Supply Chain & Sourcing Manager

At Mentee Robotics, we are redefining humanoid automation with an AI-first approach - combining perception, reasoning, and dexterous manipulation into fully autonomous systems that continuously learn and adapt.

We are now expanding with a new robotics Engineering Center in China, working hand-in-hand with our engineering teams in headquarters. Its mission: to rapidly develop our next-generation full-size humanoid and bring it to life - a walking, working platform that becomes the foundation of our next generation of products. This is a small, senior, hands-on team where speed of iteration is the core value.

We are looking for a Supply Chain & Sourcing Manager to be the commercial engine of our lab. You will source motors, gears, bearings, PCBs, sensors, and machined parts from China's robotics supply ecosystem at prototype speed - days, not months - while building the supplier relationships that will carry us toward production.

Who you are:

• Technical sourcing expert with an engineering background and extensive experience in supplier development and procurement.
• Pragmatic and fast - you know when a Taobao part is good enough and when it is not
• Quality-minded: you catch supplier problems before they reach the robot

Responsibilities:

• Own supplier identification, evaluation, and management for all robot components: motors, reducers, bearings, encoders, PCBs, harnesses, machined and printed parts
• Run fast-turn procurement for the lab, including expedited fabrication of custom mechanical and electronic parts
• Establish quality oversight: incoming inspection criteria, supplier audits, and corrective-action loops
• Manage production planning and coordination with manufacturing partners for small-batch builds
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and IP/NDA terms with suppliers
• Track BOM cost and availability; flag supply risks to the program early
• Support logistics and export processes for global shipments

Requirements:

• 8+ years in sourcing/supply chain for robotics, automation, drones, automotive, or consumer electronics in China
• Working knowledge of mechanical and electronic components - able to read drawings and specs and talk credibly with engineers and suppliers
• Demonstrated experience with fast prototype procurement, not only mass-production sourcing
• Strong negotiation skills and supplier network in motors, gears, and PCB/PCBA
• Fluent English and fluent Mandarin

Advantages:

• Existing relationships with actuator-chain suppliers
• Experience supporting an R&D site of a foreign company
• Familiarity with export compliance for robotics hardware