Senior Supplier Development Engineer

Job ID: 116003 The Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems business is a trusted provider of innovative naval gas and hybrid power systems, control technology and support solutions for the U.S. Navy and navies around the world. Job Summary The Senior Supplier Development Engineer serves as the technical bridge between Leonardo DRS’s requirements and the external suppliers that fabricate and machine its hardware. Working closely with suppliers and DRS engineering personnel, this role helps mature designs into producible, repeatable products by incorporating manufacturability early in the design process, resolving fabrication and machining issues at the source, and selecting or developing qualified suppliers that can build to print successfully the first time. Job Responsibilities Assess prospective and incumbent suppliers’ welding, machining, and inspection capabilities, including equipment, certifications, qualified personnel, capacity, and process controls. Participate in concept and detailed design reviews, representing supplier capabilities and manufacturing constraints before drawings are released. Lead design-for-manufacturability and cost-reduction efforts with engineering and suppliers. Identify opportunities to simplify weldments, optimize joint design and weld volume, reduce machining setups and tolerance stack-ups, and lower material and process costs. Review drawings, models, and specifications for build readiness, including weld symbols, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), surface finishes, nondestructive testing (NDT) callouts, and process requirements. Evaluate supplier manufacturing plans for completeness and risk, including fabrication sequences, weld procedure specifications and qualifications (WPS/PQR), fixturing, distortion controls, machining plans, and in-process inspections. Support quoting and proposal activities by providing technical input on potential sources of supply, evaluating supplier estimates against proposed manufacturing processes, and identifying cost drivers. Serve as a day-to-day technical point of contact for suppliers. Work with DRS engineering to resolve technical questions, drawing clarifications, and deviation requests in a timely manner. Drive first-article, prototype, and pre-production builds. Help suppliers develop the processes and capabilities needed to complete accurate first-article inspection packages, qualify weld procedures and personnel, and close technical risks before rate production. Visit supplier facilities as needed to support design reviews, process and build validation, first-article activities, and issue resolution. Observe manufacturing processes firsthand and identify risks and improvement opportunities. Lead or support root-cause investigations and corrective actions for supplier nonconformances, including build defects, dimensional escapes, requirements gaps, and process failures. Support the transition to stable production by helping establish documented work instructions, inspection criteria, and process controls; assist with production ramp-up and capacity growth. Drive continuous improvement across the supply base by sharing lessons learned, standardizing effective practices, and incorporating supplier producibility insights into internal design standards. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field or equivalent experience and a minimum of 5 years of experience in heavy fabrication, weldment manufacturing, and/or precision machining environments. Proficient technical expertise and application domain knowledge ASQ certification or Black Belt preferred Proficient with ISO Standards, Six Sigma tools, statistics Ability to understand military specifications and to read blueprints Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, communication and writing skills Self-directed and comfortable owning issues to closure across organizational boundaries Willingness to travel (50%) Ability to define problems and drive to root…

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