Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has the fastest, lowest cost path to commercial fusion energy.
CFS collaborates with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with groundbreaking new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. HTS magnets will enable compact fusion power plants that can be constructed faster and at lower cost. Our mission is to deploy these power plants to meet global decarbonization goals as fast as possible. To that end, CFS has assembled a team of leaders in tough tech, fusion science, and manufacturing with a track record of rapid execution. Supported by the world’s leading investors, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver limitless, clean, fusion power to combat climate change. To implement this plan, we are looking to add dedicated people to the team who treat people well, improve our work by adding multifaceted perspectives and new ways of solving problems, have achieved outstanding results through a range of pursuits, and have skills and experience related to this role.
The role of the Supplier Integration team, of which the Buyer is a key member, is to integrate suppliers into the SPARC project from the early stages of product design, ensure flawless execution of the procurement contracts and optimize schedule, cost, and quality.
The Buyer is accountable for meeting the internal customers’ needs: selecting the best sources within the assigned budget for each project; negotiating, placing, and managing contracts and orders; and overseeing suppliers’ activities from order to delivery and support.
The Buyer is organized and proactive and has hands-on knowledge and active curiosity about the manufacturing and supply chain issues confronting a complex fast-paced development project such as SPARC.
Travel to supplier locations will be required, up to 25%.
This team member will:
- Act as a strategic sourcing focal for the assigned projects
- Define and drive execution of sourcing plans, coordinating cross-functionally to ensure project success and adhering to commodity strategies where applicable
- Gather and interpret technical and non-technical requirements, create or review statements of work
- Identify potential suppliers leveraging all available sources of data and networks
- Drive source selection processes from end to end, ensuring such process results systematically in the selection of the best value supplier
- Negotiate short and long-term agreements for parts, subassemblies, finished goods, equipment, and/or services from suppliers
- Administrate and ensure compliance to such agreements, working collaboratively with the selected suppliers
- Investigate, evaluate, and recommend new and/or alternate sources of supply as necessary to support new product development, cost reduction requirements, and/or to improve supplier performance
- Skillfully balance the price, delivery, quality, service, and value tradeoffs and rationalize the supply base
- Support cost savings initiatives, lead time improvement projects, quality improvement projects, and recommend changes to processes to improve supply chain performance
- Create and/or review purchase orders up to authorized limits
- Visit suppliers as necessary to conduct business reviews, kick off new projects, check on manufacturing milestones, or resolve technical issues
- Adhere to all supply chain policies, procedures, guidelines and instructions including those regarding the procurement of materials, intellectual property, and export compliance
- Purchase in both MRP and project/purchase requisition-oriented type environments under departmental guidelines
- Coordinate planning and scheduling activities with the assigned planner in a matrixed organization (functionally reporting to the head of Inventory and Supply Planning team)
- Report out on project status, risks and issues to the supply chain and internal customers
- Develop, monitor, and report risk mitigation strategies
- Negotiate internally and externally at all levels or with persons of influence frequently
- Develop and track reporting against objectives and results.
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of these requirements:
- 3+ years’ related work experience in a manufacturing, supply chain or other relevant environment
- Experience with tactical procurement: managing order placement and fulfillment, line of balance, etc.
- Demonstrated ability to work hand-in-hand with design and manufacturing teams from requirements definition to source selection: gather, challenge and interpret requirements in a wide variety of technical fields, coordinate costs and lead times estimation, and lead the team towards the selection of best value supplier(s)
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate commercial terms with suppliers
- Ability to read and interpret technical documents and engineering drawings.
- Understanding of strategic sourcing skills and tools
- Comfortable working in a global environment across time zones and cultures
- Team player comfortable leading by example, and directly contributing
- Organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize work to meet the business needs
- Customer service mindset and entrepreneurial spirit
- Critical thinking and judgment, with the ability to make and execute on decisions
- General understanding of procurement contract structures and clauses
- General understanding of enterprise quality system functionality (e.g., ISO 9000)
- Good understanding of ERP systems and MRP logic
- Experience with MS Office or Google Suite
- Demonstrate integrity, respect, commitment to excellence, collaboration, creativity and agility
- Ability to work well in high-pressure environment.
- Technical and cost knowledge of fusion relevant commodities including but not limited to metals, fabrication, welding, electronics, large tools, and engineered systems
Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:
- Previous experience in a start-up or high growth environment
- Previous experience sourcing equipment for specialized industrial processes (e.g., cryogenics, high vacuum, oil and gas)
- Proven experience in supporting critical new product introduction activities for highly technical products, managing suppliers during the contract execution and support phases
- Previous experience sourcing High Mix-Low volume components
- Ability to negotiate procurement contracts with suppliers
- Experience with financial control systems or cost accounting structures
- Bachelor’s degree in the field of Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance or other related field (preferred).
- Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
- #LI-Remote
CFS team members thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have demonstrated exceptional results through a range of different pursuits. We all tightly align with our company values of integrity, execution, impact and self-critique. As we grow, we are looking to add talented people who are mission driven and bring diverse perspectives and new ways of solving problems.
At CFS, we deeply value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.
