Director - Aviation Supplier Partner Management

Job Description

Job Description

Company Summary

EchoStar builds solutions that help families and communities stay connected. We’ll launch your career and empower you to change lives.

Our brands include Boost Mobile, DISH TV, Gen Mobile, Hughes and Sling TV. We serve millions of customers with offerings ranging from satellite to streaming services and global to personal networking solutions.

EchoStar has an exciting opportunity for a Sr Manager – Aviation Supplier Partner Management in our Hughes Network Systems division supporting our AERO Mobility business unit.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

This role is essential for managing and optimizing the aviation vendor supply chain of key materials and products, ensuring timely and cost-efficient delivery while maintaining strong relationships with aviation suppliers. This position will play a critical role in negotiating supplier contracts, planning, forecasting, logistics management and ensuring alignment between Hughes procurement operations, program management, product, and engineering teams. This role offers a great opportunity for career growth in a dynamic environment focused on innovation and operational excellence. This position will be located at our office in Germantown, MD .

Key Responsibilities:

• Aviation Supplier Management:
• Negotiate and manage contracts for new LRU products, aircraft engineering and certification services to ensure the best value for the company
• Manage the SOW development and RFP process for products and engineering & certification services
• Develop, implement, and optimize aviation supplier processes for the production of aviation components, ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and compliance with AS9100 quality standards
• Monitor aviation supplier performance, including delivery times, quality, and reliability metrics, as well as compliance with contractual terms in the form of supplier scorecards and quarterly business reviews
• Lead collaboration efforts with Hughes product management, aircraft engineering and aviation 3rd party suppliers for product production and ensuring timely completion and adherence to budget and cost minimization
• Evaluate and select suppliers based on their reliability, cost efficiency, quality, and ability to meet deadlines
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and terms with suppliers to ensure the best value for the company
• Planning and Forecasting :
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., manufacturing, sales, product, and engineering) to forecast demand for 3rd party aviation suppliers
• Develop and implement strategies to optimize aviation 3rd party supplier inventory levels, reduce lead times, and improve overall delivery efficiency
• Logistics Management:
• Provide oversight and guidance for 3rd party logistics and Hughes’s supplier forward and reverse logistics
• Risk Management :
• Identify and mitigate risks in the aviation 3rd party supply chain by developing contingency plans for potential disruptions or delays

Skills, Experience and Requirements

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in any of the following disciplines: Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, and/or Business Administration
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in aviation supplier management

Skills and Qualifications:

• Prior experience in managing relationships with suppliers, negotiating contracts, and improving supplier performance
• Certification in Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or similar) and planning software
• This position will require up to 50% travel

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification in supply chain management (e.g., APICS, CSCP, CPM) is a plus
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, both written and verbal
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong experience in negotiating contracts
• Strong knowledge of aviation design and manufacturing processes
• Familiarity with industry standards (e.g., AS9100, FAA regulations) and quality control methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, FMEA, Root Cause Analysis)
• Strong understanding of inventory management, demand forecasting, and production planning
• Strong problem-solving abilities and proactive mindset
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other office software
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams and external suppliers
• Resilient under pressure with the ability to handle complex situations and resolve conflicts
• Strategic thinker with the ability to innovate and improve processes

Visa sponsorship not available for this position.

Benefits

We offer versatile health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan; all benefits can be viewed here: DISH Benefits.

The base pay range shown is a guideline. Individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, and competencies; compensation is based on the role's location and is subject to change based on work location.

Candidates need to successfully complete a pre-employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check. Our company is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual has the opportunity to succeed. We are dedicated to providing individuals with criminal or arrest records a fair chance of employment in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled.

We pride ourselves on developing and promoting talent as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. EchoStar will accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees if such accommodations are not undue hardships and are otherwise within the bounds of applicable law. All qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with local, state, and federal law. You may redact any information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of school/graduation from your application documents before submission and throughout our application process.

EchoStar will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified job applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the Company, poses a direct threat of substantial harm to others, or is otherwise not required by law. EchoStar has a more detailed Accommodation Policy that applies to employees. EchoStar endeavors to make echostar.com and jobs.echostar.com accessible to users. Please contact View email address on ziprecruiter.com if you would like to discuss the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process. This contact information is for accommodation requests only; do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.

Click the links to access the following statements: EEO Policy Statement, Pay Transparency, EEOC Know Your Rights (English/Spanish)