Sourcing Specialist, Mechanical & Optical Commodities (Starlink) Verified today
About the role
As a Sourcing Specialist on the Starlink supply chain team, you will manage sourcing across mechanical and optical commodities used on Starlink satellites. The team moves quickly and operates across domestic and international suppliers to enable rapid design iteration and production scaling.
Responsibilities
- Develop and manage supply base (domestic and international) that enables rapid design iteration
- Work directly with key suppliers to develop and implement sourcing and cost management strategies for existing platforms and new product development
- Own supply continuity, capacity planning, and production readiness for rapidly scaling programs
- Drive supplier negotiations including pricing, long-term agreements (LTAs), capacity investments, lead times, and commercial terms
- Monitor global industry trends and technology roadmaps, partnering with design teams to identify and mitigate supply and demand challenges
- Partner with engineering teams to support new product introduction (NPI), design changes, qualification activities, and production transitions
- Build and maintain sourcing strategies including multi-source development, vertical integration opportunities, and new manufacturing techniques
- Lead executive-level supplier escalations and recovery efforts for quality, delivery, and technical risks
- Develop risk assessments, mitigation plans, and production recovery strategies
- Monitor and improve supplier performance across delivery, quality, responsiveness, and cost
- Drive end-to-end ownership of hardware from material readiness through full-rate production
- Manage costs to ensure alignment with program budget
- Present value propositions to executives on contract awards, cost reviews, cost reduction strategies, and critical supply issues
Basic qualifications
- Bachelor's degree, or 2+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, material planning, production planning, supply chain management, or engineering
Preferred skills and experience
- 3+ years of procurement experience in direct commodity sourcing
- Technical procurement or planning experience with machined, optical, or photonic components
- Experience in new product introduction (NPI) and mass production (MP)
- Ability to read technical drawings, datasheets, fabrication drawings, BOMs and related files
- Experience driving piece price and tooling negotiations to meet best-in-class pricing and quality standards
- Category management experience including business plans, market conditions, technology roadmaps, cost modeling, and sourcing strategies
- Proven track record of taking ownership, negotiating preferred pricing, and driving results
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to respond quickly in a fast-moving environment
- Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
- Effective written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
- Operates with the highest level of integrity
Additional requirements
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when needed to meet critical deadlines
- Ability to travel and communicate outside of work hours
- Ability to travel up to 30% of work week
- Must work onsite in Bastrop, TX. Remote work not considered.
ITAR eligibility
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (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 required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.