Principal Category Manager - PCBA

Epirus; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Epirus in Torrance, CA, is seeking a Principal Category Manager to lead sourcing, supplier negotiations, and supplier relationship management for PCBA and related manufacturing domains. You will work with engineering to define specs and terms, manage development to production, and drive cost and schedule improvements.

The role requires deep supplier management experience, a track record in negotiation, and collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, and programs teams in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, Business, Supply Chain or related field.
• 12+ years of subcontract, commodity or supplier management experience, or 8+ years with Master’s.
• Experience in supplier risk identification, mitigation and contingency planning.
• Direct design for manufacturing/quality experience.
• Experience in negotiations of price/terms and supplier IP.
• End-to-end PCB/PCBA manufacturing process understanding.
• Experience leading programs with cross-functional teams.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (security clearance may be required).

Responsibilities

• Act as sourcing and supplier expert in PCBA space and other areas.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and schedules with suppliers for development and production.
• Own full sourcing activities from development to contract close-out.
• Ensure supplier capacity and quality to meet ramp-up.
• Manage supplier spend and add new suppliers as needed.
• Lead supplier relationships and audit facilities for capability and capacity.
• Conduct Make vs. Buy analyses considering risks, costs, and timelines.
• Transition new technologies into product development with risk management.
• Collaborate across functions to meet business needs and resolve issues.
• Mentor other supply chain team members.

Skills

Negotiation

Supplier management

Strategic sourcing

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring

Contract close-out

PCBA manufacturing understanding

Make vs. Buy analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Industrial Engineering / Business / Supply Chain

Minimum 12 years subcontract/supplier management OR 8 years with Master’s

MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

About Epirus

Epirus is a high-growth technology company dedicated to overcoming the asymmetric challenges inherent to the future of national security. Epirus' flagship product, Leonidas, is a software-defined system built using intelligent power management techniques which allow power-hungry systems to do more with less.

Job Summary

This is an exciting role in a growing company. The ideal candidate for the Principal Category Manager position is someone who is a skilled negotiator, has a strong strategic supplier vision, and has experience setting supplier strategies for long-term success. You will be responsible for source selection from proposal to execution phases, including negotiating strong positions for Epirus and building and maintaining strong supplier relationships. You will work with engineering to develop specifications, work statements, and terms & conditions for the procurement of specialized materials, equipment, and/or services by preparing bid packages, ensuring competition, negotiating key provisions, select suppliers, and executing the award. This individual may be required to provide input and/or share their experience in establishing internal PCBA manufacturing, including capital equipment selection, preventative maintenance schedules, process flow, and identifying potential supplier needed working with production, advanced electronics, industrial and manufacturing engineering teams.

Duties

• Act as the sourcing and supplier expert in the PCBA space (specifically custom Epirus designs), but able to flex into multiple areas
• Collaborate across business functions to identify supplier needs and negotiate strong pricing, terms & schedules with suppliers for development and production programs
• Own and manage the full sourcing and procurement activities from development through production and final contract close out, including managing and avoiding cost & schedule scope creep
• Review cross-team capabilities and ensure the supply base has appropriate manufacturing capacity and quality yield to enable aggressive ramp up of production
• Manages the spend and supplier spend distribution for assigned mechanical commodities, including adding new suppliers as required
• Head supplier relationship by ensuring alignment to Epirus needs, define escalation protocol, and audit and inspect supplier’s facilities to accurately assess technical capability, equipment, and capacity for rapid deployment of new product development and long-term production
• Conduct comprehensive supplier analysis to inform ‘Make vs. Buy’ decisions, down select an optimal sourcing plan taking short term NPI requirements and long term production rates, technology replacement, price trend, market and industry position, and risk assessments into account
• Deliver a seamless transition of viable new technologies into the product development process managing risks while meeting quality, schedule, and cost goals.
• Collaborate across multiple functions to identify business needs, negotiate the right tradeoffs, solicit cooperation and resolve problems, and advance new supplier or product offerings.
• Mentor other supply chain team members in developing skills.
• Support other efforts, such as supply chain compliance, ERP development and other key company projects

Required Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management or related field
• Minimum of 12 years of subcontract, commodity or supplier management experienceOR minimum 8 years with a Master’s degree
• Understanding of supplier risk identification, mitigation and contingency planning
• Direct design for manufacturing or design for quality experience
• Previous experience in TCO analysis
• Previous experience in negotiation of price and terms & conditions, as well as awarding and managing supplier owned IP products or products designed from a statement of work
• Direct experience and understanding of the end to end PCB/PCBA manufacturing process flow
• Experience managing a program and working with cross-functional teams
• US Citizen and/or Permanent Resident (future security clearance may be required)

Desired Qualifications

• MBA preferred
• Aerospace/Defense experience and/or military experience
• Experience working with FAR/DFAR Experience in Earned Value Management or related financial management experience
• Component electronics manufacturing experience
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Collaborative; capable of working across all levels of the organization
• Organized; comfortable working in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.

• 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At Epirus, you’ll work with technical peers and great people—and get first crack at some of the defining technology challenges of our time. Here, “impossible” is just a challenge. We're a diverse, fast-growing team of change-makers fueling the future of energy with revolutionary solutions. Join you and rewrite the rules.

As required by the Equal Pay Transparency Act, Epirus provides a reasonable range of minimum compensation for roles that may be hired. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific office location.

For the state of California only, the range of starting pay for this role is:

$160,000—$189,500 USD