Procurement And Supplier Development Associate Supply Chain

AgniKul Cosmos; Chennai District; On-site; INR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

AgniKul Cosmos in Chennai, India is seeking a hands-on procurement professional who will build supplier networks, negotiate aggressively, and drive cost reduction on the ground. You will identify suppliers across aerospace, automotive, and related sectors, and travel to supplier sites to assess capabilities.

You will work with engineering to translate requirements into sourcing strategies, conduct supplier audits, and resolve bottlenecks to enable rapid scalability of operations.

Qualifications

• Must-have experience in sourcing, procurement or vendor development.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills with ability to drive terms.
• Ability to understand manufacturing processes and engineering drawings.

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and develop suppliers across aerospace, automotive, industrial, fabrication, machining, electronics, and related sectors.
• Travel extensively to supplier locations and industrial clusters to assess capabilities.
• Negotiate terms, lead times, payment conditions, tooling costs, and long-term supply agreements.
• Drive cost reduction opportunities by creating supplier competition and optimizing alternatives.

Skills

Supplier development

Negotiation

Procurement

Sourcing

Cost reduction

Factory visits

Job description

Job Description:

ABOUT

Agnikul Cosmos is a company incubated at IIT Madras and we build rockets that can take satellites up to 500 kg to Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). In May 2024, we successfully completed our maiden launch from our own launchpad (Indias first private launchpad). The launch has proven all the new technologies developed by Agnikul and also earned recognition from Honourable Prime Minister of India.

We are not looking for someone who manages purchase orders from a laptop. We are looking for someone who can build supplier networks, negotiate aggressively, reduce costs, and solve sourcing problems on the ground.

If you enjoy visiting factories more than attending meetings, this role is for you.

This Role Is NOT For You If

• You prefer desk-based procurement.
• Most of your experience is creating POs, updating ERP systems, or tracking approvals.
• You are uncomfortable with supplier visits and commercial negotiations.
• You prefer process management over execution.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify, evaluate, and develop suppliers across aerospace, automotive, industrial, fabrication, machining, electronics, and related manufacturing sectors.
• Travel extensively to supplier locations and industrial clusters to assess manufacturing capabilities.
• Negotiate commercial terms, lead times, payment conditions, tooling costs, and long-term supply agreements.
• Create competition between suppliers and continuously drive cost reduction opportunities.
• Build alternate vendor ecosystems to reduce risk and improve supply reliability.
• Work closely with engineering teams to understand requirements and convert them into sourcing strategies.
• Conduct supplier audits, capability assessments, and commercial evaluations.
• Develop deep understanding of manufacturing processes and cost structures.
• Resolve supply bottlenecks, quality concerns, and delivery issues directly with vendors.
• Support rapid scaling of operations through strong supplier relationships and execution.

Requirements

• 0-5 years of experience in sourcing, procurement, vendor development, supply chain.
• Comfortable spending significant time on supplier visits and factory floors.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Ability to understand manufacturing processes, fabrication, machining, industrial components, and engineering drawings.
• Proven history of achieving measurable cost reductions.
• High ownership and willingness to solve problems independently.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced startup environments.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in aerospace, automotive, heavy engineering, industrial manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, or defence sectors.
• Supplier development or vendor audit experience.
• Understanding of cost estimation and manufacturing economics.