Manager, Supply Chain & Operations

Elevated Materials; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with match

Paid holidays and parental leave

Company cell phone

Job summary

Elevated Materials seeks a proactive Manager, Supply Chain & Operations to manage sourcing, procurement, inventory, and logistics for production and R&D across Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. You’ll lead cross-functional initiatives, drive trade compliance, and support ERP/SAP implementations while coordinating with global teams.

The role requires 8+ years in supply chain, strong negotiation and analytical skills, and an ability to work across multiple departments to optimize material flow and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related field or experience.
• 8+ years in supply chain, procurement, or materials management in manufacturing or industrial R&D.
• Experience in sourcing, supplier negotiations, purchasing, materials planning, inventory control, and shipping/receiving operations.
• Proficiency with ERP and MS Office; experience improving purchasing, inventory, or logistics workflows.
• Knowledge of international shipping, trade compliance, and cross-border collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing and procurement for production and R&D materials, equipment, packaging, and services.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Quality to assess material specs and supplier capabilities; support qualification and alternatives.
• Drive cost optimization through supplier benchmarking and contract renegotiations; monitor delivery, quality, and supply risks.
• Negotiate procurement terms within authority and coordinate legal reviews.
• Plan materials with Production and R&D; manage supplier lead times and inventory balance.
• Maintain inventory integrity with ERP transactions, cycle counts, and material traceability.
• Coordinate shipping/receiving, prepare documentation, track shipments, and manage Dangerous Goods compliance.
• Oversee outbound logistics for orders and international shipments; coordinate with service providers.
• Lead US SAP implementation workstream; develop SOPs and standard processes; ensure data readiness and adoption.
• Ensure proper asset capitalization and financial reporting through coordinated purchasing coding.

Skills

Sourcing

Supplier Negotiations

Purchasing

Materials Planning

Inventory Control

Shipping and Receiving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

ERP Systems

Microsoft Office

Excel

SharePoint

Job description

Manager, Supply Chain & Operations

Location: Santa Clara, California (On-site)

Type: Full-Time

About Us

Elevated Materials leads in battery innovation with ultra-thin lithium films. Our films enhance performance by improving energy density, cycle life, and charge rates. With decades of materials engineering expertise and a strong patent portfolio, our technology applies to graphite, silicon, and lithium metal anodes and can be customized for specific customer needs. We can help electric vehicles, eVTOL aircraft, energy storage systems, and consumer electronics achieve superior performance and longevity.

About the Role

Elevated Materials is seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Manager, Supply Chain & Operations, to oversee critical supply chain and operational functions across our production and R&D operations. As a key member of the Operations team, you will oversee end-to-end logistics and material flow, including shipping and receiving, inventory management, procurement, supplier coordination, and trade compliance. The role also provides support for EHS, facilities, ERP process development, and cross-functional initiatives. Success in this position requires a proactive, hands-on approach to driving operational excellence and ensuring seamless execution across the supply chain and broader organization. This is a full-time, onsite position based across our two locations in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, five days a week. Regular collaboration with our Germany team requires flexibility for meetings across time zones.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Sourcing, Procurement, and Supplier Management

• Lead sourcing and procurement for production and R&D materials, equipment, packaging, and services, including supplier identification, evaluation, negotiations, purchase orders, delivery management, and issue resolution.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and other relevant stakeholders to assess material specifications and supplier capabilities, support qualification, and identify alternative sources for critical materials.
• Lead cost optimization through supplier benchmarking, contract renegotiations, and continuous performance reviews; track delivery, quality, cost, and supply risks.
• Negotiate procurement terms and conditions within approved authority and coordinate associated legal reviews.

Materials Planning and Inventory

• Partner with Production and R&D to translate material requirements into purchasing and replenishment plans, manage supplier lead times, identify shortages, and balance material availability with inventory investment.
• Maintain inventory integrity through regular cycle counts, accurate ERP transactions, material traceability, and timely receipt and storage of materials. Monitor inventory aging and enforce material handling standards.

Logistics, Packaging, and Trade Compliance

• Coordinate shipping and receiving operations, including preparing documentation, tracking shipments, and ensuring adherence to applicable Dangerous Goods requirements for assigned shipping activities.
• Manage outbound logistics for customer orders, samples, and international shipments, including shipment planning, documentation, service-provider coordination, and issue resolution.
• Own day-to-day trade-compliance execution, including coordination and documentation of Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classifications and country-of-origin requirements, with designated internal or external specialists supporting complex determinations and escalations.
• Select and implement appropriate Incoterms rules and delivery arrangements for customer and intercompany shipments, in coordination with Sales, Finance, and Legal.
• Coordinate with packaging vendors and internal stakeholders to develop and maintain packaging solutions for current and future products, supporting qualification and applicable shipping and certification requirements.

Systems, Process Improvement, and Cross-Functional Execution

• Lead the US supply chain business workstream for SAP implementation, including process definition, master-data readiness, user testing, training, and adoption, in partnership with IT and implementation resources.
• Create and maintain SOPs, controls, and standardized processes across purchasing, logistics, and inventory management.
• Ensure accurate purchase coding and supporting documentation in coordination with Finance to support appropriate asset capitalization and financial reporting.
• Enable Sales by assessing operational feasibility and coordinating execution of customer commitments. Resolve cross-functional issues with Germany Supply Chain, R&D, US Production, Finance, Legal, IT, customers, and service providers.
• Establish and monitor practical measures for material availability, inventory accuracy, supplier delivery, and cost improvement; elevate operational and commercial risks and drive corrective actions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Business Administration, Materials Management, Engineering) or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in supply chain, procurement, or materials management within manufacturing or an industrial R&D environment, including responsibility for suppliers, inventory, and logistics.
• Demonstrated experience in sourcing, supplier negotiations, purchasing, materials planning, inventory control, and hands-on shipping or receiving operations.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office (Excel, SharePoint), with experience implementing or improving purchasing, inventory, or logistics workflows.
• Working knowledge of international shipping, packaging, material management, trade-compliance documentation, and collaboration with international suppliers and cross-border teams.
• Experience coordinating Dangerous Goods shipments and related documentation, with the ability to complete and maintain training required for assigned shipping functions.
• Ability to work with Engineering and R&D on material specifications, supplier requirements, and operational constraints, and to lead improvements across functions.
• Excellent negotiation, organizational, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in advanced materials, batteries, chemicals, semiconductor equipment, or comparable technical manufacturing environments.
• SAP experience, particularly business-side implementation, process design, or user adoption.
• Experience building supply chain processes in a smaller or growing organization and delivering operational improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with cleanroom protocols and coordination of EHS or facilities service providers.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this position is $160,000 - $185,000 per year, based on the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. The total rewards package will also include company equity and an annual discretionary bonus.

Company benefits include

• Insurance: Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• Tax Savings Programs: FSA, HSA, Dependent Care FSA, and Commuter Benefits.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with 4.5% match and immediate vesting.
• Wellbeing Programs: One Medical, Rightway, Spring Health, XP Health, and SoFi.
• Additional Benefits: Flexible vacation policy, paid holidays, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Additional Perks: Company cell phone, employee resource support, and more.

If you’re a driven supply chain professional with facility operations experience and a passion for efficiency, this is your chance to make a real impact. Join Elevated and help power innovation through operational excellence!

Equal Opportunity Employer

Elevated Materials is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital or domestic partner status, age, military or veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Elevated Materials uses E-Verify to ensure employment eligibility. We welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

Industries

Electrochemical, Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, Battery Manufacturing, and Advanced Materials.