Supplier Development & Quality Engineer (Surface treatment/ Machining)

About VAT Group

At VAT, we change the world with vacuum solutions. As the world's leading supplier of high-performance vacuum valves, we have been driving innovation for more than 60 years. With over 3,200 employees worldwide, we operate from our headquarters in Haag, Switzerland, with manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania, as well as sales and service hubs around the world. We guided by our passions integrity, teamwork, customer centricity, and innovation - always working together as #oneVAT.

Joining us means becoming part of a passionate, international team where your voice is heard, your ideas matter, and your career growth is supported.

Supplier Development & Quality Engineer (Surface treatment/ Machining)

Purpose of the role

• Ensure supplier product and process quality for machining, surface treatment and related high purity processes in line with VAT specifications, standards and customer requirements.
• Drive supplier qualification, industrialization, risk mitigation and continuous improvement to support VAT's growth strategy and stable material flow.

KPI's:

• Supplier quality performance for assigned suppliers, including QPPM target achievement
• Timely qualification of suppliers, processes and second sources according to product group strategy
• Closure effectiveness for complaints, audits and corrective actions

Responsibilities :

• Own supplier quality and development activities for machining, surface treatment and related high purity processes
• Assess supplier capability, process maturity, capacity and readiness for serial production
• Lead qualifications for new suppliers, relocations, transfers and second sources
• Perform system and process audits covering machining, surface treatment, cleaning and manufacturing controls
• Verify critical process controls, operator qualification, maintenance systems and validation evidence
• Review and approve ISIR, PPAP and process qualification documentation
• Lead supplier complaint handling, root cause analysis and corrective actions using 8D methodology
• Monitor supplier KPIs, process capability and risk trends; define improvement actions with suppliers and procurement
• Support Change Requests, customer escalations and shortage prevention with technical risk assessments
• Ensure compliance with VAT standards, customer requirements and relevant regulatory expectations

Qualifications:  

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science or similar
• 5 to 10+ years of experience in supplier quality, manufacturing engineering or supplier development
• Practical background in machining, surface treatment or high purity manufacturing
• Experience in supplier audits, process qualification and corrective action management
• Good understanding of quality management systems and semiconductor customer requirements
• Ability to work in international matrix organizations with regular supplier travel
• Strong communication, negotiation, project management and stakeholder management skills
• High level of resilience, ownership and flexibility

• Machining and surface treatment process knowledge, including:
  • CNC machining
  • Anodizing
  • Electropolishing
  • Nickel plating
  • Silver plating
  • Chroming
• High purity cleaning requirements and contamination risk control
• Technical drawing interpretation, GD&T and specification review
• ISIR, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, Control Plans and process validation
• Root cause analysis, 8D, 5 Why and corrective action effectiveness verification
• Supplier auditing, process assessment and risk based supplier development
• Process capability analysis, KPI monitoring and data driven improvement