Sr. Global Category Manager - Sensors and Pneumatics, Electromechanical Strategic Sourcing Team

Overview

Are you inspired by invention? Is problem solving through teamwork in your DNA? We apply advances in robotics and software to solve real-world problems that delight our customers' experiences in ways we can't even imagine yet.

Amazon's Robotic Delivery & Packaging Innovation (RDPI) organization is located in the greater Boston area, the epicenter of robotics innovation, with development hubs also in Seattle and Europe. Our diverse teams design, test and build our dynamic fleet of robots, manipulation systems and packaging automation solutions, including autonomous movement and mobility, artificial intelligence and machine learning, manipulation, simulation, robotic management software, predictive analytics, and more.

The RDPI Supply Chain organization sources and manufactures a portfolio of robotics and automation technologies and is responsible for designing the supplier base, support and recommend the selection of technologies and components to support our global fulfillment and transportation solutions.

The Strategic Sourcing team is seeking an experienced Sr. Global Category Manager for Sensors and Pneumatics (Robotics Applications) with a strong technical background in sensor technologies, pneumatic system design, and vacuum generation for robotic manipulation platforms. This role requires deep expertise in global supplier management, new supplier introduction, supplier development, and executing sourcing decisions to support new product introduction and long-term commodity strategy.

The ideal candidate will be a self-managed and driven sourcing strategist with hands-on experience in photoelectric and inductive sensors, safety light curtains, pressure and flow sensing, pneumatic valves and manifolds, vacuum generators, and suction cup end-effector technologies. You should have proven ability to engage in Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VAVE) and DFx (Design for Excellence) exercises with suppliers and cross-functional teams, provide independent technical feedback to design groups, and support design decisions.

Experience mapping and aligning detection, process monitoring, and pneumatic actuation technology roadmaps, creating sourcing strategies, and business acumen to support engineering teams in applying high-reliability, high-performance sensing and pneumatic solutions through a strong supplier base without capacity constraints while achieving design standardization and harmonization, and cost reduction goals is essential.

The Sr. Global Category Manager ensures their categories and suppliers meet the technical and commercial specifications necessary for RDPI to satisfy its internal Manufacturing Operations, Supplier Quality, Supply Chain, and Hardware Engineering customers.