Sourcing Guide
How We Evaluate Manufacturing Development Engineers
For recruiters, talent partners, and clients
What This Role Is (and Isn’t)
This Role IS
- Building supply chain automation and tooling
- Procurement systems and vendor management
- Supply chain analytics and optimization
- ERP integration and customization
- Hardware/component sourcing workflows
This Role IS NOT
- Traditional purchasing/procurement clerk
- Warehouse/logistics operations only
- General software engineering (no supply chain context)
- Sales or business development
- Manufacturing engineering
Where to Find Candidates
Target Companies (APAC)
- Semiconductor: TSMC, MediaTek, ASE, UMC supply chain teams
- Hardware startups: Companies building AI hardware, robotics, IoT
- Electronics manufacturing: Foxconn, Pegatron, Quanta — software/data teams
- Tech supply chain: Apple, Google, NVIDIA APAC supply chain orgs
Screening Criteria
Dimension
1 — Weak
3 — Good
5 — Exceptional
Supply Chain Knowledge
Theoretical only. No hands-on experience.
Has managed procurement or logistics workflows. Understands lead times, BOM.
Designed supply chain systems. Optimized multi-tier supplier networks.
Technical Skills
Excel only. No programming.
Python, SQL. Can build reports and automate tasks.
Builds supply chain tools. API integrations. Data pipelines.
Hardware Context
Software-only background.
Understands component sourcing, semiconductor supply chain basics.
Deep hardware/semiconductor supply chain expertise. Multi-geography sourcing.
Analytics
Reports numbers. No insight.
Data-driven decisions. Cost modeling. Demand forecasting.
Builds forecasting models. Optimization algorithms. Scenario planning.
Startup Fit
Needs rigid processes.
Self-directed. Comfortable building from scratch.
Founder-mentality. Creates supply chain function from zero.
Interview Process
Step 1: Resume Screen (5 min)
- Supply chain or procurement experience
- Technical skills (Python, SQL, ERP)
- Hardware/semiconductor context
Step 2: Technical Screen (30 min)
- “Walk me through a supply chain system or process you built or improved.”
- “How would you set up procurement tracking for a hardware startup from scratch?”