Sr. Staff Engineer, Supply Chain - Mechanical Commodities (R6524)
Core
Lead supplier development, industrialization, and quality assurance for precision machining, airframe structures, landing gear, composites, and propulsion hardware in aerospace and defense.
Role type
Sr. Staff Engineer, Supply Chain (Mechanical Commodities)
Builds
Precision machined parts, airframe structures, landing gear, composites, and propulsion/engine hardware for defense and aerospace platforms.
Domain
Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing
Required skills
Supplier development, manufacturing readiness reviews, root-cause analysis (8D, 5-Why), lean manufacturing, capacity planning, AS9100/AS9102 compliance, design-for-manufacturability, CAD (SolidWorks/NX/CATIA), statistical process control, FAI coordination, risk mitigation.
Preferred skills
Active U.S. government SECRET clearance, experience with aircraft/defense programs, European supplier development, industrialization of aerospace components, NADCAP special processes, Six Sigma/ASQ CQE certification.
Technologies
SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, Excel, PLM, ERP, AS9102, AS9100, PFMEA, 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, Fault-tree analysis.
Responsibilities
Lead technical development and performance improvement for precision machining, airframe structures, landing gear, composites, and propulsion/engine hardware; Assess supplier technical capabilities, manufacturing processes, capacity, quality systems, tooling, workforce, and readiness; Run capability assessments, manufacturing readiness reviews, process audits, capacity analyses, and onsite evaluations; Work with Strategic Sourcing and Engineering to select suppliers that meet technical, quality, cost, schedule, and production-rate requirements; Identify, develop, and qualify new suppliers in Europe to grow the regional supply base; Lead industrialization: manufacturing planning, tooling readiness, process validation, capacity planning, qualification, and production ramp-up; Support new product introductions, prototype builds, engineering changes, and rate increases; Review drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, special-process requirements, and statements of work with suppliers; Lead design-for-manufacturability and design-for-assembly discussions to improve producibility, lower cost, and shorten lead times; Review and approve process flows, manufacturing and inspection plans, control plans, PFMEAs, work instructions, and qualification documentation; Coordinate First Article Inspection under AS9102 and resolve FAI discrepancies and manufacturing nonconformances; Audit and embed in core supplier processes to find opportunities to improve cost, lead time, and quality; Lead onsite root-cause investigations into defects, dimensional nonconformances, process variation, tooling issues, material shortages, and production constraints; Track and analyze supplier delivery, quality, and cost metrics, and put corrective action and continuous improvement plans in place as needed; Evaluate capacity against current and future demand using cycle times, yield, equipment availability, staffing, tooling, and material flow; Create and manage measurable plans for technical development, production readiness, capacity recovery, and corrective action; Lead onsite supplier recovery and report progress, risks, and corrective actions to program and executive leadership; Watch performance trends to spot recurring issues, systemic risks, and improvement opportunities; Identify and reduce supply chain risk, including developing alternate sources for sole-source, long-lead, and flight-critical components; Mentor Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, and Supply Chain team members; Lead cross-functional technical teams and improvement initiatives with limited oversight.
Seniority
Sr. Staff, hands-on IC with mentorship responsibilities.
