Robotics Hardware Supply Chain Lead — Onsite Irvine

FieldAI

Irvine (CA)

On-site

USD 100,000 - 150,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Field AI in Irvine, CA is hiring a Supply Chain Manager for robotics hardware to ensure uninterrupted supply across in-house and outsourced manufacturing, drive material planning, supplier performance, inventory optimization, and cost management.

You will lead cross-functional teams, handle NPI readiness, and provide executive visibility into supply chain metrics while scaling to high-volume production. This onsite role offers a collaborative, fast-paced environment in Irvine.

Qualifications

Education: B.S., M.S., or equivalent experience in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Experience Level: Minimum of 3+ years of hands-on procurement or supply chain management.
Procurement & Supply Chain Experience: Experience in hardware procurement and supply chain management, including strategic sourcing, vendor/supplier selection, and make-vs-buy decisions.
Logistics & Forecasting: Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems, inventory planning, and demand forecasting.
Vendor Negotiation: Experience negotiating with vendors, fabrication houses (PCB, CNC), and contract manufacturers, including contract terms, SLAs, and pricing agreements.
Asset & Inventory Systems: Strong organizational systems experience such as asset tracking, inventory management, or equipment/asset management at scale, including barcoding and chain-of-custody systems.
Financial Acumen: Comfort with cost modeling, BOM cost analysis, budgeting/forecasting, and total cost of ownership (TCO) evaluations.
Systems Thinking: Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, finance, and legal to align procurement strategy with product roadmaps.

Responsibilities

Supply Continuity & Material Planning: Sourcing & Order Strategy: determine order quantities and negotiate pricing, align sourcing timelines with forecasts and production schedules.
Cost Reduction & Risk Planning: drive cost reduction through should-cost analysis, BOM cost modeling, and bulk pricing, while managing lead times and safety stock.
Vendor & Manufacturing Relationships: manage relationships with PCB/board fabrication houses, CNC/machining shops, and contract manufacturers spanning small-batch and high-volume production.
RMAs & Supplier Quality: handle RMAs for defective parts, and support supplier quality (SQE), first‑article inspection (FAI), and component qualification processes.
Continuous Improvement: drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on inventory accuracy, supplier performance, forecast accuracy, and operational efficiency.
Throughput Continuity: Ensure payloads, assemblies, and finished systems are built and delivered to meet all downstream demand requirements.
Cross Functional Alignment: Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, Program Management, and Finance to align production plans with forecasted demand.
Scheduling & Prioritizations: Manage production schedules and material allocation during periods of constrained supply.
NPI Support: Support new product introductions (NPI) by ensuring supply chain readiness from prototype through production.
Executive Visibility: Provide supply chain visibility, metrics, and reporting to executive leadership.
Chain of Custody: Own chain-of-custody tracking for components, prototypes, and payloads.
Asset Tracking Systems: Implement barcoding and tracking systems for high-value assets and maintain change-tracking systems for Hardware team inventory.
Purchase & Cost Records: Build and maintain systems tracking purchase history (quantities, costs, and rates paid over time) supporting spend analysis, budgets, and procurement KPIs.