WHAT IS THE JOB?

With support from other Thorlabs departments, engage and collaborate with Thorlabs supply chain to implement best practices that eliminate waste, emphasise defect prevention, reduce component variation, ensure on-time delivery and nurture an environment of continuous improvement.
Working Hours: Monday to Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm

WHO WE ARE?

Thorlabs is a global, industry leading optical technologies company. We are experts in the design and manufacture or a range of innovative photonics products. We use these products in manufacturing and research, from fibre optics to piezo motors. We are the gold standard with optics laboratories worldwide. There are now 22 facilities across the world in 9 countries. Here in Ely, we are responsible for the Motion Control and Optical Tables product line.

• Support strategically selected suppliers by performing on-site supplier visits, going to the Gemba, to undertake root cause analysis and implement corrective action plans to reduce supplier Non-Conformance Reports (NCR’s) and improve supplier quality
• With support from other Thorlabs departments, engage in supply chain improvements by active and collaborative supplier engagement to eliminate waste and emphasise defect prevention, reduce component variation and nurture an environment of continuous improvement
• Develop an understanding and utilise continuous improvement tools such as Lean, Six[1]Sigma, Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing), Measurement System Analysis and Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) to enhance supplier performance
• Collaborate with Thorlabs Purchasing, Planning and Quality Engineering teams to monitor and critique key supplier quality data to identify process improvement opportunities within the supply chain
• With support from other Thorlabs departments, rehabilitate underperforming suppliers with unresolved or repeat quality issues, going to the Gemba and coaching the supplier to develop true corrective and sustainable actions
• Collaborate with Thorlabs Engineering teams (R&D, NPI, Quality, and Manufacturing) to define critical component/process characteristics (PPAP) to ensure supplier process capabilities are matched to requirements
• Produce and present concise supplier action plan summaries with internally agreed KPIs to monitor and track impact of supplier quality improvements on cost, quality, and on-time delivery
• With support from other Thorlabs departments, develop a supplier audit programme to ensure corrective actions are maintained by periodic verification of supplier correction action plans and to verify that agreed manufacturing standards are adhered to
• Participate in internal cross-departmental initiatives to develop a holistic and comprehensive quality management system