Supplier Quality Development Manager

Purpose of the Role: To lead and coordinate supplier quality development activities by executing Valmet’s global Supplier Development Maturity Model. This role supports the harmonization of supplier quality processes, drives data-driven improvements, and develops supplier capabilities to ensure scalable, consistent, and high-performing quality execution across Valmet’s supply base.  

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead deployment of supplier development plans, based on risk, maturity, and strategic category needs, aligned with the global supplier development strategy. 

• Drive harmonization and standardization of supplier quality processes, tools, and reporting practices across the regional SQM network. 

• Identify and address supplier capability gaps using structured methods (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, 8D); support root cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions. 

• Collaborate with the BA/Regional SQM Leader to align development activities with project priorities and resource availability. 

• Serve as a point of contact for supplier quality process improvement, contributing to process definition, digital tool adoption, and performance metric development. 

• Monitor, report, and escalate supplier improvement progress using standardized KPIs and dashboards; drive visibility and accountability in reporting. 

• Benchmark best practices internally across regions and externally with industry peers; share improvement tools, templates, and success cases. 

• Coach SQM colleagues and suppliers to embed a culture of continuous improvement, LEAN, and proactive quality management. 

• Support global initiatives and contribute feedback to refine the Supplier Development Maturity Model and related quality frameworks. 

Knowledge & Skills 

• Strong expertise in supplier development methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, PDCA, APQP, etc.) 

• Working knowledge of supplier quality systems, audit frameworks, and maturity assessment tools 

• Experience in process standardization, documentation, and deployment across multi-site or multi-region settings 

• Data literacy to support performance measurement and reporting system development 

• Skilled in coaching, facilitation, and supplier engagement to enable sustainable improvements 

• Strong collaboration and influencing skills within a global matrix organization 

Experience & Education 

• University degree in Engineering, Quality, Operations, or Supply Chain 

• 10+ years of experience in supplier quality, development, or manufacturing improvement roles. 15 years overall experience.

• Proven track record in leading supplier development projects and cross-regional harmonization initiatives 

• Experience with capital projects or low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing environments is preferred 

• Certification in Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher) and familiarity with standards like ISO 9001 or VDA 6.3 is a strong asset 

When everything works together

Valmet is where the best talent from a wide variety of backgrounds comes together. With over 19,000 professionals around the world, we are the leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries, and serve an even wider base of process industries with our automation systems and flow control solutions. Our commitment to moving our customers’ performance forward requires creativity, technological innovations, service know-how – and above all, teamwork. 

Join the team! www.valmet.com/careersna