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What is a supplier development engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The Supplier Development Engineer's primary job is to assist in the selection, qualification, maintenance, and development of suppliers. As such, when you work as a Supplier Development Engineer, you will be required to help develop a partnership with suppliers and give training and support to decrease the risks associated with non-conforming goods. In addition, you're to oversee cost modeling operations and assist in the establishment of Target Costs. You will also manage product costs to meet targets while maximizing value. Being a leader, you're the key communicator when it comes to collaborative Product and Process Development.

As a supplier development engineer, you must be vast in manufacturing procedures, quality processes, and engineering discipline. You also need interpersonal skills as you'll be working with others. Supplier development engineers usually study business, mechanical engineering, or industrial engineering. In the United States, supplier development engineers earn an average of $81,594 yearly or $39.23 per hour.

ScoreSupplier Development EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.0

Avg. Salary $89,484

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 11.98%

Black or African American 4.71%

Hispanic or Latino 11.57%

Unknown 3.94%

White 67.63%

Gender

female 18.12%

male 81.88%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Supplier development engineer career paths

Key steps to become a supplier development engineer

  1. Explore supplier development engineer education requirements

    Most common supplier development engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.1 %

    Master's

    16.9 %

    Associate

    10.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific supplier development engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Supplier Development6.27%
    Supply Chain5.94%
    Sigma5.02%
    Supplier Quality4.92%
    PPAP4.45%
  3. Complete relevant supplier development engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New supplier development engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a supplier development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real supplier development engineer resumes.
  4. Research supplier development engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead Kaizen event at Monterrey, Mexico supplier to produce efficiencies in raw material inventory.
    • Manage operations and functions for multiple supplier and commodities simultaneously by using PDCA and KPI's.
    • Coordinate all supplier PPAP submissions and coordinate approval; manage corrective action activity where necessary.
    • Incorporate FMEA, PFMEA, APQP and SPC methodologies into source inspection plans and on-dock receiving inspection plans.
  5. Prepare your supplier development engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your supplier development engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a supplier development engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable supplier development engineer resume templates

    Build a professional supplier development engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your supplier development engineer resume.
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
    Supplier Development Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for supplier development engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a supplier development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first supplier development engineer job

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Average supplier development engineer salary

The average supplier development engineer salary in the United States is $89,484 per year or $43 per hour. Supplier development engineer salaries range between $70,000 and $113,000 per year.

Average supplier development engineer salary
$89,484 Yearly
$43.02 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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