Supplier Strategist

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.