Senior Global Supply Manager II - Space

Rocket Lab USA; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab's Long Beach headquarters seeks a Senior Global Supply Manager I to lead sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships across rocket and satellite programs. You will collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams from development to serial production to ensure cost, quality, and delivery targets are met.

With 8+ years in procurement, you will drive continuous improvements and negotiations with suppliers, while identifying risk and cost-saving opportunities in a

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supplier management.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Experience in aerospace, automotive, or other disruptive manufacturing industries is a plus.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with program goals for cost, quality, and delivery.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships from RFIs to contract execution and beyond.
• Lead supplier negotiations on a first principles basis to secure best-in-class terms, including cost, quality, and delivery performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance through metrics, scorecards, and regular reviews.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure supplier capabilities meet program requirements, from prototyping to full-scale production.
• Identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain to ensure resilience and reliability.
• Engage with Legal/Contracts to establish the right contractual framework to support programs and commodity strategy.
• Identify cost savings opportunities, execute cost reduction strategies, and maintain cost models and should-cost analyses.
• Conduct market research and stay ahead of industry trends to inform strategic decisions.
• Act as the go-to procurement expert, solving challenges and driving results in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Skills

procurement

supplier management

sourcing strategy

negotiations

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more to enable access to space. Our missions support scientific exploration, Earth observation, climate initiatives, national security, and technology demonstrations.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Rocket Lab's Supply Chain team manages the flow of materials, products, and components necessary for our rocket and satellite programs. Responsibilities include setting up assembly kits for Electron and Neutron rockets, managing inventory, shipping and receiving, direct and indirect procurement, and ensuring materials and products are compliant and up to standard.

SENIOR GLOBAL SUPPLY MANAGER I

Based onsite at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the Senior Global Supply Manager leads sourcing strategies, builds supplier partnerships, and enhances supply chain resilience to support rocket and satellite programs. The role collaborates across engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams from early development to serial production.

Rocket Lab’s Supply Chain team ensures the smooth flow of materials, components, and products that power our missions, from procurement to ensuring compliance and quality for Electron, Neutron, and Space Systems programs.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with program goals for cost, quality, and delivery.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships from initial RFIs to contract execution and beyond.
• Lead supplier negotiations on a first principles basis to secure best-in-class terms, including cost, quality, and delivery performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance through metrics, scorecards, and regular reviews.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure supplier capabilities meet program requirements, from prototyping to full-scale production.
• Identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain to ensure resilience and reliability.
• Engage with Legal/Contracts to establish the right contractual framework to support programs and commodity strategy.
• Identify cost savings opportunities, execute cost reduction strategies, and maintain cost models and should-cost analyses.
• Conduct market research and stay ahead of industry trends to inform strategic decisions.
• Act as the go-to procurement expert, solving challenges and driving results in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supplier management.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (12+ years of total work experience).

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE

• Experience in aerospace, automotive, or other disruptive manufacturing industries.
• Experience in rapid growth environments with shifting priorities or deliverables.
• Strong ability to read and interpret drawings; understanding of design for manufacturing.
• Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to prioritize effectively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to collaborate across all functions and levels.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to learn quickly and maintain high standards of quality and integrity.
• Team-oriented with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and meet multiple deadlines.
• APICS certification.
• Experience with AS9100 and export controls.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

WHAT TO EXPECT

We are on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, which requires hard work, innovation, teamwork, and commitment to delivering results under pressure.