Purchasing Manager – Aerospace Manufacturing Scale-Up

Rocket Lab Corporation; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab Auckland is seeking a Purchasing Manager to lead the procurement team supporting machining and raw materials as the company scales from R&D to mass production. You will own end-to-end procurement, build supplier relationships, and ensure readiness for high-rate manufacturing, reporting to the Director of Procurement NZ.

The role requires 8+ years in purchasing, strong negotiation and cost modelling skills, and a track record of cross-functional collaboration in fast-moving

Qualifications

• 8+ years of purchasing experience with leadership in fast-paced manufacturing.
• Proven ability to source, negotiate, and manage suppliers in complex production settings.
• Experience building team strategy and operation plans for scaling.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a procurement team focused on machining and raw material commodities.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement to support production ramp and rapid engineering cycles.
• Develop global commodity strategies to optimise cost, quality, and delivery.
• Negotiate using cost modelling to influence design and long-term cost.
• Maintain supplier readiness for high-volume production and data in ERP.
• Identify new suppliers to support future scaling.

Skills

Purchasing leadership

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Cost modelling tools

Job description

Rocket Lab Auckland is seeking a Purchasing Manager to lead the procurement team supporting machining and raw materials as the company scales from R&D to mass production. You will own end-to-end procurement, build supplier relationships, and ensure readiness for high-rate manufacturing, reporting to the Director of Procurement NZ.

The role requires 8+ years in purchasing, strong negotiation and cost modelling skills, and a track record of cross-functional collaboration in fast-moving