# Supplier Strategist **Company**: Shield AI **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Salary**: Pay within range listed **Category**: Operations **Industry**: Defense **Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/7533928c-9ed8-4c22-bda4-ba450fd4ce9a?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_74a40b80-b7b ## Description Drive the supplier strategies that bring next-generation aerospace technology to life. In this role, you'll lead critical sourcing initiatives, build high-impact supplier partnerships, and collaborate across teams to deliver complex hardware from early development through production,helping accelerate innovation, strengthen the supply chain, and enable mission success. ## Responsibilities: - Lead strategic sourcing and procurement of critical mechanical commodities, focusing on airframe structures, precision-machined components, landing gear systems, and propulsion and engine-related hardware. - Develop and execute commodity strategies supporting prototype, development, qualification, and production requirements across aerospace and defense programs. - Own supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, and long-term management for complex and mission-critical components and systems. - Evaluate supplier capabilities across manufacturing processes, technical expertise, capacity, quality systems, financial stability, and production scalability. - Lead competitive sourcing activities, including requests for quotation, proposal analysis, supplier negotiations, cost modeling, source-selection recommendations, and contract execution. - Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, intellectual property provisions, capacity commitments, long-term agreements, and other commercial terms that reduce cost and program risk. - Partner closely with Engineering to review drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, manufacturing requirements, statements of work, and engineering changes. - Drive early supplier involvement during design and development to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, shorten lead times, and minimize technical and schedule risk. - Develop a strong understanding of cost drivers associated with aircraft structures, machining, landing gear, engines, propulsion systems, special processes, and complex mechanical assemblies. - Perform detailed cost and price analysis using supplier cost breakdowns, historical pricing, market data, should-cost models, and manufacturing process knowledge. - Manage supplier performance across delivery, quality, cost, technical execution, responsiveness, and capacity while leading recovery plans and executive-level supplier reviews when performance falls below expectations. - Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal to resolve complex supply chain and technical issues. - Support new product introduction and production ramp-up by ensuring supplier readiness, material availability, tooling capacity, manufacturing feasibility, and qualification completion. - Identify long-lead materials, capacity constraints, sole-source dependencies, obsolescence concerns, and other supply risks while developing and executing mitigation plans. ## Requirements: - Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. - 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain management within aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment. - Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing efforts and independently managing critical suppliers, commodities, or major aircraft systems. - Experience sourcing one or more of the following commodity areas: airframe and structural assemblies, metallic and composite structures, precision-machined components, landing gear systems and components, engines and propulsion systems, engine mounts and supporting structures, complex mechanical assemblies, castings and forgings, special-process and finished components. - Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, structural fabrication, composite manufacturing, casting, forging, welding, heat treatment, plating, coating, finishing, and mechanical assembly. - Experience conducting supplier negotiations, cost and price analysis, proposal evaluations, and supplier source selections. - Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex commercial agreements while balancing cost, quality, delivery, technical performance, and program risk. - Experience managing suppliers through product development, engineering changes, qualification, production ramp-up, and supplier performance recovery. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple critical suppliers and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present supplier strategies, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership. - Demonstrated ability to work effectively across Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal. - Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel for procurement, supplier management, cost analysis, and reporting. - Ability to travel to supplier facilities and company locations as required. - Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. ## Preferred Qualifications: - Active U.S. government SECRET security clearance at the time of hire. - Experience supporting aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, or advanced aerospace and defense programs. - Direct sourcing experience with airframe structures, landing gear, turbine engines, propulsion systems, or other flight-critical mechanical hardware. - Experience managing technically complex, high-value, sole-source, or long-lead suppliers. - Experience developing commodity strategies, supplier roadmaps, should-cost models, and long-term agreements. - Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, ITAR, export compliance, and government contracting requirements. - Experience working with design engineering and suppliers to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, and resolve technical issues. - Experience supporting both prototype and production environments with aggressive schedule and delivery requirements. - Knowledge of supplier capacity planning, tooling strategies, production readiness, and rate-ramp requirements. - APICS/ASCM, CPSM, CPSD, PMP, or another relevant professional certification. ## Additional Information: - Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity - Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment) - Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. ## Skills ### Required - strategic sourcing - procurement - supplier management - supply chain management - aerospace - defense - manufacturing - CNC machining - structural fabrication - composite manufacturing - casting - forging - welding - heat treatment - plating - coating - finishing - mechanical assembly - cost analysis - proposal evaluations - supplier source selections - negotiation - commercial agreements - risk management - analytical skills - problem-solving skills - communication skills - ERP/MRP systems - Microsoft Excel ### Nice to have - U.S. government security clearance - aircraft - unmanned aircraft systems - advanced aerospace and defense programs - airframe structures - landing gear - turbine engines - propulsion systems - flight-critical mechanical hardware - technically complex suppliers - high-value suppliers - sole-source suppliers - long-lead suppliers - commodity strategies - supplier roadmaps - should-cost models - long-term agreements - FAR - DFARS - ITAR - export compliance - government contracting requirements - design engineering - manufacturability - cost reduction - technical issue resolution - prototype and production environments - aggressive schedule and delivery requirements - supplier capacity planning - tooling strategies - production readiness - rate-ramp requirements - APICS/ASCM - CPSM - CPSD - PMP --- Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/7533928c-9ed8-4c22-bda4-ba450fd4ce9a?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)