Third-Party Procurement Specialist

Position Summary

The Third‑Party Procurement Specialist owns Sunward’s relationships with the external manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners that make up our growing 3P network. As Sunward expands its capacity through third‑party manufacturing partnerships, this role is the operational backbone of that expansion – ensuring that every vendor delivers the right product, at the right quality, at the right time, and at the right cost.

This is a role for someone who works independently, thinks critically, and thrives in complexity. You will manage a portfolio of vendor relationships simultaneously – each with its own specifications, timelines, pricing structures, and performance expectations. You are the kind of person who builds systems before you need them, spots problems before they surface, and communicates with clarity and confidence across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

The right candidate brings strong process discipline, genuine curiosity about how things are made, and the interpersonal skills to hold vendors accountable while maintaining productive long‑term relationships.

Vendor Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all third‑party manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners in Sunward’s 3P network – building strong, accountable, long‑term working relationships.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews to assess performance against quality, delivery, pricing, and responsiveness benchmarks – providing structured feedback and escalating underperformance with clear corrective action expectations.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, terms, and contractual agreements with vendors, working in collaboration with leadership to ensure favorable and competitive arrangements.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors to expand Sunward’s 3P manufacturing and component capabilities – conducting due diligence on quality systems, capacity, financial stability, and fit.
• Maintain a comprehensive and current vendor database including contact information, pricing agreements, lead time benchmarks, quality certifications, and performance history.
• Develop and maintain contingency sourcing plans for critical components and manufacturing categories to reduce supply chain risk.

Procurement & Order Management

• Manage the end‑to‑end procurement process for 3P components and manufactured parts – from requisition through purchase order placement, confirmation, tracking, and delivery verification.
• Ensure all purchase orders are accurate, complete, and entered into the system with correct specifications, quantities, pricing, and delivery requirements before release to vendors.
• Track all open purchase orders proactively – monitoring status, flagging delays, and communicating impacts to internal teams before they affect production or delivery schedules.
• Coordinate with logistics and freight partners on shipping, routing, and delivery scheduling to optimize cost and reliability for inbound component shipments.
• Manage change orders, revisions, and cancellations with vendors in a timely and documented manner, ensuring records reflect current status at all times.

Quality & Compliance

• Partner with the engineering and drafting teams to ensure vendor‑supplied components and manufactured parts meet Sunward’s design specifications, tolerances, and quality standards.
• Coordinate receipt inspection and incoming quality verification for 3P components, working with operations to resolve non‑conformances and manage returns or replacements with vendors.
• Ensure all vendors maintain required certifications, insurance, and compliance documentation – tracking expiration dates and initiating renewals proactively.
• Document and investigate quality escapes or delivery failures with root cause analysis and corrective action follow‑through from the vendor.

Process Development & Continuous Improvement

• Build and maintain the processes, workflows, and documentation standards that govern Sunward’s 3P vendor management function – creating structure where it does not yet exist and improving it where it does.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate vendors,…