Strategic Sourcing Manager; R5858) Security Clearance

Position: Strategic Sourcing Manager (R5858) with Security Clearance
Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

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Job Description:

Drive the supplier strategies that bring next-generation aerospace technology to life. In this role, you'll lead critical sourcing initiatives, build high-impact supplier partnerships, and collaborate across teams to deliver complex hardware from early development through production-helping accelerate innovation, strengthen the supply chain, and enable mission success. What you'll do:
* Lead the strategic sourcing and procurement of critical mechanical commodities, with a primary focus on airframe structures, precision-machined components, landing gear systems, and propulsion and engine-related hardware.
* Develop and execute commodity strategies that support prototype, development, qualification, and production requirements across aerospace and defense programs.
* Own supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, and long-term management for complex and mission-critical components and systems.
* Evaluate supplier capabilities across manufacturing processes, technical expertise, capacity, quality systems, financial stability, and production scalability.
* Lead competitive sourcing activities, including requests for quotation, proposal analysis, supplier negotiations, cost modeling, source-selection recommendations, and contract execution.
* Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, intellectual property provisions, capacity commitments, long-term agreements, and other commercial terms that reduce cost and program risk.
* Partner closely with Engineering to review drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, manufacturing requirements, statements of work, and engineering changes.
* Drive early supplier involvement during design and development to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, shorten lead times, and minimize technical and schedule risk.
* Develop a strong understanding of cost drivers associated with aircraft structures, machining, landing gear, engines, propulsion systems, special processes, and complex mechanical assemblies.
* Perform detailed cost and price analysis using supplier cost breakdowns, historical pricing, market data, should-cost models, and manufacturing process knowledge.
* Manage supplier performance across delivery, quality, cost, technical execution, responsiveness, and capacity while leading recovery plans and executive-level supplier reviews when performance falls below expectations.
* Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal to resolve complex supply chain and technical issues.
* Support new product introduction and production ramp-up by ensuring supplier readiness, material availability, tooling capacity, manufacturing feasibility, and qualification completion.
* Identify long-lead materials, capacity constraints, sole-source dependencies, obsolescence concerns, and other supply risks while developing and executing mitigation plans.

Required qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
* 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain management within aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
* Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing efforts and independently managing critical suppliers, commodities, or major aircraft systems.
* Experience sourcing one or more of the following commodity areas:
* Airframe and structural assemblies
* Metallic and composite structures
* Precision-machined components
* Landing gear systems and components
* Engines and propulsion systems
* Engine mounts and supporting structures
* Complex mechanical assemblies
* Castings and forgings
* Special-process and finished components
* Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, structural fabrication, composite manufacturing, casting, forging, welding, heat treatment, plating, coating, finishing, and mechanical assembly.
* Experience conducting supplier negotiations, cost and price analysis, proposal evaluations, and supplier source selections.
* Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex commercial agreements while balancing cost, quality, delivery, technical performance, and program risk.
* Experience managing suppliers through product development, engineering changes, qualification,…