Supplier Quality Engineer
LIXIL
Remoto
Role Objective
As a Supplier Quality Engineer, you will be responsible for maintaining a proactive quality ecosystem across the European supplier base, ensuring compliance with internal standards while driving continuous improvement, innovation, and risk mitigation.
Working cross-functionally with procurement, R&D, and quality teams, you will play a key role in elevating supplier performance and ensuring stable, high-quality deliveries to plants and markets.
This is a field-based role with approximately 40% travel, primarily across Portugal and Spain, with additional exposure to suppliers across Europe. You will operate within a small, international team, offering a high level of autonomy and ownership, and requiring strong collaboration across multicultural stakeholders, including European and global partners.
Key Responsibilities
Preventive Quality Activities (~40%)
- Define and implement supplier quality control processes to improve European suppliers’ quality performance and achieve KPIs
- Develop risk mitigation strategies using APQP methodologies
- Support suppliers in building robust quality frameworks and improving process reliability
- Deliver training and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen supplier capability
- Support main suppliers to architect reliable quality firewalls to ensure stable qualified deliveries to plants
- Conduct process audits (VDA 6.3 / VDA 6.1) and monitor supplier PPM performance
- Lead supplier qualification and onboarding processes
- Support New Product Development, particularly PPAP verification
- Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions using 8D, 5 Why, and APDCA methodologies
- Continuously improve supplier quality performance, processes, and yield rates
- Degree in Mechanical, Electronic, or Automation Engineering
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in supplier or purchasing quality engineering within manufacturing
- Background in automotive, electronics, or similar industries is preferred
- Certification in VDA 6.3 / VDA 6.1 / IATF 16949 is advantageous
- Six Sigma Green or Black Belt is beneficial
- Strong experience in process audits (VDA 6.3 preferred)
- Advanced application of AIAG/VDA Core Tools (APQP, FMEA, SPC, MSA)
- Solid understanding of supplier quality processes and PPAP
- Proven use of structured problem-solving methodologies:
- Data-driven approach with risk-based thinking
You Will Work Closely With
- Procurement and strategic sourcing teams
- Plant and regional quality teams (QA/QC)
- R&D and New Product Development teams