Protolabs

Online-quoted digital manufacturing for prototyping

Supplier Quality Development Engineer

Quality EngineeringUpdated on Nov 12

Full-time

About the Job

Requirements

A Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (Industrial, Manufacturing, or Mechanical), physical Science, or related field, from an accredited college or university.
Understanding of Quality systems and practices in a manufacturing environment.
At least 2 years of experience in a similar role.
An analytical and risk-based mindset and data driven approach to quality management.
Experience in a regulated environment.
Ability to travel 30–50% in the US and Mexico.
Ability to lift and/or move up to 50+ pounds; ability to perform the listed physical demands, including standing, walking, stooping or kneeling, and using standard office equipment.
Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with machinery and noise, required eye protection and safety shoes, and occasional outdoor conditions and other listed environmental exposures.

Responsibilities

Support internal and external certification audits, as well as support manufacturing partner audits, to assess compliance and identify areas for improvement.
Follow up on audit findings and actions, ensuring they are adequately addressed and closed within the specified timelines.
Assist manufacturing partners and the sales team with orders that require quality documentation, ensuring that requirements are understood and fulfilled by the partners.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve current systems and processes, making the order intake process more efficient in relation to quality review and requirements.
Support customer quality and compliance surveys and corrective action requests.
Collaborate with the Supply Chain Teams to source, select, and qualify new suppliers, ensuring adherence to PLN standards and requirements.
Monitor and proactively drive supplier performance and maturation, focusing on capabilities, quality targets, and problem-solving.
Develop suppliers by identifying and implementing manufacturing best practices to ensure consistency across the network.
Support the development of new capabilities, such as technologies, materials, inspection methodology, and post-processing options.
Design processes to effectively manage supplier relationships and performance in a scalable manner.
Monitor underperforming manufacturing partners closely and set clear improvement targets.
Make data-driven recommendations for off-boarding manufacturing partners that fail to correct issues.
Benchmark and leverage best practices across the manufacturing partner network.
Utilize an analytical mindset and data-driven approach to supplier management.
Perform supplier quality development activities in the USA and Mexico, including manufacturing partner audits, problem-solving support, training on quality tools, continuous improvement projects, reviewing and approving PPAP documents, and supporting complex projects.
Ensure that Protolabs Network quality requirements are understood throughout the supply chain and support compliance-related activities.
Provide support to manufacturing partners and the sales team in fulfilling quality documentation requirements and improving the quality-review portion of the order intake process.
Work closely with Supply Chain Teams to source, select, qualify, and onboard new suppliers in accordance with PLN standards.
Identify and deploy the best manufacturing practices to ensure manufacturing consistency across the network.

Desired Qualifications

Ideally, serve as a lead auditor for ISO 9001, AS9100, or ISO 13485.
Experience with CNC machining.
Experience with injection molding.
3D printing and/or sheet metal experience is a plus.
Experience reviewing PPAP documents.

Salary Range: 71300 to 95000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Be yourself at Protolabs

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.  We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace.  So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!  You can help make our company even better.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself.  We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.

Why Protolabs?

We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.

Join our team as a Supplier Quality Development Engineer!

The Supplier Quality Development Engineer is responsible for the supplier quality development activities in USA and Mexico. This role involves performing manufacturing partner (MP) audits, supporting MPs in problem-solving activities, training MPs on quality tools, driving continuous improvement projects with MPs, reviewing/approving PPAP documents, and supporting MPs on complex projects. The SQDE ensures that the quality requirements of Protolabs Network (PLN) are understood throughout the supply chain and supports compliance-related activities. Additionally, they provide support to MPs and the sales team in fulfilling quality documentation requirements for orders and improving the efficiency of the order intake process related to quality review and requirements.

This role involves working closely with the Supply Chain Teams to source, select, and qualify new suppliers, as well as supporting their onboarding process in accordance with PLN standards. The SQDE will monitor and proactively drive supplier performance and maturation, focusing on quality targets and problem-solving. Additionally, they will identify and deploy the best manufacturing practices to ensure manufacturing consistency across the network.

What you will do

Support internal and external certification audits, as well as support MP audits, to assess compliance and identify areas for improvement.

Follow up on audit findings and actions, ensuring they are adequately addressed and closed within the specified timelines.

Assist MPs and the sales team with orders that require quality documentation, ensuring that requirements are understood and fulfilled by the MPs.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve the current systems and processes, making the order intake process more efficient in relation to quality review and requirements.

Support customer quality & compliance surveys, corrective action requests etc.

Collaborate with the Supply Chain Teams to source, select, and qualify new suppliers, ensuring adherence to PLN standards and requirements.

Monitor and proactively drive supplier performance and maturation, focusing on capabilities, quality targets and problem-solving.

Develop suppliers by identifying and implementing manufacturing best practices to ensure consistency across the network.

Support the development of new capabilities, such as technologies, materials, inspection methodology, and post-processing options.

Design processes to effectively manage supplier relationships and performance in a scalable manner.

Monitor underperforming MPs closely and set clear improvement targets.

Make data driven recommendations for off-boarding MPs that fail to correct issues.

Benchmark and leverage best practices across the MP network.

Utilize an analytical mindset and data-driven approach to supplier management.

Travel of up to 30% to 50% is required for this role.

What it takes

Ability to travel 30-50% in the US and Mexico

A Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (Industrial, Manufacturing, or Mechanical), physical Science, or related field, from an accredited college or university

Understanding of Quality systems and practices in a manufacturing environment.

2+ years of experience in a similar role.

An analytical and risk-based mindset and data driven approach to quality management.

Experience in a regulated environment.

Ideally lead auditors for ISO 9001, AS9100 or ISO 13485.

Experience with CNC machining.

Experience with Injection Molding.

Nice to have: 3DP, and/or Sheet metal experience is a big plus.

Experience reviewing PPAP documents

What is in it for you

We offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:

Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan

Flexible Spending Accounts

Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)

Dental and Vision

Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

Paid caregiver leave

You will receive at least 3 weeks of PTO, Holiday Pay, and Volunteer Hours

401k with company match and immediate vest

Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate

Matching grants through Protolabs foundation

And More!

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities. Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.

Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Physical Demands:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must be able to lift and/or move up to 50+ pounds.

Work Environment:

Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in a manufacturing area exposed to machinery and noise; with eye protection and safety shoes required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

About the Company

Protolabs

Online-quoted digital manufacturing for prototyping

Protolabs delivers digital manufacturing services for rapid prototyping and low-volume production. Its core offerings include 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding, all accessible through an online quoting system that provides free design analysis within hours. The company leverages a global network of more than 250 vetted manufacturing partners to provide fast, scalable production with consistent quality. Unlike traditional shops, Protolabs combines an automated, online workflow with a large partner network to quickly move a concept from design to production, aiming to reduce development time and total costs. The goal is to help engineers, designers, and product developers bring ideas to market faster by pairing speed, cost efficiency, and responsive customer service with broad manufacturing capabilities.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Maple Plain, MN
Founded: 1999

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