Lead – Strategic Sourcing Specialist

What we do:

The Sr. Strategic Sourcing Specialist Lead has a pivotal leadership role within our organization, driving global procurement strategies, providing oversight and direction to sourcing specialists and managing complex sourcing operations. This role is instrumental in shaping the company’s future by ensuring the efficient acquisition of goods and services, both within the U.S. and internationally. Including procurement processes (within the U.S. and globally), standards, and operational plans, including RFPs, negotiation, preparations, and cost analysis and strategy development and evolution. The role partners with clients throughout all levels of the business by responding to inquiries concerning order status, modifications, or cancellations. The position is key to enabling the development of the company’s vehicles, industrial base, and broader market ecosystems. Your work will influence our operational efficiency, financial performance, strategic direction, and market position. This is a role for a strategic thinker with a firm grasp of procurement processes, strategy developments and execution, and a vision for how they can be continuously improved and developed as the business evolves. 

What you can do:

•    Sourcing systems across the entire program, inclusive of Indirect Procurement, Powertrain, Avionics, Airframe, and other systems
•    Provide leadership, guidance, and participate in complex strategy development in support of business needs
•    Quality – Coordinate between internal stakeholders and suppliers to achieve required performance and quality for each system
•    Cost – Negotiate prices and pricing structures for the entire product lifecycle that are appropriate for areas of sourcing and development, by referring to the development schedule and production volume
•    Delivery – Contract with right terms to ensure meeting development and delivery schedule. Proactively sense delays and manage contract terms to hedge risks from a start-up perspective
•    Direct and optimize procurement processes and systems for products and services required by Engineering and other departments (indirect procurement)
•    Design and execute RFI and RFP processes, select strategic suppliers, critically evaluate responses, and ensure seamless execution
•    Develop, provide guidance, and lead strategic sourcing activities and initiatives with Strategic Sourcing Senior Managers and Strategic Sourcing Specialists.
•    Leverage advanced analytics and develop and refine tools to evaluate bids and supplier performance, driving data-driven decision making
•    Lead the development and implementation of sourcing and category strategies for different engineering verticals, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives. Serve as an internal resource to provide guidance to the team with these activities.
•    Integrate program, product and in-service strategies into comprehensive source selection, negotiation and contracting strategies
•    Negotiate and finalize contractual documents and binding agreements, including pricing and contract terms and conditions, to secure the best value for the company
•    Build and manage strategic relationships with key suppliers to foster collaboration and continuous improvement
•    Serve as an intermediary point of contact across the strategic sourcing team
•    Collaborate with Supply Chain operations in the development and deployment of processes and tools to drive continuous improvement and connectivity between these Supply Chain functions
•    Ensure a high level of customer satisfaction that meets or exceeds company standards through proactive engagement and effective problem resolution
•    Demonstrate responsiveness and support to the needs of internal partners, acting as a trusted advisor on procurement matter
•    Efficiently manage all assignments and administrative tasks, demonstrating strong project management skills
•    Maintain and update status tools as required, providing transparency and real-time updates on procurement activities
•    Conduct and utilize SWOT analysis to inform procurement strategies and decisions
•    Oversee supply and demand, schedules, supplier quality, delivery, and financial performance, taking corrective action as needed
•    Initiate and implement supplier improvement activities and integrate results into contracting strategies, driving continuous improvement in supplier performance
•    May require up to 10% of domestic and international travel
•    Other duties as assigned

What you can contribute:

•    Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or similar field required; Master’s degree (MBA/MS) preferred
•    Aviation industry supply chain work experience required; Aviation OEM experience is preferred
•    A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in supply chain and/or procurement
•    A minimum of one (1) year of experience sourcing systems (ESS and EPU)
•    A minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience preferred
•    Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) preferred
•    Experience in advanced technology, aviation, automotive, or the mobility space with UAS or UAM preferred
•    Certification in Purchasing, Supply Chain, and/or Program Management a plus

You may also be able to contribute:

•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•    Proactive delivery of communication and follow-up
•    Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
•    Ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints
•    Self-motivated and forward-thinking
•    Proficiency with MS Office Suite