Director of Supplier and Operational Quality

About the role

An international medical technology company is looking for a Director of Supplier and Operational Quality in Zurich, Switzerland. As the senior quality partner to Supply Chain, you will work closely with Sourcing and Manufacturing to qualify and develop suppliers, strengthen supplier performance and reduce risks to supply continuity, especially for critical single-source and lower-tier suppliers. You will also lead global Quality Control and use quality data to identify emerging issues and keep supply reliable as the supplier network grows.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop global quality professionals.
• Serve as the primary quality partner to Supply Chain leadership.
• Lead operational quality improvement initiatives across Supply Chain and Quality.
• Qualify and develop external suppliers, including those making unique materials or components, help them meet quality requirements and verify that improvements hold.
• Develop predictive and risk-based quality analytics.
• Own governance of non-conforming material reporting processes.
• Ensure alignment between supplier quality performance and incoming inspection activities.
• Support inventory, continuity and supplier resilience strategies.

Required profile

• At least 12 years in supplier, manufacturing or operational quality, including hands-on manufacturing experience with Class III medical devices.
• At least five years of leadership experience, including leading quality engineers and managers across functions and sites.
• Experience qualifying, auditing and developing suppliers, with examples of helping a supplier meet quality requirements.
• Experience managing single-source and lower-tier supplier risks.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field; an engineering background is preferred.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of medical device quality systems, FDA QMSR and ISO 13485.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required.
• ASQ certified supplier quality professional or ASQ Certified Quality Auditor preferred.