Strategic Sourcing Manager

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic sourcing and procurement for critical mechanical aerospace commodities, including airframe structures, precision-machined components, landing gear, propulsion and engine hardware, and complex mechanical assemblies.
• Develop and execute commodity strategies across prototype, development, qualification, production, and production ramp-up phases.
• Own supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, long-term management, performance management, and recovery plans.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing capabilities, technical expertise, capacity, quality systems, financial stability, and scalability.
• Lead RFQs, proposal analysis, supplier negotiations, cost modeling, source-selection recommendations, and contract execution.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, intellectual property provisions, capacity commitments, and long-term agreements.
• Partner with Engineering on drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, manufacturing requirements, statements of work, and engineering changes.
• Drive early supplier involvement to improve manufacturability, reduce cost and lead times, and mitigate technical and schedule risk.
• Perform cost and price analysis using supplier cost breakdowns, historical pricing, market data, should-cost models, and manufacturing-process knowledge.
• Manage supplier delivery, quality, cost, technical execution, responsiveness, and capacity; lead recovery plans and executive supplier reviews.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal to resolve supply-chain and technical issues.
• Ensure supplier readiness, material availability, tooling capacity, manufacturing feasibility, and qualification completion for new product introduction and production ramp-up.
• Identify and mitigate long-lead materials, capacity constraints, sole-source dependencies, obsolescence, and other supply risks.
• Travel to supplier facilities and company locations as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent education and relevant experience.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain management in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading complex sourcing efforts and independently managing critical suppliers, commodities, or major aircraft systems.
• Experience sourcing airframe and structural assemblies, metallic or composite structures, precision-machined components, landing gear, engines, propulsion systems, engine mounts, complex mechanical assemblies, castings, forgings, special processes, or finished components.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining, structural fabrication, composite manufacturing, casting, forging, welding, heat treatment, plating, coating, finishing, and mechanical assembly.
• Experience with supplier negotiations, cost and price analysis, proposal evaluations, and source selections.
• 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 performance recovery.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Nice-to-haves

• Active U.S. government SECRET clearance at 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 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 improving manufacturability and resolving technical issues with design engineering and suppliers.
• Experience supporting prototype and production environments with aggressive schedules.
• Knowledge of supplier capacity planning, tooling strategies, production readiness, and rate ramp-up.
• APICS/ASCM, CPSM, CPSD, PMP, or another relevant certification.