What does SQE mean in OCCUPATION & POSITIONS

A Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) is responsible for ensuring the quality of parts that suppliers create, making sure they meet the design and performance requirements necessary for production use. The SQE regularly evaluates suppliers and their products to maintain and improve their processes and operational performance.

An SQE is primarily tasked with evaluating supplier products, carrying out inspections, maintaining records of quality control activities, providing feedback to suppliers, taking corrective actions when necessary and issuing certificates of compliance. They may also be involved in auditing activities, customer visits, participating in root cause analysis and preparing reports as required.

To become an SQE you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field, as well as experience with quality management systems such as ISO 9001. Knowledge and experience using statistical analysis tools such as Six Sigma is also beneficial.

An SQE uses various methods to ensure quality depending on the specific project or product requirement. These can include visual inspection, dimensional measurements, materials testing/ sampling and other analytical tests. They are also involved in negotiating terms with suppliers to make sure all components adhere to regulations set by the company or client.

This varies according to individual circumstances but it’s usually recommended that audits are carried out based on risk assessment - i.e if particular parts pose a potential risk then these should be audited more frequently than others which have less critical requirements.

During supplier visits it’s important for the SQE to gather technical information about components to help identify areas for improvement and assist in implementation of corrective actions if necessary; this could include drawings, specifications, process flow details etc.. Other information could relate to resource utilisation levels such as staff training records or equipment maintenance statistics which can affect overall product quality performance.

An SQE may work closely with a range of people from within both their organisation and those from external suppliers including purchasing managers/ buyers, production engineers working on component designs/ set-ups,quality assurance departments conducting product inspections etc..

When dealing with issues relating to poor quality output an SQE would usually review available data (reports/ statistical evidence) before liaising with both internal & external stakeholders so that corrective action plans can be implemented immediately where required - this could entail ceasing buying activities until appropriate improvements have been made by the relevant supplier(s).