Sourcing Manager, Mechanical (Starshield)

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX's Starshield Supply Chain team in Hawthorne, CA seeks a Master Sourcing Manager responsible for demand planning and strategic sourcing to power satellite hardware for space products. You will own end-to-end supply chain execution, balancing cost, quality, and lead times while scaling high-volume production.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree and 5+ years in engineering/purchasing/contract negotiation, with experience in supplier development and cost management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering, supply chain, or related field; 5+ years in sourcing/purchasing/contract negotiation.
• Experience working with suppliers and managing end-to-end supply chain processes.
• Strong cost management, risk assessment, and vendor management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement sourcing strategies for SpaceX Starshield hardware.
• Act as supplier interface for RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs to secure best terms.
• Manage costs to meet project budgets and forecasts.
• Create should-cost models for competitive analysis.
• Ensure supplier readiness for prototypes and mass production.
• Drive process improvements and cost-saving programs with suppliers.
• Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with engineering and production to identify reliable supply bases.
• Oversee end-to-end supply chain activities from sourcing to delivery tracking.

Skills

Sourcing

Contract negotiations

Supplier development

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

• Master production scheduling

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SOURCING MANAGER, MECHANICAL (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on three areas: Earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. Designed to meet diverse mission requirements, Starshield satellites are capable of integrating a wide variety of payloads, offering unique versatility to users. With the proven ability to iterate rapidly, SpaceX's unique full-stack approach in developing end-to-end systems, from launch vehicles to user terminals, enables the deployment of capabilities at scale with unprecedented speed. Starshield's proliferated low-Earth orbit architecture provides inherent resiliency and constant connectivity to on-orbit assets, while SpaceX's proven rapid launch capability provides expedient and economical access to space.

As a member of the Starshield Supply Chain team, you will own the demand planning and strategic sourcing that power the hardware for SpaceX’s next-generation satellite constellation. You’ll drive end-to-end supply chain execution for critical components used both on the satellites and in their production, balancing aggressive cost, quality, and lead-time targets while scaling production at unprecedented rates. At SpaceX we don’t just manage suppliers; we actively shape them, pushing the industry to higher standards of performance and reliability. Our department spans procurement, planning & fulfillment, supplier development & quality, logistics, and inventory. In this role you will operate at the center of that ecosystem, enabling the high-volume satellite factory of the future.

We move fast. If you thrive in a high-velocity environment and want your work on projects that directly impact the national security of the United States, this is your opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with key suppliers to develop and implement sourcing and cost management strategies that support existing platforms and new product development
• Act as the supplier interface for all RFIs, RFPs and RFQs
• Manage cost aggressively to ensure adherence to project-specific budgets and forecasts
• Develop should-cost models for competitive cost analysis
• Ensure that suppliers are prepared to support all prototype builds with appropriate equipment and material to ensure successful product development, ramp up and mass production
• Drive internal and external process improvements to enhance efficiency and implement cost-saving programs with suppliers
• Develop, manage, and maintain strong supplier partnerships
• Implement analytical data management tools to manage supplier performance
• Ensure all purchased parts are clear to build for all Starshield programs
• Collaboratively work with engineering and production to identify a reliable supply base to support all prototype builds, design changes and production builds.
• Ownerships of end-to-end supply chain responsibilities from sourcing strategies, vendor selection, vendor capacity, contract negotiation, part procurement, delivery tracking, budget planning and cross-functional communication.
• Ensure compliance with government and commercial contracts and assist mission managers with contract performance
• Conduct sourcing analysis to formulate a sourcing plan that includes strategic direction, supply roadmaps, price trends, market and industry position, and risk assessment
• Prepare, issue, and analyze RFx packages, ensuring all commercial terms are agreed upon and documented, using scalable processes for vendor selection, pricing analysis, risk assessment, and decision metrics for one-time and ongoing project requirements
• Survey supplier facilities and accurately assess technical capability, equipment, and capacity for rapid deployment in support of new product development and production
• Be the Starshield “Go to” supply chain resource for engineering and manufacturing stakeholders and determine and execute sourcing strategies to deliver the best value suppliers, NPI Sourcing Plans, make vs. buy analysis, and lead time optimization to the business
• Participate in design reviews, change control meetings, and other technical discussions with Engineering partners; participate in DFM review with Engineering and prospective suppliers and drive decisions from a cost and source reliability perspective

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience working in one or more of the following; OR 7+ years of experience working in one or more of the following:
• Engineering
• Purchasing
• Contract negotiation