Supplier Quality Engineer

Supplier/Vendor QA Engineer 4

Position Summary: Responsible for ensuring that OSATs have effective Quality Management System (QMS), certified to Industry Quality Standards, trained to Semtech Quality Requirements and are strictly complying to all of these. Responsible for driving OSATs to develop continuous improvement projects, implement best practices that emphasize meeting zero customer complaint, zero defect mindset, reduction in variation and waste, to meet and exceed quality and reliability performance goals. Reports to Supplier Quality Engineering Manager.

Key Responsibilities:

Supplier Quality Strategy and Governance (40%):

• Ensure that OSATs understood ALL Semtech Quality and Reliability Requirements. Conduct regular trainings or regular meetings to update them on any changes.
• Conduct various types of audits such as: QMS Audits, Manufacturing Process Audits, Preventive Audits, SCARs audit, Product audits, to ensure compliance with Semtech requirements, industry standards, OSATs internal specifications. Close gaps and non-compliances immediately.
• Drive OSATs to have Continuous Improvement Projects aimed to prevent customer complaints, prevent internal quality incidents and reduce defect rates, through facilitating, leading, and collaborating with cross functional teams including Semtech teams.
• Work with OSATs to prepare well for any Semtech end customer audits and ensure passing. Provide corrective or improvement actions if any concern or finding is raised by end customer.
• Share to OSATs all lessons learned from other OSATs with similar product line, in order to help prevent occurrence of same issue in their facility. Share any best practices, BKMs, learned to all OSATs.
• Work with OSATs to Resolve any quality incidents immediately, with help from Semtech team and OSATs team. Ensure to have effective corrective action and preventive actions to avoid any recurrence.

Supplier Quality Performance and Analytics (30%):

• Promote the use of known best techniques for continuous improvement such as Lean, Six-Sigma, Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing), Measurement System Analysis (MSA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Control Plan ( CP), Statistical Process Control (SPC), etc.., Conduct supplier quality procedure / process type training and awareness activities.
• Provide strong feedback to OSATs on their quality performance, as well as operational performance, thru Scorecard procedure, and request for improvement actions as needed. This can be done thru quarterly sending of scorecards, quality meetings, and management meetings.

Strategic Business Partnership (30%)

• Support the review and disposition of non-conforming material, review process changes, review of customer information, and review supplier quality data
• Work with Engineering (Design and Manufacturing Engineers) team to define process parameters and criteria to ensure supplier process capability is effective to meet product and process requirements. Support new product launches to ensure suppliers are capable of delivering to the required quality standards
• Support the corporate for Customer Information Requests, such as OSATs compliance to Environmental, Health, Safety policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in Engineering or equivalent experience
• Minimum 3 years of experience in Quality Control in a Semiconductor manufacturing, Assembly and Final Test Areas.
• Proficient in quality analysis tools such as 8D, PPAP, PFMEA etc. Strong problem solving
• Skills with ability to teach basic problem solving techniques and facilitate problem solving team events.
• Experience in developing part certification processes and vendor quality measures
• Solid communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills to lead the activities of Engineers and inspectors
• Formulate and maintain quality control objectives
• Demonstrate accuracy, attention to detail and ability to work well in team environment.
• Familiar with the requirement of quality management system (IATF 16949, ISO14001, ISO9000)

Desired Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Engineering or equivalent experience
• More than 5 years of experience in Quality Control in a Semiconductor manufacturing, Assembly and Final Test Areas.
• Experience in Process Engineering is a big advantage.
• Experience with MEMS products is a plus
• Proficient in quality analysis tools such as 8D, PPAP, PFMEA etc. Strong problem solving
• Skills with ability to teach basic problem solving techniques and facilitate problem solving team events.
• Experience in developing part certification processes and vendor quality measures
• Solid communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills to lead the activities of Engineers and inspectors
• Formulate and maintain quality control objectives
• Demonstrate accuracy, attention to detail and ability to work well in team environment.
• Familiar with the requirement of quality management system (IATF 16949, ISO14001, ISO9000)

Level of Authority:

• Directs supplier quality operations for major business divisions
• Makes decisions regarding supplier quality strategies, assessment methodologies, and resource allocation
• Approves significant supplier qualification approaches and quality requirements
• Influences executive decisions on matters affecting supplier quality and material excellence
• Manages substantial supplier quality programs and improvement initiatives
• Represents supplier quality function in senior leadership forums

Job Complexity:

• Addresses highly complex supplier quality challenges requiring strategic vision and innovative solutions
• Balances competing priorities across multiple stakeholder groups and business units
• Navigates ambiguous supplier situations with minimal guidance
• Develops comprehensive strategies to address unprecedented supplier quality challenges
• Requires deep understanding of semiconductor industry dynamics, manufacturing processes, and supplier capabilities
• Expected to anticipate emerging supplier quality trends and position function for future success