Supply Chain and Procurement Lead

Overview We're looking for a Supply Chain & Procurement Lead to join our NYC-based team and take ownership of how parts get sourced, bought, and kept flowing as we scale robot production from 100 to 1000+ units. You'll build and run the supplier relationships behind every build, make ordering effortless for our manufacturing team, get inbound parts to the door on time, and hold our suppliers to a high quality bar. The goal is to turn buying the right parts at the right cost and lead time into a well-run system rather than a daily scramble. We run this function software-forward: rather than scaling the team linearly with volume, we build tooling and lean on AI agents so the system does the repetitive work and the humans handle judgment, relationships, and exceptions. You'll shape and own that system as much as the sourcing itself. We're an early-stage company moving very fast in a rapidly growing space, and we welcome people from any background as long as you're excited about the mission, ready to drive impact from day one, and eager to help make automation accessible to all. What You'll Do Build and manage vendor relationships Find, vet, and set up new supplier and contract-manufacturer relationships across our parts base, at home and internationally Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and lead times — and revisit them as volumes grow Develop and deepen existing relationships through regular reviews, supplier scorecards, and quick resolution of cost and delivery issues Travel to China and other destinations to meet suppliers face-to-face, qualify new partners, and build out a resilient global supply base Own ordering, purchasing, and planning Place purchase orders and track them to keep builds on schedule — or make it fast and easy for the manufacturing team to place orders themselves Run RFQs and turn new product introductions (NPI) and BOM changes into clean sourcing and buying decisions in partnership with the manufacturing and hardware teams Own inventory accuracy and the demand/forecasting signals that drive purchasing — approached software-forward, with tooling and automation rather than manual spreadsheets wherever possible Build the purchasing workflows, approvals, PO tracking, and the tooling behind them so ordering and planning stay simple as we scale Manage lead times and costs against targets, and proactively flag and mitigate supply risk on single-source and long-lead parts Support inbound logistics Book transport for inbound parts when needed and keep shipments moving to the door Track shipment status and get ahead of delays before they hit the build schedule Coordinate international shipping, imports, and customs so parts clear cleanly and predictably Drive supplier quality control Set and enforce quality expectations with suppliers, and catch issues before parts reach the line Track supplier quality performance over time and drive corrective action when parts fall short Partner with the hardware team on incoming inspection criteria and specs so what we order is what we get Who You Are Highly operational and detail-oriented — you bring order to a tangle of parts, vendors, POs, and lead times An owner, not an executor — when something is unsourced, mispriced, delayed, or about to run out, you've already moved on it Software-forward — you reach for tooling and automation before headcount, and you're comfortable building lightweight systems (or working alongside AI agents) to run the function at scale Scrappy, resourceful, and energized by fast-paced, high-autonomy environments where you're building the process as you run it A strong relationship-builder who's comfortable negotiating and working across cultures and time zones You think in cost, speed, and reliability — and know how to balance all three under real deadlines Experience and Skills 5+ years owning procurement, sourcing, and/or supply chain in a hardware or manufacturing environment — or less, if you pair real procurement instinct with unusually strong systems and software fluency Strong supplier management: finding and qualifying vendors, negotiating pricing and payment terms, and building long-term relationships A track record of making ordering and purchasing run smoothly — POs, approvals, and the systems behind them (ERP/MRP, PLM, or equivalent) Comfort with inventory management and demand/forecasting, and a bias toward building tooling to keep counts accurate at speed rather than managing them by hand Familiarity with inbound logistics: booking freight, tracking shipments, and working through international shipping, imports, and customs Experience holding suppliers to a quality standard — inspection, scorecards, and corrective action Willingness and ability to travel internationally, including to China, to develop the supply base Bonus: experience with contract manufacturing or scaling sourcing beyond in-house production Bonus: Mandarin or other relevant language skills for working directly with overseas suppliers #J-18808-Ljbffr Ultra