Senior Staff Commodity Manager, Mechanical

Mainspringenergy; Edison (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Mainspring Energy is seeking a Senior Staff Commodity Manager to lead global sourcing of graphite materials and complex mechanical components onsite in California. The role focuses on developing and executing sourcing strategies, supplier qualification, contracting, risk mitigation, and performance monitoring.

You will drive cost reduction, manage supplier partnerships, and scale the supply base to support high‑volume manufacturing while collaborating with engineering, materials science,

Qualifications

• 18+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain leadership.
• Strong background in sourcing custom mechanical components and managing complex BOMs.
• Engineering degree in Mechanical, Materials, Chemical or equivalent.
• Ability to rapidly absorb and operate in highly technical domains (e.g., advanced materials).
• ERP and procurement analytics proficiency (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite).
• Bay Area presence required.
• Experience sourcing graphite materials for high‑temperature or unlubricated applications.
• Mandarin proficiency.
• Advanced degree or CPSM/Six Sigma certification.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute global commodity strategies for complex mechanical components, including CNC machining, castings, forging, sheet metal, weldments, heat‑treated parts, thermal spray, and laser cladding.
• Lead the graphite materials category, defining commercial strategy for high‑temperature sealing and high‑performance applications in partnership with Engineering.
• Drive cost reduction through should‑cost modelling, DFM collaboration, and scalable supplier strategies.
• Mitigate supply and technical risk through alternate sourcing, performance monitoring, and data‑driven cost models.
• Establish sourcing standards, best practices, and commercial frameworks that scale across mechanical categories and influence broader Supply Chain strategy.
• Build long‑term supplier partnerships that ensure quality, cost, delivery, and scalability beyond transactional sourcing.
• Expand and diversify the global supply base to support production scaling and the transition to high‑volume manufacturing, while reducing supply risk and strengthening supply chain resilience.
• Lead sourcing and supplier development activities in China, managing regional risk and onsite engagement.
• Set and enforce supplier standards for quality, delivery, and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement through joint process reviews, performance metrics and corrective actions.
• Lead negotiation and execution of MSAs and LTAs, including pricing, liability, capacity commitments, and service‑level agreements.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship management

Cost modelling / should-cost

DFM collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering understanding

Education

Engineering degree (Mechanical, Materials, Chemical)

Advanced degree or CPSM/Six Sigma certification

Tools

SAP

Oracle

NetSuite

Job description

About Mainspring

Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more.

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

• Pragmatic Optimism
• Excellence without Ego
• Proactive Collaboration

Job Overview

Mainspring Energy is rapidly scaling production of its breakthrough Linear Generator technology, necessitating a highly experienced and strategic Senior Staff Commodity Manager to lead global sourcing for graphite materials and mechanical components – with a strong emphasis on isostatic impregnated graphite – and select critical mechanical components. This role is essential for developing and executing comprehensive sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring the procurement of materials that meet stringent technical, quality, and commercial requirements.

The ideal candidate will be accountable for the entire lifecycle of assigned commodities, including supplier identification, technical qualification, contracting, risk mitigation, and performance monitoring. Cross‑functional collaboration with engineering, materials science, operations, and quality is essential to meet business objectives and drive continuous improvement, so there is a strong preference for this hire to be able to come onsite regularly.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute global commodity strategies for complex mechanical components, including CNC machining, castings, forging, sheet metal, weldments, heat‑treated parts, thermal spray, and laser cladding.
• Lead the graphite materials category, defining commercial strategy for high‑temperature sealing and high‑performance applications in partnership with Engineering.
• Drive cost reduction through should‑cost modelling, DFM collaboration, and scalable supplier strategies.
• Mitigate supply and technical risk through alternate sourcing, performance monitoring, and data‑driven cost models.
• Establish sourcing standards, best practices, and commercial frameworks that scale across mechanical categories and influence broader Supply Chain strategy.
• Build long‑term supplier partnerships that ensure quality, cost, delivery, and scalability beyond transactional sourcing.
• Expand and diversify the global supply base to support production scaling and the transition to high‑volume manufacturing, while reducing supply risk and strengthening supply chain resilience.
• Lead sourcing and supplier development activities in China, managing regional risk and onsite engagement.
• Set and enforce supplier standards for quality, delivery, and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement through joint process reviews, performance metrics and corrective actions.
• Lead negotiation and execution of MSAs and LTAs, including pricing, liability, capacity commitments, and service‑level agreements.

Qualifications

• 18+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain leadership.
• Strong background in sourcing custom mechanical components and managing complex BOMs.
• Engineering degree (Mechanical, Materials, Chemical preferred) or equivalent technical background.
• Ability to rapidly absorb and operate in highly technical domains (e.g., advanced materials).
• ERP and procurement analytics proficiency (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite).
• Bay Area presence required.
• Experience sourcing graphite materials for high‑temperature or unlubricated applications.
• Mandarin proficiency.
• Advanced degree or CPSM/Six Sigma certification.

In more traditional words, Mainspring Energy, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.