Global Supply Manager (Raptor)

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

GLOBAL SUPPLY MANAGER (RAPTOR)

The Raptor Supply Chain team is looking for a machining, forging, and metallic raw materials expert to lead and develop our supply chain with strong commercial management, advanced technical skillset, and a hunger for excellence. Raptor requires the supply base to provide premium quality with rapidly evolving designs at increasingly ambitious volumes, rates and costs. We are actively seeking candidates who possess comprehensive supply chain experience in strategic negotiations, vendor development and risk mitigation. This position is extremely high-visibility with senior leadership & program executives and requires a combination of proven leadership, creativity, and persistence for excellence.

This is a technical position that requires practical experience in vendor development while being able to effectively balance cost, rate, and engine reliability. This candidate should be able to successfully see new product development all the way through to stabilized, high volume production and ensure the right parts are at the right homes in our supply base. The ideal candidate will have a broad understanding of the machining, assembly, and technical application of components of the engine, and be able to effectively communicate risks, strategy, and lessons learned with senior leadership, stakeholders, and junior members of the team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage the supply base supporting critical commodities for the Raptor product line with an emphasis on build-to-print aerospace components including, but not limited to, machined components and mechanical assemblies.
• Monitor trends and manage costs of parts across the Raptor portfolio and proactively mitigate cost increases by leveraging commercial relationships with suppliers, technical knowledge of the product, and excellent relationships with internal engineering groups. Should be able to knowledgeably speak to should-costing, cost structure at vendors, and technical efforts to reduce cost with finance and engineering executive leadership.
• Leverage demand forecasts and upcoming design releases to ensure the Raptor supply base has sufficient manufacturing capacity, technical competency, and quality processes to enable aggressive ramp up of vehicle production and absorb slowdowns in times of design change.
• Provide guidance to internal procurement staff and engineering customers on design for manufacturability, supply chain optimization, and cost reduction strategies for mechanical commodities, including machined components, mechanical components, sheet metal, forgings, castings, and hardware, etc.
• Conduct comprehensive supplier analysis to inform ‘Make vs. Buy’ decisions, down select an optimal sourcing plan taking short term NPI requirements and long term production rates, technology replacement, price trend, market and industry position, and risk assessments into account.
• Visit supplier’s facilities and accurately assess technical capability, equipment, and capacity for rapid deployment of new product development and long-term production to implement a successful end-to-end product life cycle management strategy and process.
• Ability to develop should - cost models for competitive cost analysis. Deliver best in class Total Cost of Ownership and educate more junior members of supply chain team in how to effectively and aggressively approach driving cost down, contracts, and supplier management to yield the best results.
• Install and optimize manufacturing capacity in vendor base to assure continuity of supply in a dynamic environment while driving continuous process improvement to enhance efficiency at vendors and ultimately drive down cost.
• Administer moderate to large contracts and independently negotiate contract terminology, pricing, technical requirements, scope and terms involving responsibility, liability, indemnification, intellectual property and export compliance.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures and government regulations while acting with integrity and prioritizing the needs of the program.
• Present value propositions, open risks, and health of Raptor vendor base to SpaceX executives and Raptor senior leadership, including those related to contract awards, cost reviews, cost reduction strategies and critical supply issues.
• Understand the technical aspects of production equipment to identify opportunities for cost, space, and process optimization and use data analytics to identify and parse process related opportunities.
• Utilize negotiations to maximize value, cost savings and priority in terms of delivery for SpaceX while lowering risk; manage costs to ensure alignment with program budgets.
• Create sourcing strategies to reduce risk, enable continuous cost reduction and align with company strategy on payment terms, cash targets, on time delivery and cost savings.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree and 4+ years of experience working in one or more of the following; OR bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of experience working in one or more of the following; OR 10+ years of experience working in one or more of the following with an emphasis in CNC machined parts, forgings, or raw materials:
• Engineering (mechanical, aerospace, chemical, materials)
• Purchasing (CNC machined parts, forgings, metallic raw materials, sheet metal, metal stampings, production tooling)
• Contract negotiation
• Supply chain management
• Material cost control
• Experience in identifying and executing an optimized machining supply chain, including raw material, machining, material processing, inspection and logistics.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated success in experience managing large value contracts and global supply base while balancing dynamic configuration changes and balancing trades between cost, quality, and schedule.
• Proficient ability to read drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerance, preliminary design reviews, and quality documents.
• Experience in sourcing from a global supply base and raw materials, for machined components and assemblies, with a good intuition for potential success/failure of chosen vendors.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic technical procurement, new product introduction, and high-volume production procurement, manufacturing, or design/development experience.
• Exceptional written, verbal and presentation communication skills with ability to concisely summarize/explain risks, successes, and help needed with senior leadership.
• Ability to learn program context and needs quickly to prioritize meeting the goals of the Raptor program and striving for excellence.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated and able to respond quickly to a fast-moving and ever-changing environment.
• Conducts all activities with the highest of integrity.
• Demonstrated success in technical + strategic negotiation process to meet/exceed Best-In-Class expectations, while meeting/exceeding Best-In-Class quality, in addition to driving continual cost reduction and avoidance initiatives through ad-hoc price negotiations.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel and communicate outside of work hours
• Must be able to travel up to 15%
• Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed
• This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

Level 3: $135,000.00 - $200,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to  [email protected].