Space Procurement Lead — Senior Global Supply Manager II

Rocket Lab; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 94,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock purchase program

Company stock

Top-tier medical plans (HMO/PPO)

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Global Supply Manager II to lead supplier relationships at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA. You will drive strategic sourcing, manage RFQ handoffs, and align procurement with program goals.

You will coordinate with engineering, quality, and finance to ensure timely delivery and cost control. The role emphasizes supplier performance, risk management, and contract flow-downs, with a focus on building robust supplier partnerships in a fast-paced space environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of procurement, sourcing, supplier management, or related roles.
• Bachelor's degree or 12+ years total work experience.
• Experience managing supplier delivery performance and PO schedules.
• Experience with cross-functional teams including legal, contracts, quality, and finance.
• Strong communication and issue-resolution skills.
• Experience reviewing or coordinating technical data packages and contractual flow-downs.
• Ability to travel to supplier sites and work in vendor environments.
• U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop sourcing and supplier management strategies aligned with program goals for cost, quality, delivery, and schedule reliability.
• Manage handoff from manufacturing engineering after RFQ, vendor evaluation, and selection; ensure POs, supplier expectations, data packs, quality requirements, and delivery commitments are established.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships from RFIs/RFQs through contract execution and PO management.
• Maintain purchase order schedules, track delivery commitments, and push for recovery plans when late.
• Update expected delivery dates and material readiness to support build planning and program decisions.
• Conduct vendor site visits to assess capability, readiness, schedule risk, and quality.
• Develop vendor scorecards and regular performance reviews across delivery, quality, cost, and risk.
• Lead supplier negotiations on terms including cost, lead time, delivery performance, and contractual commitments.
• Ensure contractual flow-downs are communicated and tracked with vendors.
• Collaborate with multiple teams to resolve supplier issues and reduce program risk.
• Identify cost savings and cost-avoidance opportunities; maintain should-cost analyses.

Skills

Procurement

Vendor management

Supply chain

Program management

Cross-functional teamwork

Communication

Travel flexibility

AS9100/export controls

Education

Bachelor's degree

APICS CPSM

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Global Supply Manager II to lead supplier relationships at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA. You will drive strategic sourcing, manage RFQ handoffs, and align procurement with program goals.

You will coordinate with engineering, quality, and finance to ensure timely delivery and cost control. The role emphasizes supplier performance, risk management, and contract flow-downs, with a focus on building robust supplier partnerships in a fast-paced space environment.