U

Ursa Major

Develops launch-ready propulsion engines for space

Director – Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

Full-Time
$187k - $234k+ 401(k) Match
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's, MBA
Berthoud, CO, USA
In PersonTravel up to 50% domestically to supplier sites, manufacturing partners, and company facilities.
Operations & LogisticsProcurement & Sourcing
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
  • At least 10 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, supplier development, or supplier engineering within aerospace, defense, propulsion, missiles or munitions, space systems, or another highly regulated advanced manufacturing environment.
  • Proven experience leading procurement and supplier management functions in a complex, cross-functional organization.
  • Strong expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, cost management, and procurement operations.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting the transition of complex aerospace, defense, propulsion, missile, munitions, or similarly technical hardware from development or new product introduction into production and increasing manufacturing rates.
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, technical drawings, specifications, and quality systems.
  • Experience with enterprise resource planning and material requirements planning systems and procurement planning tools.
  • Strong leadership and team management experience.
  • Must be a U.S. Person, including a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
  • Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and work on a computer for prolonged durations.
  • Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
  • Ability to travel up to 50% domestically to supplier sites, manufacturing partners, and company facilities as needed.
Responsibilities
  • Lead end-to-end procurement, including strategic sourcing, supplier management, supplier quality, and supplier engineering initiatives, initially emphasizing scale-up of solid rocket motor, hypersonic, and in-space propulsion programs.
  • Develop and execute sourcing strategies for transitions from development and qualification through low-rate initial production and rate production, balancing emerging-program speed with mature-program rigor.
  • Establish category management strategies across critical propulsion and aerospace commodities, including energetic materials, specialty chemicals and raw materials, complex machined components, cases and structures, nozzles and thermal systems, castings and forgings, valves, electronics and avionics, and other long-lead components.
  • Build and maintain a supplier base capable of meeting aerospace and defense manufacturing requirements for scalability, quality, delivery, and cost.
  • Lead supplier engineering efforts to improve supplier process capability, product conformity, and manufacturing readiness.
  • Manage supplier performance metrics, including on-time delivery, quality performance, responsiveness, and cost-reduction initiatives.
  • Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to support new product introduction, qualification activities, first article inspections, and supplier readiness for production ramp.
  • Drive supplier development and continuous improvement using root cause analysis, corrective actions, and process improvement methodologies.
  • Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including long-lead material constraints, single-source dependencies, geopolitical concerns, and supplier capacity limitations.
  • Lead contract negotiations, pricing strategies, and supplier agreements to optimize cost, lead time, and commercial terms.
  • Ensure procurement and supplier management comply with aerospace and defense regulatory requirements, including ITAR/EAR and AS9100 standards.
  • Develop deep knowledge of enterprise resource planning and material requirements planning systems to improve material visibility, purchasing efficiency, and inventory performance.
  • Partner with Quality, Operations, Planning, Program Management, and Finance to align procurement strategies with production and customer delivery commitments.
  • Drive process standardization, procurement policy improvements, and scalable systems to support organizational growth.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a procurement and supplier engineering team, fostering accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Provide executive leadership with regular reporting and strategic insights on supplier performance, material availability, procurement risk, and cost trends.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
Desired Qualifications
  • An advanced degree (MBA or MS) in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
  • Experience supporting solid rocket motors, hypersonic systems, missile systems, propulsion, energetics, munitions, or other high-rate defense production programs.
  • Experience with energetic materials, propellant-related raw materials and chemicals, specialty metals, complex machining, cases and structures, nozzles, thermal protection systems, castings, forgings, valves, or aerospace electronics.
  • Knowledge of aerospace quality and compliance standards, including AS9100, NADCAP, ITAR, EAR, FAR, and DFAR requirements.
  • Experience leading supplier audits, qualification activities, and corrective action programs.
  • APICS/ASCM certification, such as CPIM or CSCP, and/or supplier quality certifications.
  • Experience implementing procurement process improvements and scalable supply chain systems.

About the company

Ursa Major Technologies designs, tests, and manufactures propulsion engines for space launch and hypersonics. It provides launch-ready propulsion systems that customers can integrate into rockets or hypersonic platforms, reducing the time and cost to develop propulsion. The company differentiates itself by delivering reliable, cost-effective engines that are ready for deployment, serving private space companies, government agencies, and defense contractors. Its goal is to power space exploration and hypersonic travel by balancing performance, reliability, and cost, helping customers overcome financial, technical, and schedule barriers.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$426.5M

Headquarters

Berthoud, Colorado

Founded

2015

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • On July 15, 2026, the Navy awarded Ursa Major a $10 million MK 104 contract.
  • On August 20, 2026, Ursa Major opened Longmont to expand avionics and in-space propulsion.
  • The August 25, 2026 SPAC brings at least $350 million PIPE for scaling.

What critics are saying

  • The August 2026 SPAC closes only after shareholder approvals, SEC review, and redemptions.
  • Ursa Major depends on one Navy MK 104 award and future missile production orders.
  • Without SPAC proceeds, Ursa Major lacks cash for Galeton expansion and Havoc production.

What makes Ursa Major unique

  • Ursa Major sells flight-proven hypersonic propulsion, not just prototypes, across Hadley, Draper, and HAVOC.
  • Its Lynx process claims hundreds of solid rocket motors yearly, without new tooling.
  • The company combines additive manufacturing, engines, and vehicle integration from Berthoud and Youngstown.

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Benefits

  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Wellness Program
  • Retirement Savings Plan - Traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k)
  • Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

0%
PR Newswire
Oct 13th, 2026
Ursa Major appoints Jason Meredith as President.

Ursa Major appoints Jason Meredith as President. Oct 13, 2026, 12:00 ET BERTHOUD, Colo., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Ursa Major today announced the promotion of Jason Meredith to President of Ursa Major. In his new role, Meredith will lead business execution across Ursa Major with responsibility for the company's full profit and loss. "Jason has the experience and leadership to bring this next phase of Ursa Major to life," said Chris Spagnoletti, CEO of Ursa Major. "He understands our technology, our customers and what it takes to execute at scale. As President, he will bring that experience across the entire business and help ensure we continue delivering for our customers as Ursa Major grows." Meredith most recently served as President of Solid Missile Systems, where he led program execution and engineering across Ursa Major's growing solid rocket motor portfolio. His promotion comes as Ursa Major continues to scale production across its long-range and hypersonics missiles, solid rocket motors, and space mobility businesses and prepares to become a publicly traded company. "I'm excited to take on this role at an important point in Ursa Major's growth," said Meredith. "We have strong technology, growing demand and a manufacturing approach built to scale. My focus will be on bringing those pieces together across the business so we can move faster, increase production and deliver the capabilities our warfighters need to meet the mission." Meredith brings more than two decades of aerospace, defense and solid propulsion experience, with senior engineering, program and business leadership roles at ATK, Orbital ATK, Northrop Grumman, and Pratt & Whitney. He joined Ursa Major in 2026 to lead its Solid Missile Systems business and the continued expansion of the company's solid rocket motor capabilities. About Ursa Major Ursa Major is an advanced weapons and space systems company delivering flight-proven capabilities for hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and space mobility. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major leverages advanced production techniques and flexible architectures to build systems for all domains: land, air, sea, and space. The company is revitalizing the defense industrial base for the U.S. and its allies, flying faster to accelerate delivery of critical capabilities where speed and adaptability matter most. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com. SOURCE Ursa Major

The Defense Post
Oct 8th, 2026
Ursa Major wins $137 million US deal for missile rocket motors.

Ursa Major wins $137 million US deal for missile rocket motors. The US Navy has awarded Ursa Major $137 million to develop solid rocket motors for two missile programs as it works to expand domestic missile production capacity. The two contracts cover the Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) and the Naval Modular Missile (NMM) medium-range variant. The awards will support the design and qualification of tactical solid rocket motors. For CAAM, Ursa Major is developing a 7-inch (17-centimeter) motor designed to deliver the required performance within the missile's limited internal volume and at a low unit cost. The motor uses the company's Highly Loaded Grain technology, which allows more propellant to be packed into a given volume. The company will also develop a 10-inch (25.4-centimeter) motor for the NMM medium-range variant. The motor is intended for high-rate production and compatibility with existing Navy shipboard launch systems. "Production is the bottleneck in missile programs right now, and that's the part we've been building for," Jason Meredith, president of solid missile systems at Ursa Major, said. US expands solid rocket motor production. Ursa Major is part of a broader US defense effort to expand solid rocket motor production after years of limited manufacturing capacity became a constraint on missile output. Avio USA broke ground in September on a facility in Virginia that is expected to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually. The company plans to begin production in 2029, with the plant supporting US tactical missile programs. The same month, Northrop Grumman opened it new Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland that is expected to employ about 250 engineers. Earlier, in June, L3Harris Technologies invested $25 million to expand its Huntsville, Alabama, manufacturing footprint for solid rocket motor production.

SBIR.gov
Sep 14th, 2026
Awards | SBIR

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3D Printing Industry
Aug 29th, 2026
Ursa Major to go public in $2.3BN SPAC deal with Inflection Point.

Ursa Major to go public in $2.3BN SPAC deal with Inflection Point. Aerospace and defense manufacturer Ursa Major has announced to go public through a business combination with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. III (Nasdaq: BCCQU), a special purpose acquisition company backed by Inflection Point Asset Management. Following the transaction, the combined company will be renamed Inflection Point Mach X Bleichroeder Corp. and is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker IPXX. Closing is anticipated in the first quarter of 2027, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, Ursa Major builds propulsion systems for hypersonics, solid rocket motors and space mobility. The company also operates an additive manufacturing (AM) facility in Youngstown, Ohio. The listing follows a broader rise in investor interest in defense manufacturers, driven by heightened geopolitical tension and demand for weapons systems that can be produced quickly. Deal Terms and Financing The transaction values Ursa Major at approximately $1.6 billion on a pre-money basis and $2.3 billion after closing. It is backed by at least $350 million in private investment in public equity (PIPE) commitments, anchored by Inflection Point, with roughly $110 million funded at the signing of the business combination agreement. The PIPE includes both new institutional investors and existing Ursa Major backers, including XN. Depending on redemption levels, Ursa Major may retain up to $345 million in additional proceeds. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and Moelis & Company LLC are serving as placement agents to Inflection Point, with Cantor also advising Bleichroeder and Moelis advising Ursa Major on capital markets. Latham & Watkins LLP is legal counsel to Ursa Major, White & Case LLP to Inflection Point, DLA Piper LLP (US) to Cantor and Moelis, and Reed Smith LLP to Bleichroeder. "Deterrence depends on what can be built reliably, safely and at scale," said Chris Spagnoletti, CEO of Ursa Major, adding that the transaction is intended to convert eleven years of work on propulsion, manufacturing, testing, qualification and flight into added production capacity. Bleichroeder intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, covering the proxy statement and prospectus for the deal. Closing still requires sign-off from both companies' shareholders, along with regulatory clearance, including approval of the common stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series A Investor Warrants issued as part of the transaction, as required under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635. The volume of redemption requests filed by Bleichroeder's investors could also affect the combined company's public float and share liquidity once listed. Production Expansion Plans Proceeds are earmarked for scaling output across the company's core programs, including its solid rocket motors, HAVOC missile system, liquid hypersonic engines and space mobility hardware. Near-term capital will go toward expanding the company's Galeton, Colorado site from a solid rocket motor test facility into a larger manufacturing campus, along with continued growth in liquid engine production, AM capacity and development of complete missile systems, or "all-up-rounds." Ursa Major says it employs more than 360 people across six facilities, spanning nearly 500 acres of design, manufacturing and testing space. Track Record and Industry Backdrop Ursa Major says it has conducted more than 5,500 ground tests and 140,000 seconds of testing since its founding, with its engines used in more than a dozen hypersonic missions to date. Its Hadley engine has flown on the U.S. Department of War's hypersonic test bed more than ten times, and the company was prime contractor and vehicle integrator on the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator program, which has completed two flights using Ursa Major's Draper liquid rocket engine. In May 2025, a Ursa Major liquid rocket engine also powered a flight test of the reusable hypersonic vehicle Talon-A. Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin announced an investment to extend the range and payload capacity of its hypersonic missiles, and Leidos Holdings received a $2.7 billion contract in May to move its own hypersonic weapons from prototype into production. Scaling Propulsion Hardware Through Additive Manufacturing Ursa Major's plan to expand its solid rocket motor and liquid hypersonic engine lines reflects a broader industry pattern, treating AM as a lever for growing manufacturing capacity, not just a prototyping tool. Ursa Major's own H13 engine used AM to build complex propulsion components without dedicated tooling, allowing output to grow without retooling entire supply chains, a rationale echoed by L3Harris, which used large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) to cut production time for hypersonic propulsion components tenfold. Both companies point to a shared advantage: hardware that can scale without new capital tied up in tooling. For Ursa Major, that pattern is already built into how the company plans to scale, with AM woven into the production architecture the SPAC proceeds are meant to expand. 3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here. Explore the full Future of 3D Printing and Executive Survey series from 3D Printing Industry, featuring perspectives from CEOs, engineers, and industry leaders on the industrialization of additive manufacturing, 3D printing industry trends 2026, qualification, supply chains, and additive manufacturing industry analysis. Featured image shows technicians at Ursa Major's Youngstown facility operate an EOS M 400 system. Photo via Ursa Major.

BitMart
Aug 26th, 2026
Ursa Major agrees $2.3B SPAC deal to fund hypersonic expansion.

Ursa Major agrees $2.3B SPAC deal to fund hypersonic expansion. BitMart Insights | 2026.08.26 12:01 2 mins read Ursa Major said on August 25 it had signed a definitive agreement to merge with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. III, a transaction expected to take the hypersonics and propulsion company public on Nasdaq in the first quarter of 2027. The deal gives the privately funded defence technology company a route to raise capital for expanded missile and rocket-motor production. The proposed transaction carries an implied post-transaction equity value of about $2.3 billion. It is backed by at least $350 million in committed private investment in public equity, or PIPE, financing, although roughly $110 million of that amount was funded when the agreement was signed. Bleichroeder merger targets Q1 2027 Nasdaq listing. The agreement pairs Ursa Major with the special purpose acquisition company Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. III. Ursa Major announced the definitive deal on August 25, setting a Q1 2027 target for completion and a Nasdaq listing for the combined company. The companies have set a target, not announced a completion date; as with SPAC transactions generally, further steps typically remain before closing. The announcement also did not state that the Nasdaq listing had already occurred. $2.3bn valuation includes committed PIPE financing. The transaction values Ursa Major at approximately $1.6 billion on a pre-money basis and approximately $2.3 billion post-transaction, alongside at least $350 million in committed PIPE capital. That committed amount was not fully funded at signing: about $110 million had been funded, according to the company's release. The post-transaction valuation therefore does not establish that the full PIPE commitment was funded on August 25. Ursa Major conducts a full-duration static-fire test of its Draper-powered Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator. - Source: Breaking Defense Proceeds earmarked for motors, HAVOC and Galeton. Ursa Major said transaction proceeds will support production of solid rocket motors, HAVOC, liquid hypersonic engines and space-mobility systems, along with a planned large-scale production campus in Galeton, Colorado. That expansion plan sits alongside a company that, according to Breaking Defense, has raised more than $380 million privately and employs more than 360 people across six facilities. The outlet reported that Ursa Major unveiled its HAVOC hypersonic missile system in February 2026. Ursa Major is pursuing the planned public-market transaction as it works to move those propulsion and hypersonic programs toward larger-scale production. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Disclaimer: The market is risky, and investment needs to be cautious. This article does not constitute investment advice. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are in line with their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at their own risk.