Sourcing Engineer - Plastics & rubber

Exponent Energy; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Exponent Energy is seeking a Strategic Sourcing & SCM professional to lead supplier identification, evaluation, and negotiation for plastics and rubber components. You will develop commodity strategies, analyze costs, and collaborate with design, quality, and manufacturing teams to optimize material choices for new products.

The role requires 5+ years of experience, strong analytical skills, and a customer-first mindset.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in strategic sourcing or procurement.
• Experience with supplier negotiations, cost analysis, and NPD support.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams and manage audits.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate suppliers specializing in plastics, elastomers, rubber compounds, and molded components.
• Conduct technical and commercial assessments, including factory audits and capability reviews.
• Perform cost breakdown analysis for injection molding, extrusion and compounding processes.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and tooling costs with suppliers.
• Develop and implement sourcing strategies for plastics and rubber categories.
• Monitor market trends, resin price fluctuations, regulatory changes.
• Collaborate with design, NPD, quality, and manufacturing teams on material decisions.
• Support engineering changes and supplier readiness for new product introductions.
• Ensure suppliers meet ISO/IATF and environmental regulations; lead root cause analysis.
• Identify supply risks and promote sustainable sourcing practices.
• Manage RFQs, NDAs, supplier onboarding, and contract execution.
• Maintain records of supplier performance and sourcing decisions.
• Understand injection molding, compression molding, extrusion and rubber vulcanization processes.
• Know material families like PP, ABS, PC, EPDM, NBR, and silicone rubber.
• Tooling and mold cost estimation, cycle time optimization, and DFM.

Skills

Structured problem-solving

Detail orientation

Customer-first attitude

Data handling

Job description

You’ll be working with the Strategic Sourcing & SCM team. The team runs on supplier negotiations, spend analysis and coffee (with suppliers of course). The team has an infectious passion for building deep and engaging relationships with our supplier partners and developing capabilities to manufacture innovative products and components.

Our philosophy: Break. Believe. Build

Break stuff. Break assumptions. Break the thumb rule.

Believe in the team. Believe in the process. Believe through failures.

Build fast. Build passionately. Build to simplify.

Responsibilities

• Supplier Identification & Evaluation
  • Research and qualify suppliers specializing in plastics, elastomers, rubber compounds, and molded components
  • Conduct technical and commercial assessments, including factory audits and capability reviews
• Cost Analysis & Negotiation
  • Perform cost breakdown analysis for injection molding, extrusion and compounding processes
  • Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and tooling costs with suppliers to achieve target cost objectives
• Commodity Strategy Development
  • Develop and implement sourcing strategies aligned with company goals for plastics and rubber categories
  • Monitor market trends, resin price fluctuations, and regulatory changes affecting material availability or cost
• Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with design, NPD, quality, and manufacturing teams to influence material selection and supplier decisions
  • Support engineering change management and ensure timely supplier readiness for new product introductions
• Quality & Compliance Assurance
  • Ensure suppliers meet quality standards (e.g., ISO, IATF) and comply with environmental regulations
  • Address non-conformances and lead root cause analysis and corrective actions with suppliers
• Risk Management & Sustainability
  • Identify supply risks and develop mitigation plans
  • Promote sustainable sourcing practices
• Documentation & Process Management
  • Manage RFQs, NDAs, supplier onboarding, and contract execution
  • Maintain accurate records of supplier performance, cost tracking, and sourcing decisions
• Specialized Knowledge Areas
  • Injection molding, compression molding, extrusion, and rubber vulcanization processes
  • Material families like PP, ABS, PC, EPDM, NBR, and silicone rubber
  • Tooling and mold cost estimation, cycle time optimization, and DFM (Design for Manufacturability)

The ideal candidate requires

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Structured problem-solving, detail orientation, and customer-first attitude
• Ability to handle data in a structured manner

What Matters

• Empathy toward all customers
• Holding Context as your guiding force
• Approach towards problem-solving
• A positive attitude
• Resilient attitude to bounce back after failure