Supplier Process Engineer

Supplier Process Engineer

At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints. As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible. Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves. Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential. Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.

The mission of Supplier Engineering is to build and maintain a world-class supplier network that ensures continuity of supply, scalability to meet demand, cost efficiency, and proactive risk mitigation. Supplier Engineers support the entire product lifecycle by executing strategic initiatives to optimize commodities, sub-commodities, and individual suppliers. This includes driving improvements in quality, cost, capacity, and risk, managing sub-supplier relationships, and supporting new product launches.

This Mexicali-based role focuses on sustaining activities for Instruments & Accessories and reports directly to the Supplier Engineering Manager. The position supports ongoing production and works closely with external suppliers, internal purchasing, manufacturing, and quality teams to improve supplier performance and resolve issues at the Mexicali plant.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead resolution of supplier-related issues from initial symptoms through root cause analysis and corrective action, including thorough CAPA/SCAR documentation.
• Drive supplier investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions to eliminate recurrence.
• Evaluate supplier actions and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Initiate and manage changes to specifications and drawings through the engineering change order process.
• Manage supplier changes including process optimization, facility updates, equipment qualification, and line validations.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to define deliverables and timelines.
• Complete qualification deliverables such as Supplier pFMEA, FAIR, IQ/OQ/PQ validations, inspection reports, Gage R&R, and process capability analysis.
• Lead cross-functional teams to resolve complex process challenges.
• Provide technical support for failure analysis of production components, assemblies, and field returns.
• Prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects effectively.
• Communicate project status clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Execute cost reduction, capacity improvement, and risk mitigation initiatives with suppliers.
• Monitor and drive achievement of key metrics in quality, cost, and responsiveness.
• Develop suppliers to excel in KPIs, including quality ownership, capacity, and sub-tier management.
• Provide effective and timely supply base health information and recommendations to management by creating and delivering data-driven supply base information to any level of management at Intuitive with little or no guidance.
• Influence and guide Engineering in choosing suppliers by determining selection criteria for preferred suppliers and leading the team effort to evaluate preferred suppliers.
• Collaborate with Design/Eng, Operations & Suppliers to implement new technologies and tooling optimization to improve our efficiency and scale.
• Lead supplier improvement initiatives using best practices in project management, Six Sigma, Lean, SPC, and negotiation to meet Intuitive's standards for excellence. Lead these efforts without managerial guidance at several suppliers simultaneously.

Required Skills and Experience

• Engineering and manufacturing experience with plastic injection molding, metal injection molding (MIM), or machined metal components.
• Background in Supplier Quality, Supplier Development, Process Engineering, or related fields preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English (bilingual), including executive-level presentations.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership abilities.
• Proven project management capabilities.
• Skilled in stakeholder alignment and conflict resolution.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills along with good judgment.
• Ability to assess and challenge supplier capabilities across technical, quality, and business capabilities.
• Experience in high-volume medical device manufacturing is a plus.
• Proficient in interpreting mechanical drawings (GD&T) and conveying technical information.
• Ability to travel to suppliers on an as-needed basis – domestic and international (US tourist visa is a must)
• Broad understanding of manufacturing processes and key input variables for quality, cost, and capacity.

Required Education and Training

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing techniques, certification preferred.
• Knowledge of 21 CFR part 820 and ISO 13485 is a plus.
• Proficient in MS Office and ERP Information Systems, preferably SAP.

Working Conditions

• Ability to travel to suppliers on an as-needed basis – domestic and international.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• CAD experience with 3D modeling tools is a plus.
• Experience with statistical analysis software such as Minitab is a plus.
• Experience in a high-volume medical device company is a plus.