Senior Buyer, Electronics & Power Systems

Karman Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Karman Industries in Torrance, CA, is seeking a Senior Buyer for Electronics & Power Systems to own the supply chain for high-end HPU components including PCBAs, SiC/GaN devices, SSTs, and motors. You will lead category strategy, supplier qualification, and end-to-end sourcing to ensure on-time, on-cost deliveries with proactive risk management.

You will collaborate with Engineering and Production to translate BOMs and build plans into reliable supply, negotiate favorable terms, and drive

Qualifications

• 5+ years in purchasing, sourcing, or supply management for electronics or high-tech hardware.
• Experience buying power electronics, magnetics, or electromechanical components.
• Ability to read BOMs, datasheets, schematics, and motor/power-module specs.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and advanced Excel.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related field.

Responsibilities

• Own electronics and power systems category strategy: supplier selection, dual- and second-source plans, consolidation, and long-term agreements.
• Run RFQs and competitive bids; compare total landed cost, lead time, MOQ, and quality history, then recommend awards.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, and capacity commitments with manufacturers, authorized distributors, and EMS, PCB, and custom-build vendors.
• Drive cost-down through should-cost analysis, volume leverage, and design-to-cost input to Engineering; report savings against a baseline.
• Surface supply risk and manage supplier qualification, scorecards, and quarterly business reviews.

Skills

5+ years purchasing experience

Power electronics sourcing

ERP/MRP systems

BOM/datasheet interpretation

Negotiation & supplier mgmt

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering, or related field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle)

Excel (advanced)

BOM tools (Octopart, SiliconExpert, Digi-Key, Mouser, Arrow, Avnet)

Job description

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit)—a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Senior Buyer, Electronics & Power Systems

We are building the supply chain behind the HPU, and its power electronics and high-speed motors are the long-lead items most likely to stop a build. You will own supply for electronics and power systems end to end: category strategy, sourcing, supplier performance, and supply continuity for PCBAs, power semiconductors, solid-state transformer (SST) hardware, high-speed electric motors, sensors, connectors, and wire harnesses. You will work directly with Engineering and Production to turn BOMs and build plans into on-time, on-cost deliveries, and to surface supply risk before it becomes a line-down.

Key Responsibilities:

Category strategy and sourcing

• Own the electronics and power systems category strategy: supplier selection, dual- and second-source plans, consolidation, and long-term agreements

• Run RFQs and competitive bids; compare total landed cost, lead time, MOQ, and quality history, then recommend awards

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, and capacity commitments with manufacturers, authorized distributors, and EMS, PCB, and custom-build vendors

• Drive cost-down through should-cost analysis, volume leverage, and design-to-cost input to Engineering; report savings against a baseline

Power electronics and motors

• Source power semiconductors (SiC and GaN devices, IGBT modules), gate drivers, and medium-voltage-rated components; manage allocation, capacity commitments, and long-term supply agreements with device makers

• Source SST subassemblies and materials: high-frequency magnetics, DC-link and film capacitors, insulation systems, bushings, and cooling plates

• Source high-speed motor components and builds: stators and windings, rotors, permanent magnets, electrical steel laminations, magnet wire, and bearings; manage build-to-print and custom-wound suppliers

• Source inverters, motor drives, encoders, resolvers, and sensors

• Manage raw-material exposure (copper, rare earths, electrical steel) with index-based pricing or hedged terms where possible

Supplier management and qualification

• Build and maintain the approved manufacturer and approved vendor lists with Engineering and Quality

• Coordinate supplier qualification with Engineering and Quality: first article inspection, sample builds, high-pot and insulation testing, and rotor balancing records

• Run supplier scorecards covering on-time delivery, quality, and cost; lead quarterly business reviews, corrective actions, and improvement plans

Planning and supply continuity

• Translate production forecasts and BOMs into purchase plans; review MRP output and set buy, safety stock, and buffer strategies for long-lead parts

• Join supply and demand planning with Production and Program teams; give accurate supply status each week

• Track open POs, expedite late deliveries, and elevate shortages with a recovery plan

Supply risk and compliance

• Monitor EOL and PCN notices, flag single-source parts, and drive last-time-buy and second-source decisions

• Prevent counterfeit and gray-market exposure by buying from authorized channels and enforcing traceability and incoming inspection requirements

• Manage trade compliance inputs: HTS classification, country of origin, tariff exposure, RoHS and REACH documentation, and export-control requirements, including for magnets and power semiconductors

Basic Requirements

• 5+ years in purchasing, strategic sourcing, or supply management for electronics, power electronics, electromechanical, or advanced manufacturing

• Experience buying power electronics, magnetics, or electromechanical components such as motors, generators, or drives

• Working knowledge of electronic components: resistors, capacitors, ICs, connectors, magnetics, power modules, and PCBAs

• Ability to read BOMs, datasheets, mechanical drawings, and basic schematics, including motor and power-module datasheets (voltage, current, losses, thermal limits, insulation class)

• Experience building category or sourcing strategies and negotiating supply agreements

• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or similar), including planning and purchasing modules, and advanced Excel skills

• Working knowledge of import and export basics: customs, tariffs, Incoterms, and country-of-origin documentation

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with SiC or GaN supply markets, including allocation and long-lead dynamics

• Experience with permanent magnet motors, magnet supply chains, or custom winding and rotor suppliers

• Experience with high-speed or turbomachinery motor programs

• Experience buying for low-volume, high-mix, or prototype-to-production hardware programs

• Experience with should-cost modeling, total cost of ownership analysis, and cost-down programs

• Familiarity with UL, IEC, and IEEE safety and insulation standards for power equipment

• Familiarity with component search and BOM tools (Octopart, SiliconExpert, Digi-Key, Mouser, Arrow, Avnet)

• Knowledge of IPC standards, RoHS and REACH compliance, and counterfeit-avoidance practices (AS5553 or similar)

• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM certification

• Background in energy, HVAC, data center, aerospace, or other industrial hardware

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries 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.

Direct applicants only — we are not working with outside recruiters or agencies for this role.