New · posted Oct 15
CooperVision · Medical Devices
Supplier Quality Engineer Lead
- Trumbull, CT +1 more
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- Senior & Principal
Open until filled
The role
The Supplier Quality Engineer Lead governs supplier qualification, compliance, auditing, development, and escalation activities for high‑risk, high‑impact, and strategic suppliers. This role owns supplier quality strategy, serves as escalation point for complex supplier issues and regulatory interactions, and plays a key role in management review, audit readiness, and organizational quality maturity. The position provides leadership and mentoring to Supplier Quality Engineers and partners closely with Procurement, Operations, Engineering, Regulatory, and Business Leaders.
Scope
The Supplier Quality Engineer Lead is responsible for strategic leadership and execution of the Global Supplier Quality Management Program. This role provides functional leadership across supplier quality activities, ensures regulatory and QMS compliance, and drives continuous improvement across critical and strategic suppliers. The Lead operates with a high degree of autonomy, influences cross‑functional and senior leadership decisions, and sets direction for supplier quality governance, risk management, and performance improvement.
Supplier Quality Leadership & Strategy
- Define and lead supplier quality strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
- Provide functional leadership and mentoring to Supplier Quality Engineers.
- Serve as escalation point for supplier quality issues, Risk 1 suppliers, outsourced processes, and supply chain disruptions.
- Influence senior leadership decisions related to supplier risk, sourcing strategy, and business continuity.
Supplier Audits & Regulatory Compliance
- Lead planning and execution of global supplier audit programs (onsite, remote, desktop).
- Ensure effective management, escalation, and closure of audit findings and compliance gaps.
- Act as primary Quality representative for supplier-related regulatory inspections, notified body audits, and health authority inquiries.
Supplier Performance & Risk Governance
- Establish and oversee supplier risk classification, risk assessment, and mitigation frameworks.
- Review, trend, and present supplier performance metrics and risk data to Management Review and senior leadership.
- Ensure proactive identification of systemic supplier risks and continuous monitoring of supplier health.
Corrective Action, Escalation & Change Management
- Provide oversight and escalation leadership for Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), ensuring robust root cause and sustained effectiveness.
- Lead supplier-related Nonconforming Material Reports (NCMRs) and support critical escalations.
- Evaluate and manage Supplier Change Notifications (SCNs) and change impact assessments.
Supplier Development & Continuous Improvement
- Lead supplier development initiatives focused on quality improvement, compliance, delivery performance, and resiliency.
- Support New Product Introduction (NPI), supplier transfers, localization, and dual‑sourcing initiatives.
- Provide quality leadership for supplier-facing validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ, PPAP, qualifications).
Quality Systems & Governance
- Develop, Maintain governance and continuous improvement of Supplier Quality Agreements, SOPs, workflows, and metrics.
- Ensure supplier documentation, records, and controls remain compliant with QMS and regulatory expectations.
- Drive cross‑functional alignment across the supplier lifecycle from selection through post‑market support.
What you need
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical, Electro-Mechanical, Industrial, Biomedical, Bioprocess Engineering or related to Life Science field or equivalent experience or skillset.
CQE, ASQ, APICS, Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Expert knowledge of FDA QSR (21 CFR 820), ISO 13485, EU MDR, ISO 14971.
Strong leadership experience in supplier quality governance, audits, CAPA/SCAR, and risk management.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and manage complex cross‑functional initiatives.
Advanced problem‑solving and quality tool expertise (RCA, FMEA, statistical analysis).
Executive‑level communication skills with internal leadership and external suppliers.
Proficiency with MS Office, Minitab, ERP systems, and eQMS platforms.
Experience
7+ years experience in Supplier/Vendor Quality Management.
10+ years experience in a regulated quality environment (medical device, pharma, life sciences).
Proven leadership of high‑risk suppliers, regulatory interactions, and global supplier initiatives.
Skills named in this posting
Pay
$120,000 – $150,000 a year
Employer providedFor U.S. locations that require disclosure of compensation, the starting base pay for this role is between $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 annually. The actual base pay includes many factors and is subject to change and modification in the future. This position may also be eligible for other types of compensation and benefits.
As an employee of CooperSurgical, you'll receive an outstanding total compensation plan. As we believe your compensation goes beyond your paycheck, we offer a great compensation package, medical coverage, 401(k), parental leave, fertility benefits, paid time off for vacation, personal, sick and holidays, and multiple other perks and benefits. Please visit us at www.coopersurgical.com to learn more about CooperSurgical and the benefits of becoming a member of our team.
Where you'll work
Trumbull, CT +1 moreHybridOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
Also posted for: Livingston, NJ
More jobs in Trumbull, CT +1 moreWorking conditions
Manufacturing, clean room, warehouse, and office environments.
May require extended periods of sitting, standing, and movement in production and supplier facilities.
Travel: This position may require 15-30% domestic and/or international travel.
From the posting
About CooperVision
About CooperSurgical
CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s healthcare company dedicated to putting time on the side of women, babies, and families at the healthcare moments that matter most in life. As a division of CooperCompanies, we're driven by a unified purpose to enable patients to experience life's beautiful moments. Guided by our shared values – dedicated, innovative, friendly, partners, and do the right thing – our offerings support patients throughout their lifetimes, from contraception to fertility and birth solutions, to women’s and family care, and beyond. We currently offer over 600 clinically relevant medical devices to healthcare providers, including testing and treatment options, as well as an innovative suite of assisted reproductive technology and genomic testing solutions. Learn more at www.coopersurgical.com.
Equal opportunity, accessibility and legal noticesCooperVision's statements, word for word
To all agencies: Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee of CooperSurgical about this opening. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee at CooperSurgical via-email, the internet or in any form and/or method will be deemed the sole property of CooperSurgical, unless such search firms/employment agencies were engaged by CooperSurgical for this position and a valid agreement with CooperSurgical is in place. In the event a candidate who was submitted outside of the CooperSurgical agency engagement process is hired, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid.
We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
Job intelligence
The context around this role
Live data · October 15, 2026
Salary intelligence
How the pay compares
This role's midpoint is 10% above the US median for Quality Assurance roles at this level.
This roleEmployer provided
Senior & Principal roles in Connecticut12 roles publishing pay
Senior & Principal roles in the US284 roles publishing pay
| Annual base pay | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| This role | $120,000 | — | $150,000 |
| Connecticut (middle half) | $99,000 | $117,750 | $134,000 |
| All US (middle half) | $103,375 | $122,750 | $137,500 |
This role: CooperVision's own published range. Comparisons: the base pay employers published on open Quality Assurance roles at the same level on Regulatory Jobs, October 15, 2026. Nothing is estimated.
Career trajectory
Where this role sits in Quality Assurance
The general path across 845 open Quality Assurance roles on Regulatory Jobs, with the titles they carry most. Not CooperVision's own promotion track.
Career resources on Quality Assurance
Skills DNA
What this role leans on
How many of the posting's 32 duty, requirement and summary lines touch each area. The posting's emphasis, not a proficiency score.
- Quality systems and risk25
- Collaboration and leadership15
- GMP and compliance8
- Documentation and SOPs3
- Investigations and CAPA3
- Validation and qualification2
- Regulatory submissions2
Regulatory intelligence
The rules behind this role
Frameworks and standards this posting's work falls under, matched from its own words, each linked to the official source.
- FDA21 CFR Part 820 (QMSR)(official source, opens in a new tab)FDA quality management system regulation for medical devices
- European UnionEU MDR (Regulation 2017/745)(official source, opens in a new tab)The EU Medical Device Regulation
- ISOISO 13485(official source, opens in a new tab)Quality management systems for medical devices
- ISOISO 14971(official source, opens in a new tab)Risk management for medical devices
Company hiring pulse
CooperVision on Regulatory Jobs
- 10
- Open roles
- 10
- Distinct roles
- 5
- Locations
By discipline
- Quality9 90%
- Regulatory1 10%
By level
- Senior & Principal8 80%
- VP & Executive1 10%
- Manager1 10%
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Supplier Quality Engineer Lead at CooperVision
Open until filled. $120K–$150K a year, employer provided.