Manager, Supplier Development Engineering - Chemicals

Eaton's Corporate Sector division is currently seeking a Manager, Supplier Development Engineering - Chemicals. This will be a hybrid remote/in-office position that can be located at one of the following facilities: Beachwood, OH - Charlotte, NC - Detroit/Jackson, MI - Menomonee Falls, WI - Moon Township, PA - Peachtree City, GA - Raleigh, NC. Relocation benefits will be provided within the United States only. Travel of up to 50% is required.

The Manager, Supplier Development Engineering will lead a team of Supplier Development Engineers responsible for developing supplier manufacturing capability, capacity, scalability, and operational readiness of the Chemicals category to support current and future business requirements. In this role, you will drive supplier performance improvement through structured supplier development strategies focused on manufacturing excellence, capacity readiness, operational maturity, new product introduction, supplier transfers, and business growth initiatives.

Additionally, you will provide leadership for supplier capability assessments, development plans, risk mitigation, and strategic supplier improvement initiatives. Partner closely with Supplier Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and business leadership to ensure suppliers can meet quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and growth objectives. Develop organizational capability within the Supplier Development Engineering team while establishing consistent methodologies, governance, metrics, and best practices across the supplier network.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $146000 - $215000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you'll do:

Supplier Development Strategy & Leadership

o Develop and execute the supplier development strategy for assigned regions, commodities, or business segments. Establish priorities, objectives, and resource allocation to address supplier capability risks and support business growth initiatives.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

o Lead, coach, and develop a team of Supplier Development Engineers. Establish performance expectations, development plans, technical capability-building programs, and succession plans to strengthen organizational effectiveness and future leadership capability.

Supplier Risk Management

o Provide oversight of supplier capability, manufacturing, operational, and capacity risk assessments. Ensure risks are identified proactively and appropriate mitigation plans are established, executed, and sustained.

Manufacturing Excellence & Capability Improvement

o Drive supplier manufacturing excellence initiatives utilizing Lean principles, Six Sigma methodologies, process capability improvement, advanced quality tools, material flow optimization, and structured problem-solving approaches.

Capacity & Scalability Readiness

o Lead assessment and management of supplier production capacity, scalability, and operational readiness to support forecasted demand, growth initiatives, new product introductions, localization efforts, and footprint optimization activities.

New Product Introduction, Launch & Transfer Readiness

o Ensure suppliers are prepared to support new product launches, capacity expansions, industrialization projects, insourcing/outsourcing activities, supplier transitions, and strategic sourcing initiatives through early engagement and readiness assessments.

Supplier Assessment Governance

o Establish consistent processes and standards for supplier capability assessments, operational reviews, manufacturing audits, production readiness evaluations, and supplier development planning across the organization.

APQP & Supplier Readiness Support

o Collaborate with Supplier Quality, Engineering, and Procurement teams to ensure supplier readiness throughout product development, APQP, PPAP, industrialization, and launch processes, with emphasis on manufacturing capability and operational performance.

Cross-Functional Alignment

o Partner with Procurement, Supplier Quality, Operations, Engineering, Materials Management, Planning, and Business Leadership teams to align supplier development priorities with strategic business objectives.

Performance Management & Governance

o Establish and monitor key performance indicators for supplier development activities, team effectiveness, supplier capability improvements, risk reduction, capacity readiness, and operational performance improvements.

Continuous Improvement & Best Practices

o Drive standardization, knowledge sharing, process improvements, and implementation of best practices across supplier development activities globally. Promote a culture of continuous improvement within both the supplier base and supplier development organization.

Qualifications:

Required (Basic) Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality or other related technical discipline from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of eight (8) years experience in Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain or other related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years leadership experience managing technical teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any "CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.".

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working within a chemicals category.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Experience with capacity planning, industrialization, and production readiness assessments.

Skills:

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, operational excellence, and supplier development methodologies.
• Proven experience leading supplier capability improvement and recovery initiatives.
• Strong project and program management skills.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Demonstrate strong business acumen and technical judgment when assessing supplier and operational risks.
• Successfully balances short-term business needs with long-term supplier capability development.
• Operates effectively in a highly matrixed global organization.
• Influences executive stakeholders and supplier leadership without direct authority.
• Leads through ambiguity while maintaining disciplined execution and accountability.
• Requires domestic and international travel to supplier locations and Eaton facilities.

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