Senior Strategic Sourcing for Space Systems

Vast Space Llc.; Long Beach (CA); Hybrid; USD 177,000 - 251,000; Full time

Job summary

Vast Space Llc. in Long Beach, CA, seeks an experienced Principal Strategic Sourcing Manager to lead complex sourcing strategies for space hardware and related programs.

You will own category strategies, drive supplier negotiations, and develop cost models with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality teams. The role demands independent, proactive leadership in a fast-paced NPI environment, with the ability to build scalable supply chain solutions and mentor junior staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field
• Proven record of delivering significant cost, schedule, and risk-reduction results on complex, high-spend categories
• Advanced negotiation skills, including with sole-source and strategic suppliers at the executive level
• Strong analytical skills, including spend analysis, TCO, and should-cost modeling
• Experience negotiating and managing long-term agreements, commercial terms, and supplier contracts
• Working knowledge of AS9100 and ITAR/EAR as they apply to sourcing and supplier management
• Demonstrated experience mentoring, coaching, or training colleagues
• Strong communication and cross-functional influence skills, with the ability to work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and Legal
• Comfort operating quickly with incomplete information and changing requirements

Responsibilities

• Own category strategies for critical hardware, balancing cost, speed, quality, and risk
• Lead high-stakes sourcing events end to end, including negotiating long-term agreements, capacity reservations, and rate-ramp commitments with executive-level supplier counterparts
• Build should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership models that capture tooling, NRE, qualification, and yield, not just unit price
• Work with Engineering early on make-vs-buy, design-to-cost, and design-for-manufacturability decisions
• Find, qualify, and develop new suppliers, including non-traditional and commercial suppliers, to reduce single-source risk and add capacity
• Keep sourcing and contract flow-downs compliant with ITAR/EAR, AS9100, and customer requirements
• Mentor and train sourcing managers, buyers, and analysts through deal reviews, coaching, and workshops, and help build the playbooks and tools we scale on

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Cross-functional influence

Analytical skills

Supplier management

Cost reduction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Supply Chain/Engineering

7+ years experience in strategic sourcing/procurement

AS9100 and ITAR/EAR knowledge

Tools

ERP systems

RFQs/RFPs

Supplier contract management

Job description

Vast Space Llc. in Long Beach, CA, seeks an experienced Principal Strategic Sourcing Manager to lead complex sourcing strategies for space hardware and related programs.

You will own category strategies, drive supplier negotiations, and develop cost models with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality teams. The role demands independent, proactive leadership in a fast-paced NPI environment, with the ability to build scalable supply chain solutions and mentor junior staff.