Leads China plastics sourcing and supplier management, including supplier qualification, technical audits, RFIs/RFQs, should-cost analysis, tooling lifecycle management, contract negotiation, quality performance, dual sourcing, and NPI support. Partners with engineering and quality teams on DFM, mold-flow, process validation, corrective actions, and regulatory compliance for molded, extruded, and thermoformed components used in regulated products.
Staff Technical Category Manager – Plastics (Technical CBM), China
The Staff Technical Category Manager – Plastics (Technical CBM), China is a technical, China-based category leader responsible for the end-to-end sourcing and supplier management of injection-molded and extruded plastic components, resins, and tooling. The role owns supplier qualification, process and tooling performance, and cost/negotiation strategy for the plastics commodity, partnering closely with R&D, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality to ensure supply continuity and part quality for a regulated, high-growth product portfolio.
What You'll Be Doing
- Own the China plastics commodity strategy, including injection-molded, extruded, and thermoformed components, engineering resins, and associated tooling/molds.
- Source, qualify, and manage plastics suppliers across molding, tooling, and resin compounding, including on-site technical audits of molding capability (tonnage range, cavitation, cleanroom/class requirements).
- Lead RFI/RFQ processes and cost breakdown (should-cost) analysis for molded parts, decomposing quotes into resin/material cost, cycle time, tooling amortization, labor, and overhead/margin.
- Manage the full tooling lifecycle: mold ownership and asset tracking, tool transfer between vendors, tool build/T0-T1 tryout schedules, preventive maintenance, and end-of-life/mold disposition.
- Partner with Manufacturing and Quality Engineering on DFM/DFA reviews, mold-flow analysis, and process validation (IQ/OQ/PQ, PPAP/FAI) to resolve warpage, shrinkage, sink marks, flash, and dimensional/cosmetic defects.
- Lead new supplier onboarding and qualification, support quality with supplier audits, and validate/monitor supplier production capacity to ensure supplier continuity.
- Negotiate contracts and pricing mechanisms with suppliers, including resin index/price pass-through clauses, tooling amortization terms, MOQs, and total landed cost.
- Drive supplier performance management (SQE scorecards, PPM/Cpk, on-time delivery) and lead corrective action (8D/CAPA) for plastics-related quality escapes.
- Qualify and maintain dual/second-source suppliers for critical plastic components to mitigate single-source and geopolitical/supply-continuity risk.
- Support New Product Introduction (NPI) by selecting molders early in development, driving DFM feedback, and managing engineering change notices (ECNs) through production.
- Ensure supplier compliance with material traceability, RoHS/REACH, and other applicable regulatory and customs/import-export requirements.
- Uphold internal and external policies, regulations, and laws.
- Follow regulatory requirements and ISO 13485.
What You'll Bring to the Team [Competency/Qualifications]
- B.S. in Mechanical/Industrial/Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
- 8+ years' experience in strategic sourcing or supplier/category management, with a significant focus on plastics/injection molding commodities.
- Hands-on technical knowledge of injection molding and extrusion processes, mold design/construction, and engineering thermoplastics/resins (e.g., PC, ABS, POM, PP, PEEK, LCP, TPE).
- Demonstrated experience managing mold tooling assets, including tool transfers, amortization schedules, and multi-cavity tool qualification.
- Working knowledge of PPAP/FAI, process capability (Cpk), mold-flow simulation, and root-cause/corrective-action methodologies (8D, fishbone, 5-why).
- Strong should-cost and cost breakdown analysis skills for molded/extruded components.
- Fluent Mandarin and English, with the ability to work directly and technically with China-based molders and tooling shops.
- Experience with RFI/RFQ implementation and execution.
- Superb communication skills.
- Advanced ability to collaborate and negotiate.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
- Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
- Willingness to travel within China (and occasionally internationally) to audit, develop, and maintain supplier relationships.
- Able to analyze, prepare, and deliver presentations to management. Proficient with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. SAP knowhow preferred.
- Experience in the Life Science, Medical Device, or Diagnostics industry, and/or plastics component sourcing for regulated products, preferred.
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