Strategic Sourcing Manager

leolabsinc; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

LeoLabs is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Manager to design and execute sourcing strategies for radar, RF, electronics, and related systems. You will collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Legal, Finance, Security, and Supply Chain to build a resilient supplier base and optimize cost, quality, and delivery across programs.

The ideal candidate brings deep sourcing experience in aerospace/defense or high-reliability hardware, with a track record of onboarding and managing supplier

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own sourcing and category strategies for critical radar, RF, electronics, mechanical, test equipment, contract manufacturing, and technical service suppliers.
• Lead competitive sourcing and complex commercial negotiations, including RFQ/RFP processes, total-cost and should-cost analysis, pricing, lead times, capacity commitments, long-term agreements, and strategic supplier terms.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing early in design and NPI cycles to evaluate manufacturability, supplier capability, make-versus-buy options, alternate sources, and supply risks before requirements are finalized.
• Own supplier onboarding, governance, and risk management, including supplier segmentation, performance reviews, corrective actions, dual-source and contingency strategies, and coordination with Purchasing and Supply Planning on material readiness.
• Partner with Legal and internal stakeholders to ensure sourcing and supplier decisions comply with applicable U.S. Government contract requirements, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, domestic sourcing requirements, DPAS, ITAR, CUI, cybersecurity, security and other program-specific obligations.
• Manage and develop assigned sourcing and procurement team members, including setting priorities, allocating work, coaching performance, supporting professional development, removing execution barriers, and ensuring team objectives align with Supply Chain and program priorities.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Supplier management

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Why LeoLabs?

At LeoLabs, we're building the living map of activity in space. Through our proprietary global radar network and AI-enabled analytics platform, we collect millions of measurements daily on more than 25,000 objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). Our radar-powered intelligence protects billions in assets, monitors adversarial behavior, and ensures safe operations for commercial and government missions.

We're not just building technology, we are redefining global security, safety, and transparency in space. As orbital activity accelerates and threats grow more complex, LeoLabs is a trusted partner for Space Domain Awareness, Space Traffic Management, and Satellite Operations for top-tier space operators and allied defense organizations.

If you're looking to work on mission-critical challenges at the forefront of aerospace, national security, and AI, your impact starts here.

LeoLabs is hiring a Strategic Sourcing Manager to build and execute strategies for sourcing critical technologies, components, subassemblies, equipment, and services supporting advanced radar and sensing systems. This role will establish the supplier and commercial foundation needed to support development, production readiness, deployment, and long-term supply chain resilience.

As part of the Radar Supply Chain organization, this role will partner early with Engineering, Manufacturing, Legal, Finance, Security, and Supply Chain to evaluate supply markets, assess supplier capabilities, translate technical and program requirements into sourcing strategies, and negotiate agreements that improve availability, cost, quality, scalability, and risk posture.

The ideal candidate has deep strategic sourcing experience in aerospace, defense, electronics, RF, space, or advanced manufacturing environments and is comfortable operating in complex, low-volume, high-reliability hardware programs. They should also bring a strong background in identifying, qualifying, onboarding, and sourcing from suppliers that meet U.S. Government contracting and compliance requirements, along with demonstrated experience managing and developing sourcing or procurement professionals.

This is a full-time hybrid role based in Menlo Park, CA.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own sourcing and category strategies for critical radar, RF, electronics, mechanical, test equipment, contract manufacturing, and technical service suppliers, using market intelligence and supplier capability assessments to guide source selection.
• Lead competitive sourcing and complex commercial negotiations, including RFQ/RFP processes, total-cost and should-cost analysis, pricing, lead times, capacity commitments, long-term agreements, and strategic supplier terms.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing early in design and NPI cycles to evaluate manufacturability, supplier capability, make-versus-buy options, alternate sources, and supply risks before requirements are finalized.
• Own supplier onboarding, governance, and risk management, including supplier segmentation, performance reviews, corrective actions, dual-source and contingency strategies, and coordination with Purchasing and Supply Planning on material readiness.
• Partner closely with Legal and internal stakeholders to ensure sourcing and supplier decisions comply with applicable U.S. Government contract requirements, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, domestic sourcing requirements, DPAS, ITAR, CUI, cybersecurity, security and other program-specific obligations.
• Manage and develop assigned sourcing and procurement team members, including setting priorities, allocating work, coaching performance, supporting professional development, removing execution barriers, and ensuring team objectives align with Supply Chain and program priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10 + years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management and supplier management, i.e. sharing qames…