Procurement Lead

Blackwing; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking a procurement lead to own end-to-end sourcing for production parts, with full accountability from supplier selection to delivery at the dock. The role requires strong domestic supplier relationships, negotiation of strategic agreements, and close collaboration with engineering and production in a fast-paced startup environment.

The successful candidate will relocate onsite to El Segundo, CA, bring proficiency in Excel and Netsuite ERP, and demonstrate excellent time

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, supply chain, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 2+ years in supply chain/procurement in a similar industry.
• Experience sourcing production parts from domestic supply chain (PCBAs, composites, machined components, sheet metal).
• Experience managing high-impact supplier relationships domestically.
• Willingness to relocate onsite in El Segundo, CA.
• Proficient in Excel and Netsuite ERP.
• Strong time management and multitasking with urgency.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end procurement for production parts from sourcing through delivery.
• Call suppliers directly and coordinate with logistics for expedited pickup or delivery.
• Source, qualify, and manage domestic supplier relationships; negotiate multi-year strategic agreements.
• Manage procurement activity in NetSuite/Cofactr; partner cross-functionally with engineering and production.
• Bring structure and urgency to procurement as we scale; juggle multiple commodities and programs.

Skills

Supply chain knowledge

Sourcing

Vendor management

Time management

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Netsuite ERP

Excel

Job description

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern cloud seeding system to solve water scarcity and inclement weather problems. We develop and incorporate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, numerical weather modeling, and sustainable cloud seeds into an effective precipitation enhancement solution.

The Engineering team at Rainmaker works on our UAS, dispersion payload, and in-situ/remote sensing systems. If you are interested in working in an extremely innovative and fast paced environment, where your work directly makes an impact and difference in our operational system, this is a fantastic opportunity.

In this role you will be leading all the procurement and sourcing across the company.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end procurement for production parts (PCBAs, composites, machined components, sheet metal, and more) — from sourcing through delivery to the dock, with full accountability for getting parts here on time

• Call suppliers directly and urgently when parts are at risk, keep following up until they ship, and coordinate with the logistics team to arrange expedited pickup or delivery when that's the fastest path

• Source, qualify, and manage high-impact domestic supplier relationships, negotiating multi-year strategic agreements that secure cost, capacity, and lead-time performance

• Manage procurement activity in NetSuite/Cofactr, partner cross-functionally with engineering and production, and proactively flag supply chain risks before they hit the line

• Bring structure and urgency to procurement as we scale, juggling multiple commodities and programs at once without dropping the ball

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, supply chain, business, or other related field (Master’s is a plus)

• 2+ years of experience in supply chain/procurement in a similar industry

• Experience sourcing production parts from the domestic supply chain in commodities like PCBAs, composites, machined components, sheet metal, etc.

• Experience managing high-impact supplier relationships in the domestic supply chain

• Ability to relocate, if not already local, to be onsite in El Segundo, CA

• Proficiency in Excel and experience with Netsuite ERP

• Effective time management and multitasking skills; addressing all tasks with a sense of urgency

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience negotiating muti-year strategic supplier agreements

• 2+ years of experience working in a small/growing team in a fast-paced, start-up environment

Rainmaker is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Rainmaker is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Rainmaker participates in E-Verify. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.gov.