Procurement & Operations Specialist

Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Setting: In-office
Work Location: United States (Hillsboro, Oregon)
Work Hours: Office hours
Find out more here: https://semianalysis.com

About SemiAnalysis

SemiAnalysis is an independent research and analysis firm specializing in the Semiconductor and AI industries. Our in-depth coverage spans the entire supply chain, from semiconductor fabrication processes to cutting-edge AI Models, software, and infrastructure. We are recognized as the leading authority on the semiconductor supply chain, with the highest concentration of industry experts within one team, and a deep-rooted passion for delving into the intricacies.

We are a global team of analysts, each with extensive networks across the semiconductor supply chain and AI ecosystem, publishing industry shaping articles while participating in numerous conferences annually.

Our newsletters reach more than 200,000 subscribers worldwide, including senior management and c-suite leaders at the leading semiconductor and AI companies.

We also offer three core products:

• Industry Models – we develop and publish industry models on accelerator shipments, datacentre demand and supply, GPU total cost of ownership, and more. We work with hyperscalers, neoclouds, many of the world’s largest hedge funds, and government agencies.

• Core Research – our public equity markets product, geared towards financial investors, distils our deep technical research and knowledge into key insights on technology and product trends.

• Consulting and Technical Due Diligence – We conduct custom research and project work to guide key strategic and investment decisions for the largest private equity funds, leading venture capital firms, companies across the AI ecosystem, and government agencies.

Position Overview
SemiAnalysis is looking for a Procurement and Operations Specialist to join our teardown lab in Oregon. The lab buys, takes apart and analyzes chips, boards and full systems, from phones and laptops to accelerators and servers. The results feed into the research we publish. The job has two halves. On the procurement side, you make sure the lab has the hardware, equipment and outside services it needs, when it needs them, at a sensible price. On the operations side, you handle the compliance, legal and business admin that comes with running a lab that works on other companies’ hardware. You’ll work closely with the lab team and our analysts, and you’ll be the main contact for our outside counsel and vendors. This is a full-time, on-site role in Oregon reporting to the teardown lab lead. Some travel for vendor visits and hardware pickup.

Responsibilities
Procurement

• Buy the devices and systems we tear down (phones, PCs, accelerators, servers, networking gear, automotive and industrial modules) through retail, distributors, brokers, auctions and the secondary market, often at or shortly after launch

• Find hard-to-get parts such as engineering samples, allocated or export-controlled components and end-of-life parts, and vet brokers before we buy

• Keep the lab stocked with equipment and consumables for decapsulation, imaging, X-ray, cross-sectioning, soldering and test, plus chemicals and calibration services

• Scope and contract outside lab work (SEM/TEM imaging, failure analysis, chemical analysis) when we can’t do it in house

• Negotiate pricing, lead times, warranties and payment terms, manage purchase orders and vendor onboarding, and track spend by project

• Arrange domestic and international shipping, customs and receiving, and keep chain of custody records for everything that comes through the lab

Operations

• Handle compliance for the lab: export controls (EAR/ITAR) and sanctions screening on what we buy and who we buy it from, hazardous materials handling and disposal, OSHA and Oregon workplace safety rules, and permits for lab chemicals and waste

• Act as the lab’s point of contact with outside counsel. Draft and track NDAs, vendor and service agreements, purchase terms and consulting agreements, oversee how we handle confidential hardware, and coordinate IP and publication review before teardown content goes out

• Run the business side: vendor and contractor onboarding, invoicing and expense reconciliation, insurance (property, liability, shipping), facility and lease matters, and asset inventory for lab equipment and devices

• Write and maintain the lab’s SOPs for intake, chain of custody, safety and disposal, and keep records in good enough shape to pass an audit

• Work with finance on budgets and spend reporting, with the lab team on project timelines, and with analysts on what hardware they need and when

Requirements

• 3+ years in procurement, sourcing, supply chain or operations, ideally in electronics, semiconductors, a hardware startup, a test or failure-analysis lab, or a research organization

• Experience buying hardware through non-standard channels (brokers, secondary markets, overseas vendors) and judging whether a source is legitimate

• Some working knowledge of export controls, sanctions screening and hazardous materials handling, or a clear ability to learn it quickly with help from counsel

• Comfortable reading and redlining contracts and NDAs and working with lawyers

• Organized. Inventory, chain of custody, budgets and records stay accurate without someone checking up on you

• Enough technical background to understand what the lab is working on and hold a credible conversation with vendors and engineers

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience

Preferred Skills

• APICS (CPIM/CSCP), ISM (CPSM) or an export compliance certification

• Time spent in a teardown, reverse engineering, failure analysis or materials lab

• Experience setting up operations at a new lab or facility

• Familiarity with SAP, Oracle, NetSuite or a similar system for purchasing and asset tracking

• Interest in the semiconductor industry and the kind of work SemiAnalysis publishes

Growth Areas

• The lab is still young, so there is room for this role to grow into running operations for the facility as it expands, including budget, headcount and vendor strategy

• We’ll support formal training and certification in export controls, hazmat and lab safety if you want to go deeper there

• You’ll build out the broker network, launch-day sourcing process and secondary-market relationships that the lab depends on, and shape how we do that going forward

• Working next to the analysts and lab engineers, you’ll pick up a solid understanding of the chips and systems we take apart and why they matter

SemiAnalysis LLC participates in the E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information, visit e-verify.gov.

• E-Verify Poster: https://www.everify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/EVerifyParticipationPoster.pdf

• Right to Work Poster: https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/file/1133936/dl?inline=