Global Supply Manager - Plastics

Base Power; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Base Power in Austin, Texas is seeking a Global Supply Manager to own supplier relationships and implement sourcing strategies for key materials including plastics and adhesives. This role involves leading RFx processes, negotiating terms, and managing supplier performance to support product development and manufacturing.

The ideal candidate will have a background in sourcing, strong communication skills, and a willingness to travel up to 25%. Join us in transforming the energy landscape and building resilient systems.

Qualifications

• 3+ years sourcing experience in a similar role.
• Fluency in tooling economics and mold design constraints.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end RFx processes for supplier selection.
• Negotiate piece price and tooling terms.
• Own commercial relationships with key suppliers.

Skills

Sourcing injection-molded plastics

Tooling economics

Project management

Strong written and verbal communication

Strong excel and spreadsheet skills

Job description

About Base

Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization—electricity—by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.

About the Role

Base is looking for a Global Supply Manager to source and own supplier relationships, support new and existing product development and manufacture, and to implement industry-leading sourcing strategy. This role will collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, and logistics teams to execute our product roadmap. The primary scope of this role is plastics, molded components, and resin parts— the injection-molded parts, LSR-overmolded seals, thermal materials, and resin and adhesive systems that protect, insulate, and seal every Base battery and inverter.

What You’ll Do

• Lead end-to-end RFx processes—scoping requirements, issuing RFQs, evaluating responses, and driving supplier selection to award.

• Build and maintain should-cost models that decompose plastic part cost—material, cycle time, tonnage, cavitation, secondary operations, and tooling amortization—to anchor negotiations in first principles.

• Negotiate piece price, tooling ownership and amortization terms, payment terms, and master agreements—ensuring contracts are in place before business is initiated and that tooling and IP rights protect Base at scale.

• Own the commercial relationship with key suppliers—tracking performance, managing escalations, and building the trust needed to move fast when it matters.

• Develop and execute commodity strategies across injection-molded plastics, LSR, thermal materials (mica, aerogel), and resin and adhesive systems—monitoring resin index movements, capacity constraints, and dual-source needs to stay ahead of risk.

• Drive supplier readiness across production ramp and sustained manufacturing, including capacity planning, lead time management, and obsolescence mitigation through end-of-life.

• Synthesize findings and present clear recommendations—on contract awards, cost reviews, risk mitigation, and supply continuity—to engineering and executive stakeholders.

What You’ll Bring

• Background in sourcing injection-molded plastics, LSR, thermal materials, or specialty resins and adhesives— with fluency in tooling economics, mold design constraints, resin pricing dynamics, and process capabilities across injection molding, compression forming, and LSR overmolding.

• 3+ years sourcing experience in a similar role.

• Strong excel and spreadsheet skills.

• Strong organizational and project management skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Flexible mindset and temperament.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally. Average 25% travel.

Preferred Skills

• Strong record of applying first principles thinking toward supplier negotiations.

• Strong record of managing successful escalations up to the executive level within a supplier.

• Ability to learn quickly and prioritize appropriately to meet customer and company needs.

About this Team

Our supply chain team is responsible for sourcing components, managing manufacturing operations, and building the vendor relationships needed to produce and deliver the lowest-cost, highest-quality home battery systems at scale. That means optimizing landed costs through global sourcing, ramping domestic manufacturing, and developing supplier partnerships that hold up under pressure.

The work has direct impact—homeowners across the country rely on Base for whole-home backup and below-market electricity rates, while our aggregated storage supports grid stability at a moment when demand is accelerating from AI infrastructure, electrification, and extreme weather. We’re building the supply foundation to keep pace, manufacturing in-house and expanding nationally at speeds and costs incumbents can’t match.

Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.

Our Values

• First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.

• Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.

• Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.

• Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.

• Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.

• Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in-person. It’s not a 9-to-5. We are all-in.

• Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.