Purchasing Manager

Company Overview

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.

With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.

We are seeking a Purchasing Manager to support growth and expansion of a rapidly growing company. A role like this isn’t for someone who merely manages purchasing—it’s for someone who thrives where precision, pressure, and purpose collide. In this manufacturing environment, every decision you make keeps production moving, missions on track, and compliance airtight. You’ll be the force that maintains continuity of supply despite shifting demand, supplier constraints, and unforgiving schedules.

If you’re the kind of professional who stays sharp under pressure, solves problems before others even see them coming, and understands how tightly procurement must sync with dynamic production schedules, this is where your expertise becomes mission‑critical. Candidates with prior hands‑on experience in production planning and scheduling are strongly preferred.

This is an onsite position. You will initially work from the current facility in Austin and will transition to our new Pflugerville, TX location upon completion of the facility move, anticipated in Q3/Q4 2026.

• Direct and control all purchasing and materials management activities, ensuring alignment with aerospace quality standards, regulatory requirements, and customer contractual obligations
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve procurement policies, procedures, and systems governing aerospace material, components, tooling, capital equipment, and specialized services
• Ensure uninterrupted material flow to support production schedules despite long lead times, constrained suppliers, engineering changes, and urgent customer requirements
• Serve as a primary escalation point for supply chain disruptions, supplier quality issues, expedites, and delivery recovery actions
• Support aerospace programs and off‑site operations while maintaining compliance with AS9100, ITAR, FAR/DFARS, and customer‑specific requirements
• Partner cross‑functionally with engineering, planning, production, quality, supplier quality, warehouse, sales, and finance to rapidly resolve production‑critical material issues
• Develop and maintain a robust supplier selection, qualification, and risk assessment process appropriate for aerospace components and special processes
• Establish systems to evaluate supplier quotes using aerospace‑appropriate negotiation techniques considering quality, traceability, lead time, capacity, and lifecycle cost
• Build and maintain a qualified aerospace supplier base capable of meeting technical, quality, delivery, and compliance requirements
• Prepare, issue, and manage purchase orders and change notices with a focus on configuration control, traceability, and documentation accuracy
• Review and negotiate contracts, bids, and long‑term supplier agreements to ensure legal compliance, pricing integrity, and adherence to aerospace specifications
• Negotiate complex procurements involving long lead‑time components, sole‑source suppliers, special processes, and high‑value aerospace equipment
• Track and drive key performance metrics including supplier quality, delivery performance, cost variance, and corrective action closure
• Support audits, customer visits, and regulatory reviews related to procurement and supplier management
• May require up to 10% travel to suppliers for qualification, corrective action follow‑up, audits, or escalation support

• 6–10+ years of combined Planning and Procurement experience in aerospace or similarly regulated manufacturing environments
• Proven experience managing suppliers subject to AS9100, ITAR,…