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands : While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is primarily required to sit, stand, walk, stoop, and bend. Required to speak and communicate clearly with others. Will need to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Corrected vision to 20/20 or adequate and ability to identify and distinguish colors.

Mental Demands : While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to read, write, analyze data and reports, exercise judgment, develop plans, procedures and goals, present information to others and work under pressure.

Work Environment : While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is exposed to high level of manufacturing and equipment noise. Duties are performed indoors in a manufacturing environment with temperature changes. Exposure to hazardous materials, fumes or airborne particles and moving mechanical parts with vibration.

ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Barber-Nichols must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e., current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158. Security clearance is not required for this position

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Barber-Nichols is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by law.