Supplier Development Process Engineer

About WhiteCrow

We are global talent research, insight and pipelining specialists with offices in the UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Dubai, and India. Our international reach has helped us to understand and penetrate specialist markets at a global level. In addition to this, our service is also extended to complement our client’s in-house research.

About our client

For more than 80 years, our client’s engineers and product specialists have partnered with customers to produce highly engineered connectivity and sensing solutions that make a connected world possible. Their focus on reliability, durability, and sustainability exemplifies their commitment to progress. The unmatched range of their product portfolio enables companies, large and small, to turn ideas into technology that can transform how the world works and lives tomorrow.

About the role

• Lead and supervise end-to-end supply chain planning for New Product Introduction (NPI) and New Product Development (NPD) projects at the Shirwal plant.
• The role converts project requirements into executable material, production, capacity, inventory, packaging and logistics plans from early project gates through prototype, validation, pilot build, PPAP/PSW, SOP and ramp-up.
• The position ensures launch readiness, timely risk escalation, disciplined SAP planning and structured handover to the regular MRP planning team after SOP.

As a Supplier Development Process Engineer, you will be responsible for...

Cross Function Collaboration:

• Coordinating with Procurement, SQE, PDE, and MPDE.
• Assessing and documenting manufacturing capability, process maturity, and QMS compliance during PCBA new supplier qualification and development.
• Engaging upstream and downstream raw material partners to improve delivery capability, capacity alignment, and supplier responsiveness.
• Organizing and leading regular cross-functional reviews with PDE, MPDE, and suppliers to address delivery risks, manufacturing readiness, and improvement actions.
• Tracking and driving the closure of cross-functional and supplier action items, escalating gaps as needed.

NPI Stage:

• Providing early manufacturing and engineering support for PCBA commodities from a sourcing and supply chain perspective to support supplier selection decisions (critical).
• Managing conflicts by coordinating and facilitating DFM (Design for Manufacturing) discussions with suppliers and Engineering to ensure manufacturing requirements are clearly understood and accepted, without owning design decisions.
• Assessing and documenting manufacturing capability, process maturity, and QMS compliance during PCBA new supplier qualification.
• Acting as a coordination interface between Procurement and Engineering, ensuring alignment on quality, commercial, and technical expectations without assuming design ownership.

Approved Supplier Management:

• Driving yield, process stability, and delivery performance improvements at supplier sites.
• Collaborating with suppliers and key supply chain nodes to improve lead time and delivery reliability, supporting company sample and production needs.
• Partnering with CM and Procurement to support SRM programs for strategic PCBA suppliers, with close tracking of action plan execution.
• Facilitating cross-functional supplier improvement workshops (e.g., CoPQ reduction and lead time optimization) as a neutral coordinator, ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
• Monitoring progress and escalating unresolved issues where action items are not closed as committed.

What you already have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical / Automation/ Mechanical or any Engineering related majors.
• At least 7 years of MPDE experience within PCBA (Industry relevant), connector and cable assembly Quality Management portion. Procurement, supply chain experience OR Total years of experience 10+ years in various industries including PCBA.
• Knowledge on specific product and process as required (Connectors, Cable and Cable Assemblies, PCBA Tolerances and Cost Drivers)
• In-depth knowledge of electronic manufacturing processes such as PCBA assembly (SMT/THT), box build, testing, and packaging
• Understanding of supplier capabilities, capacity planning, and EMS operating models
• Familiarity with DFM/DFA (Design for Assembly), component sourcing, and BOM management
• Awareness of quality systems, certifications (ISO 9001,IATF 16949 and IPC- Association Connecting Electronics Industries), and related compliance standards
• Ability to work with EMS partners on cost, yield, lead time, and continuous improvement
• Experience supporting NPI, supplier qualification, and scale-up to mass production
• Expert level with the tools related to supplier APQP process, include but not limited to PPAP, FMEA, CP, MSA, SPC, R@R and 8D methodology is a Plus.
• Thorough knowledge of Problem-Solving tools (5-Why, Ishikawa/Fishbone diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis)