Technical Buyer

Airbound; Hoskote; On-site; INR 1,600,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health insurance

Relocation assistance and daily travel

Advanced salary credit

Job summary

Airbound in Bangalore-Hoskote is seeking a procurement professional to own end-to-end procurement, vendor management, and inventory planning for critical components used in its drone delivery platform.

You will align with R&D, manufacturing and operations, build sourcing strategies, manage vendor relationships, and drive cost savings while ensuring supply continuity in a fast-paced startup.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of professional experience with a proven mix of strategic sourcing and day-to-day operational buying, ideally from a fast-paced startup, a hardware-centric company, or a complex manufacturing environment.
• Deep sourcing knowledge in at least two of the following: contract negotiations, supplier risk, cost analysis, supplier relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Own the full vendor lifecycle: identify, vet, and onboard reliable partners.
• Lead rigorous contract negotiations to secure favorable terms.
• Establish and monitor vendor performance KPIs.
• Proactively resolve quality or delivery disputes to maintain supply continuity.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies based on deep cost analysis and spend management.
• Continuously assess the market to identify potential supply risks.
• Implement mitigation plans to ensure long-term resilience for our unique components.
• Manage safety stock levels and optimize lead times.
• Balance inventory turnover to ensure critical components are always available without excessive capital tie-up.
• Act as the central link between R&D, manufacturing, and production teams to align procurement with engineering milestones.
• Coordinate closely with logistics partners to streamline inbound freight and ensure timely delivery to our facilities.
• Maintain flawless accuracy in purchase orders and procurement records.
• Track key supply chain metrics and report on budget adherence.
• Use data-driven insights to identify opportunities for further cost savings and process improvements.

Skills

Vendor management

Negotiation

Sourcing

Inventory planning

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

MS Excel

ERP systems

Job description

About Airbound

Our mission is to make a world where everyone has access to delivery. Where goods move as freely as information moves today.

This is possible. Today the cost of moving on a scooter is ₹2/km. That’s the cost of moving a 150kg mass from point A to B. We’re bringing that mass down to less than 5kgs, concurrently bringing the cost down to 10 paise/km. This is how we make deliveries a reality. This is how we create a world where we’re doing billions of deliveries per day.

The tech is not there. The current cost of drone delivery is ₹100/km. We need to completely redefine the way things are done here. We’re building the world’s most efficient aircraft from the ground-up, and scaling that up to beyond anything the aerospace sector has ever seen. This cannot be an iterative process. We have to tear down all conventions and build everything up from scratch.

To do this, we need nothing less than the best engineers. The ones who care about building something fundamentally different, who are deeply curious about understanding the fundamentals of everything they’re working on, who are dreamers that believe in the impossible.

About the Role

We are building something that hasn’t existed before. This role owns our supply chain resilience. You’ll work directly with engineering and operations, owning the end-to-end procurement process. You’re a procurement generalist with a keen eye for logistics and inventory management for parts which involve understanding the technology as well. You know how to track parts, manage vendor relationships, and anticipate supply needs to ensure we are never out of stock.

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Management

• Own the full vendor lifecycle: identify, vet, and onboard reliable partners

• Lead rigorous contract negotiations to secure favorable terms

• Establish and monitor vendor performance KPIs

• Proactively resolve quality or delivery disputes to maintain supply continuity

Procurement Strategy

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies based on deep cost analysis and spend management

• Continuously assess the market to identify potential supply risks

• Implement mitigation plans to ensure long-term resilience for our unique components

Inventory Planning

• Manage safety stock levels and optimize lead times

• Balance inventory turnover to ensure critical components are always available without excessive capital tie-up

Operational Coordination

• Act as the central link between R&D, manufacturing, and production teams to align procurement with engineering milestones

• Coordinate closely with logistics partners to streamline inbound freight and ensure timely delivery to our facilities

Data & Reporting

• Maintain flawless accuracy in purchase orders and procurement records

• Track key supply chain metrics and report on budget adherence

• Use data-driven insights to identify opportunities for further cost savings and process improvements

Qualifications

Must-Have

• 5–8 years of professional experience with a proven mix of strategic sourcing and day-to-day operational buying, ideally from a fast-paced startup, a hardware-centric company, or a complex manufacturing environment

• Deep sourcing knowledge in at least two of the following:

• Sharp negotiation skills and the ability to interpret complex data to make informed procurement decisions

• A rigorous problem-solving mindset with extreme attention to detail

• Comfortable thriving in high-pressure, dynamic environments and executing tasks independently while navigating the complexities of a scaling supply chain

Good to Have

• Experience in aerospace, automotive, or heavy industrial logistics

Work location: Hoskote, Bangalore (Headquarters)

What We Offer

• Comprehensive health insurance to keep you and your loved ones covered

• Relocation assistance and a daily travel stipend to ease your commute

• Advanced salary credit to support you when you need it

“A driven, passionate team where you’ll have room to grow and thrive - this is more than just a job, it’s a rare opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up”

Work Schedule:

• In-office role, working alternate Saturdays.