Strategic Sourcing Manager; R5858

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). Follow Shield AI on Linked In, X, Instagram, and You Tube.

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.

• 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.

• 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…