Principal Engineer, Supplier Development

Job's mission

As a key member of our Global Supplier Development team, this role supports the organization's objective to strengthen supplier capability, elevate design and manufacturing performance, and ensure long-term supply resilience across our global network. The mission of the team is to proactively build supplier maturity, drive continuous improvement, and align supplier capability growth with mid- and long-term category strategies to support product quality, operational excellence, and New Product Introduction (NPI) readiness.

What you will be working on

• Assess supplier quality and technology gaps, and execute plans to address them.


• Review and influence Design Engineering early in design phase to achieve target costs and DFx. Identify areas for cost down during design phase plus manufacturing methods and eliminate waste.


• Evaluate supplier processes and risks; collaborate to improve capabilities through lean supplier development methods (i.e. six sigma) and implement mitigation plans.


• Apply engineering and material science expertise with suppliers to boost capacity, product quality, yield and reduce costs.


• Partner with Category leaders to drive long-term category strategies to support aggressive production scaling.


• Align development efforts with long-term category strategies and develop partners within the suppliers.


• Conduct on-site supplier assessments (capabilities, MSA, PCS/SPCE, etc) and identify gaps during selection.


• Implement improvement plans with suppliers to ensure readiness and support NPI.


• Coordinate globally with Business/Key Product Unit Engineering teams to meet end-use specifications.


• Advance manufacturing capabilities, DFMEA / FMEA, and implement Process Control Systems, PFMEA, at key sites.


• Support statistical PCS / SPC (lean six sigma) data analysis for internal and external stakeholders.


• Perform root cause failure analysis and report findings to relevant teams.


• Lead supplier engagement, support surveillance audits, and qualification activities globally.


• Independently manage supplier improvement projects, including onboarding training and qualification.


• Oversee multiple projects to resolve issues and enhance product performance, reliability, and efficiency.


• Lead / mentor group of Supplier Development team on best practices and develop skillsets to support group growth and expansion

What we are looking for

• MS, or PhD preferred, in Engineering, Science, or related technical field (Engineering, Physics, Material Sciences) relevant to semiconductor equipment, or proven expertise.


• At least 10 years of experience or significant expertise in engineering, designing, and manufacturing of complex mechanical systems.


• Experience in the semiconductor capital equipment industry with technical background in semiconductor manufacturing technologies required.


• Strong English communication skills for complex technical topics.


• Effective collaboration across regions, cultures, and disciplines.


• Proven Lead Engineer in matrix environments and ability to work independently while managing a team.


• Proficient in project and time management skills required


• Drive business process efficiencies and improvements with key internal stakeholders

Candidate should have knowledge of the following tools, but will be trained to more advanced levels in:

• Applied Operational and Engineering Statistical Methods


• Process Control Systems (PCS) and Statistical Process Control (SPC)


• FMEA include Design FMEA (DFMEA) and Process FMEA (PFMEA)


• Structured Problem Solving (8D) and Effective Problem Solving (EPS)


• Operational Excellence tools including Failure Analysis, Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping


• Project Management, Team Management, Escalation Management and Communication Techniques across a broad range of business escalation types, (Customer, Supplier, Technical, Manufacturing, etc.)


• Should costing estimate modeling (aPriori)