# Sr Manager, Supplier Development Engineer (R4699)

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Dallas, TX
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Salary:** $184k – $250k/yr
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** GD&T, Solidworks, CATIA, DFM, Composite Manufacturing, Injection Molding, Fai, Ppap, CAD, Root Cause Analysis
**Posted:** 2026-03-18

> Leads supplier development strategy for hardware manufacturing in aerospace, driving improvements in quality, cost, and scalability. Oversees audits, capability upgrades, risk management, and NPI readiness with 10+ years experience in mechanical engineering and manufacturing processes.

## Job Description

## What You'll Do

### Strategic Supplier Transformation & Process Excellence
- Define and lead the supplier development strategy across key commodities, driving systemic improvements in cost, lead time, quality, and scalability.
- Establish and institutionalize supplier process audit frameworks and continuous improvement roadmaps aligned to company growth objectives.
- Partner with executive leadership to prioritize supplier investments, consolidations, and capability expansion.

### Quality & Operational Governance
- Own the supplier quality strategy, including audit standards, escalation frameworks, and corrective action governance.
- Lead root cause investigations for systemic supplier performance issues and ensure cross-functional resolution.
- Develop standardized quality and performance review mechanisms (QBRs, scorecards, KPI dashboards).

### Supplier Capability & Capacity Development
- Assess supplier technical maturity, manufacturing readiness, and operational scalability.
- Drive supplier capability upgrades in partnership with Engineering and Operations to meet future product and rate requirements.
- Lead make vs. buy strategy alignment for new and existing programs.

### Engineering & Technical Leadership
- Establish technical standards and expectations for supplier manufacturing processes, drawing interpretation, GD&T adherence, and quality controls.
- Ensure supplier alignment with evolving product designs, material specifications, and manufacturing complexity (**composites**, **injection molding**, **mechanical hardware**).
- Influence early design decisions to ensure manufacturability and supply chain scalability.

### Performance & Risk Management
- Build and oversee supplier performance monitoring systems covering delivery, quality, cost, and risk indicators.
- Proactively identify supply chain risks (capacity, geopolitical, technical, financial) and implement mitigation strategies at the portfolio level.
- Lead executive-level supplier escalations and recovery plans when required.

### New Product Introduction (NPI) Leadership
- Own supplier readiness strategy for NPI programs, ensuring manufacturability, quality validation (**FAI/PPAP**), and capacity planning are completed prior to production ramp.
- Partner with Engineering to align release timelines with supplier capability and risk mitigation plans.

## Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in mechanical hardware manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, or supplier development leadership roles.
- Demonstrated leadership of supplier development or manufacturing teams.
- Strong expertise in **composite manufacturing**, **injection molding**, and/or precision mechanical fabrication.
- Proven ability to interpret 2D drawings, **GD&T**, and critical mechanical features at a high level.
- Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~50%+ as required).

## Preferred Qualifications
- Proficiency in **CAD** tools (**SolidWorks**, **CATIA**) with ability to engage technically in **DFM** discussions.
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline.
- Deep experience in root cause analysis, failure investigation, and structured corrective action frameworks.
- Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Quality.
- Experience building and scaling supplier networks in aerospace or high-growth hardware environments.

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