Supply Chain Lead
Required skills
- purchasing
- supplier relationships
- materials planning
- electronic components
- PCBs
- machined parts
- enclosures
- negotiate pricing
- payment terms
- delivery schedules
Nice to have
- radar
- RF
- aerospace
- defense
- robotics
- industrial hardware
Role summary
Austin Sensing Company is seeking a Supply Chain Lead to build and manage their hardware supply chain. This hands-on role involves owning sourcing, purchasing, supplier relationships, and materials planning for electronic components, PCBs, and machined parts. The Lead will negotiate terms, manage inventory, resolve issues, and ensure timely delivery while controlling costs. The ideal candidate has 10+ years of experience in physical product supply chain operations, a strong understanding of manufacturing, and excellent negotiation skills. Preferred experience includes defense/aerospace hardware, ERP implementation, and managing contract manufacturers.
About Austin Sensing Company
Austin Sensing Company builds radar, acoustic, and RF sensors for defense, public safety, critical infrastructure, and autonomous systems. We design and manufacture our hardware in Austin, Texas, with a focus on making high-performance sensing reliable, affordable, and widely available.
About the Role
We’re hiring a Supply Chain Lead to build and run the supply chain behind our hardware. You’ll own sourcing, purchasing, supplier relationships, and materials planning as we move new products into production.
This is a hands-on role. You’ll work closely with engineering and manufacturing to make sure the right parts arrive on time, meet our specifications, and fit our cost targets. You’ll handle purchasing today while building the supplier network and processes we need as production grows.
What You’ll Do
Own sourcing and purchasing for electronic components, PCBs, machined parts, enclosures, and other production materials.
Find, evaluate, and qualify suppliers based on quality, cost, lead time, and capacity.
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and delivery schedules. Hold suppliers accountable to their commitments.
Translate engineering bills of materials and production plans into purchasing schedules.
Identify long-lead components, single-source dependencies, and obsolete parts. Work with engineering to qualify alternatives.
Manage inventory and purchasing commitments to keep production supplied while controlling cash tied up in materials.
Work with engineering on component selection and design changes, making cost and availability part of the decision.
Resolve shortages and supplier quality issues, and keep the team informed about delivery risks.
Establish clear records for parts, suppliers, purchase orders, and inventory.
What You’ll Bring
10+ years of experience owning sourcing, procurement, or supply chain operations for physical products.
A working understanding of electronics and mechanical manufacturing, including component lead times, minimum order quantities, and supplier qualification.
Experience supporting new product introductions and production ramps.
Strong negotiation skills and sound judgment about cost, quality, and delivery tradeoffs.
Comfort working with bills of materials, inventory systems, and purchasing data.
The ability to adjust purchasing plans as engineering requirements and production forecasts change.
A record of following through with suppliers and resolving problems before they delay production.
Willingness to handle daily purchasing while building the processes and team around it.
Preferred Experience
Supply chain experience in radar, RF, aerospace, defense, robotics, or industrial hardware.
Experience sourcing PCB assemblies, RF components, and precision machined parts.
Experience implementing or improving an ERP or materials planning system.
Experience managing contract manufacturers and international suppliers.
Benefits
401(k)
Insurance benefits
Lunch and dinner served daily
