How to hire a supplier development engineer

How to hire a supplier development engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step supplier development engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a supplier development engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new supplier development engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a supplier development engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a supplier development engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect supplier development engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of supplier development engineers.

   Type of Supplier Development Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Supplier Development Engineer	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	$33-54
   Process Engineer Internship	A process engineering intern performs various tasks for an organization. These include collaborating with the technical team on cost savings, process efficiency improvements, and technology advancement, attending meetings with leadership teams, and participating in customer trials... Show more	$14-24
   Manufacturing Engineering Internship	A manufacturing engineering intern is responsible for assisting the manufacturing engineers on the plant's daily operations, analyzing the manufacturing process and procedures, and recommending strategic solutions to maximize productivity and minimize costs. Manufacturing engineering interns shadow the production staff, inspect the tools and equipment of the manufacturing, analyze the quality control documentation, and perform related administrative tasks to familiarize themselves with the plant structure... Show more	$19-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Supplier Development
   • Supply Chain
   • Sigma
   • Supplier Quality
   • PPAP
   • Continuous Improvement
   • APQP
   • ISO
   • Supplier Performance
   • Quality Issues
   • Corrective Action
   • Quality System
   • Supplier Selection
   • Supplier Capabilities

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Improve processes to create a sigma shift in quality and delivery results.
   • Create current risk assessment process and all documentation used for ISO compliance.

   More supplier development engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your supplier development engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A supplier development engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a supplier development engineer in Missouri may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level supplier development engineer usually earns less than a senior-level supplier development engineer. Additionally, a supplier development engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average supplier development engineer salary

   $89,484yearly

   $43.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level supplier development engineer salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average supplier development engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$130,349	$63
   2	Arizona	$99,236	$48
   3	Minnesota	$94,521	$45
   4	North Carolina	$91,019	$44
   5	Texas	$90,461	$43
   6	Michigan	$89,752	$43
   7	Colorado	$88,402	$43
   8	New York	$85,690	$41
   9	Indiana	$84,389	$41
   10	Ohio	$84,314	$41
   11	Alabama	$79,065	$38
   12	Florida	$75,317	$36
   13	Wisconsin	$73,530	$35

   Average supplier development engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$134,886	$64.85	25
   2	Intuitive Surgical	$120,203	$57.79	6
   3	Applied Materials	$117,553	$56.52	45
   4	Cepheid	$115,588	$55.57
   5	HUSCO International	$107,977	$51.91	7
   6	Randstad North America, Inc.	$107,745	$51.80	15
   7	Mayville Engineering Company	$106,703	$51.30	2
   8	Celestica	$106,110	$51.01	28
   9	Coherent	$103,717	$49.86	33
   10	Caterpillar	$103,442	$49.73	26
   11	General Motors	$103,023	$49.53	51
   12	PEAK Technical Staffing USA	$102,995	$49.52
   13	Mueller Water Products	$100,633	$48.38	1
   14	BorgWarner	$99,657	$47.91	14
   15	Venteon	$99,418	$47.80	10
   16	TAD PGS	$98,342	$47.28	2
   17	Parker Hannifin	$98,114	$47.17	32
   18	John Deere	$98,087	$47.16	4
   19	Volvo Trucks	$97,592	$46.92	1
   20	Oshkosh	$96,897	$46.59	15

4. Writing a supplier development engineer job description

   A good supplier development engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a supplier development engineer job description:

   Supplier development engineer job description example

   Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
   
   CFS is collaborating with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with new groundbreaking high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. The mission is to deploy fusion power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world's leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To execute this plan, we are looking to add talented people to the team who are mission-driven and treat people well, improve our team by adding diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits, and have skill sets and experience that relate to this role.
   
   The Senior Supplier Development Engineer role is to partner with different business units, such as design engineering, quality and procurement, to best understand which suppliers are struggling to achieve rate, hit certain quality requirements and provide consistent product.
   
   The SPARC diagnostic team will be developing nearly 40 types of measurements that will be used in real-time control of tokamak plasmas and to inform the design of ARC. Our measurement systems include magnetics, interferometry, neutral pressure, x-ray to visible spectroscopy, camera imaging, bolometry, neutrons, Thomson scattering, electron cyclotron emission, reflectometry, Langmuir probes and structural temperature and strain sensing. While nearly all have completed conceptual design, CFS is looking to grow the SPARC team in order be confident that final designs can accomplish SPARC's mission goals. For this, we need your help with developing numerical modeling and a software set of tools, that act as predictive digital twins of diagnostics sub-systems and sensors (i.e., synthetic diagnostics sets). These software components combine bench top testing of sensors with plasma simulations from the SPARC physics team to characterize the measurement signals that a real diagnostic would produce. Near-term it will help the diagnostic team iterate on design. During SPARC operations, contributions will be used in software tools for pre-shot planning, real-time plasma control and inter-shot analysis, and in design scoping and optimization for ARC diagnostics.
   This team member will:Physically be on-site at vendors for long periods of time Be a Change Agent - identifying gaps in processes, articulating what needs to be done to close those gaps and holding vendors accountable with concrete timelines Ability to inspect parts using different measurement tools and interpret inspection reports Design, develop required process controls and quality plans Facilitate the creation and execution of PFMEA processes and applicable elements of APQPAssist in the prototype testing and benchtop calibration of diagnostics to inform and validate models Work with the SPARC tokamak operations and plasma control teams to improve upon diagnostic models in workflows for pre-shot planning, real-time plasma control and post-shot interpretation Support ISO 9001:2015 implementation Support creation of manufacturing instructions to document quality critical characteristics Develop in-process inspection and test procedures Process capability studies and Measurement Systems AnalysisCoach and collaborate with a cross-functional team of manufacturing, design, and operations engineers to establish a high-quality manufacturing line Drive cost reduction projects including planning, coordinating with stakeholders, estimating completion, and project updates Author contract documents with Legal. Manage contracts ensuring performance of the supplier to contract obligations. Understand interrelationships between contracts and terms while applying creativity and sound business reasoning to interpret application of contract to business needs.Establish preferred suppliers by category. Create and implement related management programs to develop, continuously improve, manage the performance of, and monitor KPIs of the supply base.Lead and mentor team members.Skillfully balance the price, delivery, quality, service, and value tradeoffs and rationalize the supply base Adhere to all supply chain policies, procedures, guidelines and instructions including those regarding the procurement of materials, intellectual property, and export compliance. Negotiate internally and externally at high levels or with persons of influence frequently.
   The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:Bachelor's Degree in a Science or Engineering7+ years experience in Supply Chain or ManufacturingCertifications preferred: Six Sigma Certification (Yellow, Green or Black) Hands-on experience with sensors similar to those that may be used in plasma diagnostics (cameras, temperature, strain, radiation, spectrometers, lasers, microwaves) Perform advanced technical activities such as Supplier Assessments & Audits, including Quality Management System (e.g., ISO 9001, AS 9100, IATF 16949) Perform advanced technical activities such as Product (e.g., Machining) and Special Process (e.g., Plating, Heat treat, Welding) Utilize specialized quality tools such PPAP (PFMEA, Control Plan, MSA) capacity analysis and Lean Six Sigma initiatives Specific knowledge regarding small machine shop manufacturing Magnet manufacturing Ability to design, establish and implement supplier quality improvement processes and procedures.Implementation and management of ERP or other procurement tools Ability to teach and educate others with little background on the subject Creative negotiating skills Experience with MS OfficeExceptional communications skills Strong collaboration and relationship building skills Ability to prioritize and execute tasks Works with IntegrityStrong Customer Service skills Remarkable problem-solving skills Works well under pressure Possesses excellent judgment
   Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:Masters Degree is a plus Experience with Python, MATLAB, C++Experience managing multiple levels of staff Experience in a start-up or high growth environment Experience in manufacturing environment Experience in Automotive or AerospaceTravel (including international) expected to be between 25-50%
   CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
   
   At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find supplier development engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your supplier development engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit supplier development engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with supplier development engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new supplier development engineer

   Once you've found the supplier development engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new supplier development engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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