Strategic Sourcing Lead, Mechanical & Optical

United States Digital Space LLC; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in Bastrop, TX seeks a Sourcing Specialist for mechanical and optical commodities used on Starlink satellites. You will manage domestic and international supplier bases, drive cost management, ensure production readiness, and support NPI with engineering teams.

Qualifications include 3+ years in direct commodity procurement, experience reading technical drawings, and a proven track record of successful negotiations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 2+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, material planning, production planning, supply chain management, or engineering.
• 3+ years of procurement experience in direct commodity sourcing.
• Technical procurement or planning experience with machined, optical, or photonic components.
• Experience in new product introduction (NPI) and mass production (MP).
• Experience reading technical drawings, data sheets, fabrication drawing, BOMs and all related files.
• Drive piece price and tooling negotiation process to ensure commodity pricing meets best-in-class expectations while driving cost reduction.
• Address all areas of category management including category business plans, market conditions, technology roadmaps, cost modeling, and sourcing strategies.
• Proven track record of ownership, negotiating preferred pricing, and driving results.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to respond quickly in a fast-moving environment.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Effective written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Conducts all activities with the highest level of integrity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage supply base (domestic and international) enabling rapid design iteration.
• Work directly with key suppliers to develop and implement sourcing and cost management strategies.
• Own supply continuity, capacity planning, and production readiness for rapidly scaling programs.
• Drive supplier negotiations including pricing, LTAs, capacity investments, lead times, and commercial terms.
• Monitor global industry trends, track technology roadmaps, and partner with design teams to mitigate supply and demand challenges.
• Partner with engineering teams to support NPI, design changes, qualification activities, and production transitions.
• Build and maintain sourcing strategies including multi-source development and new manufacturing techniques.
• Lead executive-level supplier escalations and recovery for quality, delivery, and risks.
• Develop risk assessments, mitigation plans, and production recovery strategies.
• Monitor and improve supplier performance including delivery, quality, and cost.
• Drive end-to-end ownership of hardware from prototype to full-rate production.
• Manage costs to align with program budget.
• Present value propositions to executives including contract awards and cost-reviews.

Skills

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Communication

Problem solving

Detail oriented

Fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

United States Digital Space LLC in Bastrop, TX seeks a Sourcing Specialist for mechanical and optical commodities used on Starlink satellites. You will manage domestic and international supplier bases, drive cost management, ensure production readiness, and support NPI with engineering teams.

Qualifications include 3+ years in direct commodity procurement, experience reading technical drawings, and a proven track record of successful negotiations.