Global Supply Manager – PCBA & Electronics

WindBorne Systems; California; On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

Stock Option Plan

Office food and beverages

Job summary

WindBorne Systems is hiring its first Global Supply Manager to own the external supplier base for PCBA, electronics, and electromechanical components in California. You will identify, qualify, negotiate, and manage suppliers to ensure on-time delivery, cost targets, and adherence to specs.

You will collaborate with design engineering, manufacturing, and internal procurement teams, handling RFQ lifecycles, dual sourcing strategies, and escalation when needed.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategic sourcing or global supply management in hardware.
• Experience managing contract manufacturers and EMS providers.
• Proven RFQ ownership and should-cost modeling.
• Experience with Asia suppliers and coordinating Asia hours.
• Experience from NPI to production ramp.
• Technical depth to read BOMs and work with engineers.
• Ability to build process from scratch in a lean team.
• Strong written and verbal communication across functions.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Own sourcing strategy for PCBAs, boards, components.
• Run full RFQ lifecycle from supplier identification to terms.
• Onboard new suppliers in the U.S. and Asia with an approved vendor list.
• Negotiate supply agreements and volume commitments.
• Own true order-to-delivery lead times for fabrication, sourcing, assembly, shipping.
• Manage contract manufacturers and BOM revisions.
• Monitor unapproved changes and drive corrective action.
• Identify supply risks and implement dual sourcing and buffer stock.
• Lead escalation during shortages and expedites.
• Collaborate with EE/ME on component selection and DFM.
• Drive BOM cost reduction through should-cost modeling.
• Manage supplier performance with scorecards and reviews.
• Handoff qualified suppliers for repeat purchasing.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Global supply management

RFQ management

Supplier negotiations

BOM / PCB knowledge

NPI to production ramp

Asia supplier experience

Travel willingness

Education

Engineering degree

Supply chain or purchasing degree

Job description

• Dental insurance

About WindBorne

WindBorne Systems designs, builds, and flies long-duration stratospheric balloons that collect atmospheric data. Our flight hardware is a mechatronic assembly of PCBAs, electronic sensors, ballast, and an adjustable balloon. Populated boards and electronic assemblies come from our supplier base and are integrated and tested in-house. We are producing hundreds of systems per month, and our supply chain needs to keep up with both production and a fast engineering revision cycle.

The Role

We are hiring our first Global Supply Manager to own our external supplier base for PCBA, electronics, and electromechanical components. You will take suppliers from identification through qualification, negotiate pricing and agreements, and manage those relationships so that parts arrive on time, at the right cost, and to spec. You will work closely with design engineering, manufacturing, and our internal procurement and logistics team, which handles repeat orders and receiving once a supplier is qualified.

Responsibilities

What You Will Do

• Own sourcing strategy for PCBAs, bare boards, electronic components, cable assemblies, connectors, and other electromechanical parts.
• Run the full RFQ lifecycle: supplier identification, quote analysis, cost breakdown, and negotiation of piece price, tooling, and terms.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers in the U.S. and Asia, and build an approved vendor list with two to three qualified sources per commodity.
• Negotiate supply agreements and volume commitments, including forecast flexibility that protects both WindBorne and the supplier through engineering changes.
• Confirm and own true order-to-delivery lead times, including bare board fabrication, component sourcing, assembly, and shipping, so that every order has a reliable arrival date.
• Manage contract manufacturers and consigned material: BOM revisions, component substitution approvals, and first article reviews.
• Monitor suppliers for unapproved changes, such as part substitutions from a different manufacturer under the same part number, and drive corrective action.
• Identify supply risks (single-source, long-lead, end-of-life parts) and put in place dual sourcing, alternates, and buffer stock.
• Lead escalation when shortages or delays hit: pull in alternate sources, negotiate expedites and partial shipments, and keep manufacturing and engineering informed.
• Partner with EE and ME teams on component selection, DFM feedback, and alternate parts during NPI, and flag the supply impact of design changes before commitments are made.
• Drive BOM cost reduction through should-cost modeling, supplier competition, and spend consolidation.
• Manage supplier performance on delivery, quality, and cost through scorecards, business reviews, and on-site visits.
• Hand off qualified suppliers to internal procurement for repeat purchasing, and remain the escalation point for delivery and quality issues.

Skills And Qualifications

What We Are Looking For

• 7+ years of strategic sourcing or global supply management experience in hardware, with hands-on ownership of PCB/PCBA and electronic components.
• Experience managing contract manufacturers and EMS providers, including how bare board fabrication, component procurement, and assembly lead times stack up.
• Proven track record owning RFQs, building should-cost models, and leading complex supplier negotiations.
• Experience working directly with suppliers in Asia, and comfort taking calls in Asia business hours when needed.
• Experience supporting products from NPI through production ramp.
• Technical depth to read BOMs, work through component-level detail with engineers, and catch spec deviations.
• Comfortable building process from scratch in a lean, fast-moving team. You will be the first dedicated person in this role.
• Strong written and verbal communication across engineering, manufacturing, finance, and supplier leadership.
• Willingness to travel to supplier sites domestically and internationally as needed.

Nice to Have

• Mandarin or another Asian language used with suppliers.
• Experience sourcing injection-molded, machined, or cable assembly components.
• Background in drones, robotics, aerospace, or other electromechanical hardware.
• Degree in engineering, supply chain, or purchasing and materials management.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO
• Stock Option Plan
• Office food and beverages

Compensation

Base pay: $150,000–$200,000 / year

We are considering a range of backgrounds and experience levels for this position and adjust our offers accordingly to be competitive with market rates.

Location requirements

• California

WindBorne HQ: 1600 Bridge Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065

WindBorne Systems is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. To request an accommodation in the application process, email [e-mail].