Strategic Sourcing Lead

Cohu, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401(k) with company matching

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Tuition assistance

Disability & life insurance

Profit Sharing

Job summary

Cohu, Inc. in California is seeking an experienced Senior Sourcing Manager to develop and execute sourcing strategies for Test Handler commodities and related services in North America.

You will segment suppliers, align with business criticality, and drive supply continuity and cost competitiveness. You will lead supplier performance reviews, negotiate agreements, and collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance to optimize cost, lead times, quality, and risk across NPI and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Business or Supply Chain preferred).
• 8+ years of progressive responsibility in strategic sourcing, preferably in back-end semiconductor capital equipment.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (Oracle Cloud preferred) and JIT philosophies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for Test Handler commodities and services in North America.
• Segment suppliers to define preferred, strategic, and development suppliers.
• Build strong supplier relationships to ensure continuity of supply and cost competitiveness.
• Own supplier risk mitigation, including single-source and capacity risk management.
• Lead supplier performance management including cost, on-time delivery, lead-time, quality, and capacity.
• Negotiate commercial agreements to improve margins and lead times.
• Drive regular supplier reviews and quarterly business reviews.
• Lead sourcing for NPI and engineering collaboration, including make/buy decisions.

Skills

Sourcing excellence

Negotiation

Cross-functional influence

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Strategic thinking

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Supply Chain/Business)

Tools

Oracle Cloud ERP

ERP/MRP

Job description

Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing and category strategies for Test Handler-related commodities and manufacturing services within North America.
• Segment the supply base to define preferred, strategic, and development suppliers aligned with business criticality, technology capability, and risk profile.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key suppliers to ensure continuity of supply, cost competitiveness, and technology alignment.
• Own supplier risk mitigation by identifying single‑source dependencies and capacity risks and executing mitigation actions, including alternate sourcing, dual sourcing, and capacity buffering to protect ramps and volume production.

Supplier Performance & Commercial Management

• Own supplier performance management, including cost, on‑time delivery, lead‑time, quality, capacity, and responsiveness.
• Lead supplier escalation and corrective action when performance gaps arise, in close coordination with Quality and Operations.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing, and terms to improve margins, shorten lead‑times, and stabilize supply.
• Conduct regular supplier reviews and quarterly business reviews focused on performance, improvement actions, and technology roadmaps.

New Product Introduction (NPI) & Engineering Collaboration

• Lead sourcing activities for NPI and industrialization of Test Handler products, ensuring suppliers meet cost, quality, and schedule targets. Collaborate closely with the Material Program Manager (MPM) to address supplier requirements and requests for new suppliers, maintaining alignment on preferred supplier lists and ensuring a coordinated approach.
• Take ownership of defining and maintaining the list of preferred suppliers, while partnering with Engineering, Manufacturing, and the MPM to evaluate requests for new suppliers. Jointly support make/buy decisions, supplier selection, and design‑for‑manufacturability considerations to optimize both sourcing strategy and material flow.
• Ensure sourcing decisions are fully aligned with global commodity strategies and the long‑term Test Handler roadmap, leveraging collaboration with the MPM to proactively manage supplier changes and additions.

Cost & Value Optimization

• Analyze spend to identify cost reduction, consolidation, and value engineering opportunities.
• Leverage should‑cost modeling, market intelligence, and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to support sourcing decisions.
• Drive year‑over‑year cost improvement initiatives while maintaining quality and supply resilience.

Operational & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Coordinate sourcing activities with Planning, Manufacturing, and Finance to support inventory targets and production requirements.
• Ensure compliance with sourcing policies, procedures, and material control systems.
• Monitor key financial and operational metrics impacting sourcing and supplier decisions.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field, Business or Supply Chain preferred.

Experience

8+ years of progressive responsibility in strategic sourcing functions, preferably in back‑end semiconductor capital equipment.

Skills/Technical Requirements

• A track record of year‑over‑year delivery of distinctive value from sourcing activities
• Considerable experience working in companies that design and manufacture large, complex electro‑mechanical systems, as well as machine fabrication.
• Detailed knowledge of ERP/MRP systems (Oracle Cloud products preferred) and JIT philosophies.
• Expert negotiation skills within an engineering manufacturing environment.
• A flexible, self‑demanding and proactive individual who can motivate themselves and others successfully in a highly dynamic, high‑pressure environment while remaining calm and confident.
• Creative thinking and strong problem solving and troubleshooting capabilities. Experience making decisions and track record of managing multiple issues successfully.
• Advanced‑level analytical skills; embraces fact‑based decision making; naturally seeks to leverage and/or integrate market data, spend analytics, and modeling.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact in a cross‑functional environment with all levels of management and employees with additional ability to build and maintain internal relationships and influence procurement decisions
• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills; comfortable and credible with both internal stakeholders and external audiences.

Job Conditions/Physical Demands: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment but may spend time at customer sites and factory floors. Occasional domestic travel required.

Protective Equipment: In designated areas

Compensation: The estimated base pay range for this position is $98,400 to $123,000 per year, depending on qualifications, experience, education, and other job‑related factors. This range represents Cohu’s good faith estimate of what it reasonably expects to pay for this role upon hire. This role may also be eligible for other compensation programs as determined by company policy.

Featured benefits

• Medical, dental & vision insurance
• 401(k) with company matching contributions
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition assistance
• Disability & life insurance
• Profit Sharing