Director, Strategic Sourcing

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Full Time Fremont, CA, US

2 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $ To $ Annually

We are seeking a highly experienced Director, Strategic Sourcing to strengthen and transform the company’s external manufacturing and supplier ecosystem as we scale our surgical robotic platform.

THINK Surgical (“THINK”) relies extensively on OEM and sub-tier suppliers for manufacturing, with a number of critical components and technologies currently single sourced due to technical complexity, supplier capability, intellectual property, or limited qualified alternatives. This role will be a key technical leader responsible for improving supplier capability, manufacturability, supply continuity, capacity, cost, and scalability across the supply base.

The Director, Strategic Sourcing will serve as the technical bridge between R&D, Supply Chain, Quality, the OEM, and critical sub-tier suppliers. The individual will lead supplier technical assessments, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), process capability improvement, supplier industrialization, capacity development, supplier transfers, and strategic dual-source initiatives. This role also required hands‑on work directly with suppliers, challenge engineering specifications when appropriate, and translate business requirements into executable supplier strategies.

This position is based at THINK’s corporate office.

• Strategic Sourcing Strategy
  • Develop and own the company’s multi-year strategic sourcing strategy aligned with:
    • Product and technology roadmaps
    • Commercial growth plans
    • COGS and margin objectives
    • Manufacturing strategy
    • Supply continuity requirements
    • Geographic expansion
    • Business continuity and resilience
  • Establish the overall sourcing architecture for:
    • OEM manufacturing
    • Critical components
    • Strategic sub-tier suppliers
    • Regional supply
    • Dual‑source and multi‑source strategies
    • Proprietary and IP‑constrained components
• OEM Strategy and Selection
  • Develop the OEM strategy for current and future production volumes.
  • Assess OEM capabilities, capacity, cost structure, scalability, geographic footprint, and sub‑tier supplier management.
  • Establish the appropriate division of sourcing responsibility between the company and OEM.
  • Negotiate long‑term manufacturing agreements and commercial frameworks.
  • Secure capacity commitments required for commercial ramp‑up.
  • Develop OEM performance and improvement strategies.
• Commodity Strategy
• Own the sourcing strategy for critical commodities and technologies, including but not limited to:
  • Precision machining
  • Motors and actuators
  • Electronics and PCBAs
  • Sensors and optical components
  • Complex electromechanical assemblies
  • Sterile/procedure‑related components
  • Contract manufacturing services
  • Lead strategic supplier selection for critical components and technologies.
  • Lead RFQs and competitive sourcing events.
  • Coordinate cross‑functional supplier evaluations.
  • Evaluate supplier technical capability, capacity, quality, financial health, cost, scalability, and risk.
  • Develop sourcing recommendations for executive approval.
  • Lead commercial negotiations and supplier award decisions.
  • Establish sourcing allocation strategies.
  • Develop long‑term supplier agreements.
  • Establish and own a Critical Single‑Source Risk Management Program
    .
  • For each critical single‑source component, determine the appropriate strategy:
    • Develop a second source
    • Negotiate capacity protection
    • Establish long‑term supply commitments
    • Increase strategic inventory
    • Develop alternate technology
    • Reduce dependency through design changes
    • Secure tooling and intellectual property rights
    • Establish business continuity plans
• Cos…