Supplier Development Engineer

Caterpillar · Wimborne Minster · £57,700 (stated in the posting)

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Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Job Title:  Supplier Development Engineer

Salary: £57,700 + (depending on experience)

Location: Wimborne, UK

Benefits: 

• 25 days annual leave plus 8 days Bank holidays
• Up to 12% Bonus
• Contributory pension scheme - Caterpillar will double the employee's contribution Up to 10%
• Contributory share scheme - Caterpillar will match 50% of the employee's contribution.
• Optional flexible benefits including access to family health and dental care plans, EV car lease, holiday purchase.
• Employee Referral Scheme

About Us:

Caterpillar Marine Power UK Ltd is located on the outskirts of Wimborne on the Ferndown and Uddens Business Improvement District. Positioned centrally along the south coast, it is located close to national and international transport links. 

With approximately 130 members of staff, there is a long and distinguished history spanning over 50 years of manufacturing marine propulsion and auxiliary engines under the Cat® and Perkins Marine® brands. Genset packages ranging from 1.5 Litre to 7.1 Litre and 7.1 Litre propulsion engines are produced at the Wimborne site. 

The facility employs a wealth of hugely experienced designers, engineers and technicians used to providing solutions for commercial, pleasure, and military customers. From the design, testing and building, each engine is proven before leaving the premises to ensure the best performance for the end-user. 

The Opportunity
As a Supplier Development Engineer you will be assessing supplier quality and ensures products are free from defects and compliant with manufacturing specifications and applicable standards. Serves as a key technical partner to suppliers, driving process improvements, capability development, quality planning, risk reduction, and performance improvement initiatives to support operational excellence and deliver high-quality products to customers.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working under pressure and taking ownership of supplier relationships. You'll be at the center of multiple projects, coordinating activities across various supplier locations and internal teams. As the main point of contact for suppliers, you'll drive their development, influence performance improvements, and proactively manage risks and opportunities. No two days are the same, making this a fantastic opportunity for someone who is highly organized, self-motivated, and passionate about delivering results through collaboration and continuous improvement.

What you will do:

• Ensuring the quality of supplies by conducting tests and assessments on incoming supplies to identify any quality issues; Developing supplier inspection, testing, and evaluation mechanism.
• Generating reports on supplier quality, by monitoring their defect rates and areas that can lead to potential flaws; Guiding suppliers to reduce these defect rates.
• Researching the potential vendors, assessing their manufacturing environment, practices, and procedures; Conducting supplier quality control audits to ensure compliance with organizational and federal policies and standards.
• Supporting suppliers in improving their performance through process enhancements, implementing process controls, and developing quality assurance plans.

What You Have
Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviours.
Level Working Knowledge:

• Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviours without offending the recipient.
• Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.
• Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work.
• Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.
• Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Extensive Experience:

• Ensures capture of lessons to be learned from a problem-solving effort.
• Organizes potential problem solvers and leads problem resolution efforts.
• Uses varying problem-solving approaches and techniques as appropriate.
• Contributes to standard practices for problem-solving approaches, tools, and processes.
• Analyses and synthesizes information and devises alternative resolution strategies.
• Develops successful resolutions to critical or wide-impact problems.

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP): Knowledge of Production Part Approval Processes (PPAP) elements, submissions, and objectives; ability to determine whether a supplier can manufacture products that meet the quality requirements and standards of their customers consistently.
Level Extensive Experience:

• Develops testing and validation procedures to test the quality of manufactured parts/products so that it meets desired customer standards.
• Identifies and resolves key issues with PPAP implementation and submissions.
• Monitors the execution of PPAP steps within a facility and ensures their compliance with industry standards and internal guidelines.
• Oversees PPAP implementation; establishes a high trust relationship between stakeholders.
• Reviews the complex documentation and elements required during the PPAP submission process.
• Trains others on the execution of PPAP to get the required approvals and teaches them about the different PPAP submission levels.

Manufacturing Standards, Procedures and Policies: Knowledge of organizational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities; ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for compliance.
Level Extensive Experience:

• Ensures communication vehicles are effectively informing affected areas and personnel.
• Consults on development and implementation of cross-functional standards.
• Participates in the development of organizational policies and practices.
• Develops and uses control and monitoring mechanisms for adherence.
• Collaborates with other functions on establishing and documenting joint standards.
• Participates in defining architectural principles and standards for organization.

Supplier Management - MFG: Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice.
Level Extensive Experience:

• Facilitates supplier partnering arrangements that share risk and reward.
• Monitors supplier performance; works to resolve discrepancies between performance and agreements.
• Develops quality standards and controls for suppliers.
• Builds and maintains partnerships with multiple and/or large suppliers.
• Evaluates issues and terminates supplier relationships as appropriate; works with legal departments.
• Ensures the fulfilment of report and record-keeping requirements.

Supplier Evaluations and Certification: Knowledge of supplier evaluations and certification; ability to identify the methods, tools and documentation for evaluating, selecting and certifying vendors, suppliers and partners.
Level Extensive Experience:

• Evaluates potential suppliers for a wide variety of products.
• Develops a preferred suppliers list for selection and evaluation.
• Designs key aspects of and processes for evaluating a supplier's capabilities.
• Compares and contrasts alternative methods and tools for the evaluation of organizations and products.
• Analyses and resolves supplier product quality, support, or pricing problems.
• Works with multiple evaluation, selection, and certification initiatives.

Additional information:

• This role has 10%-20% of travel mainly UK/ occasionally EU
• This role is based in Wimborne office 5 days a week

About Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.

NB. The panel cannot make assumptions when shortlisting therefore please demonstrate your qualifications and experience on your CV relevant to the criteria outlined.  Pending the number of applications, the criteria for the position may be enhanced to facilitate shortlisting. #LI

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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