Strategic Sourcing Manager- Battery & PCS

TAE Power Solutions; Lake Forest (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

TAE Power Solutions is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Manager in the United States to lead end-to-end procurement for batteries, PCS, and related power electronics. You will own supplier strategy, run RFQ/RFP events, negotiate terms, and drive cost-reduction while coordinating with Engineering, Quality, and Finance on production readiness and supplier risk.

This role requires 8+ years in strategic sourcing, a relevant bachelor’s degree, and strong should-cost analysis with North American and

Qualifications

• 8+ years in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or procurement.
• Hands-on sourcing in batteries/energy storage or PCS/power electronics.
• Experience qualifying new suppliers and negotiating supply agreements.
• Experience managing suppliers in North America, Asia or Europe.
• Strong should-cost and total-cost analysis skills; fluent in Excel.
• Excellent technical and commercial communication with engineering and senior leadership.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Own sourcing strategy and execution across LFP cells, modules and packs, racks and DC blocks, BMS, thermal management and liquid cooling, enclosures, PCS, and related power electronics.
• Identify, onboard, and manage suppliers including in North America and emerging regions.
• Partner with Engineering on technical assessment, APQP/PPAP, and production readiness.
• Drive corrective action and capability development with suppliers and provide clear recommendations.
• Run quarterly business reviews with a scorecard covering delivery, quality, cost, capacity, and risk.
• Lead RFQ/RFP events end to end, negotiate terms, and seek cost reduction through design-to-cost and value engineering.

Skills

Strategic Sourcing

Commodity Management

Supplier Negotiation

Cost Analysis

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Excel Modeling

Global Supplier Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Supply Chain/Business

Tools

Excel

Job description

TAE Power Solutions (TPS) is the electrification spin-off from TAE Technologies, a leader in nuclear fusion technology. The company is leveraging unique power management technology originally developed for nuclear fusion and applying it in adjacent industries including Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and DC Fast Charging for electric vehicles.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Strategic Sourcing manager to lead our sourcing strategy and execution for batteries, PCS, and other critical commodities end to end, from supplier selection and qualification through negotiation, cost, capacity, and day-to-day supplier performance.

This is an individual contributor role with significant ownership and influence. You will develop deep expertise in the supplier landscape, technology roadmap, cost structures, manufacturing capacity, and supply risks across your assigned commodities. You’ll be the person who knows what a cell actually costs and why, which PCS suppliers can hold their efficiency claims in the field, who is building what capacity and where, and which relationships to call when a line is at risk. You will lead supplier identification and qualification, RFQs, negotiations, cost and commercial strategy, capacity commitments, and supplier risk mitigation. You will work closely with Engineering on specifications, supplier selection, design-to-cost, and NPI; with Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain on production readiness and supply assurance; and with Finance and Legal on commercial agreements and supplier risk.

Role Attributes

Commodity Strategy & Ownership

• Own sourcing strategy and execution across LFP cells, modules and packs, racks and DC blocks, BMS, thermal management and liquid cooling, enclosures, PCS, and related power electronics.

• Take on additional direct-material commodities as the portfolio grows — switchgear, transformers, cabling and busbar, controls and communications, mechanical and structural components, and contract-manufactured assemblies.

• Maintain deep, current commodity intelligence: cost structures and drivers, raw-material and component cost trends, technology roadmaps, lead times, regional capacity, and competitive dynamics.

• Build and maintain should-cost models and market benchmarks; know where our pricing sits against the market and why.

• Track supplier manufacturing footprint, expansion plans, ownership structure, upstream dependencies, and FEOC exposure for the commodities you own.

Supplier Strategy & Development

• Serve as the primary commercial relationship owner for assigned suppliers — from working-level engineers and planners through executive sponsors.

• Identify, assess, and onboard new suppliers, including in emerging North American and non-FEOC manufacturing regions.

• Partner with Engineering and Quality on technical assessment, supplier audits, APQP/PPAP, process qualification, and production readiness.

• Drive corrective action and capability development where suppliers fall short; elevate with a clear recommendation when they don’t recover.

• Run quarterly business reviews with a scorecard: on-time delivery, quality, cost and productivity, capacity readiness, lead time, qualification status, and risk.

Sourcing, Negotiation, & Cost

• Run RFQ/RFP events end to end scope, supplier slate, bid analysis, total-cost comparison, and award recommendation.

• Negotiate pricing, capacity commitments, lead times, payment terms, warranty and continuity provisions; support the Director on major long-term agreements.

• Deliver annual cost-reduction and productivity targets through negotiation, resourcing, design changes, and value engineering.

• Partner with Engineering on design-to-cost, DFM, alternate-part qualification, and specification trade-offs that take cost out without compromising performance.

Supply Assurance & Risk

• Translate demand forecasts into supplier capacity requirements; confirm suppliers have the capacity and investment plans to support our ramps.

• Establish dual and alternate sources for single-sourced critical components, including qualified non-FEOC pathways where required.

• Manage lead times, long-lead material commitments, and inventory or capacity-reservation strategies for constrained items.

• Own day-to-day escalation on supply disruptions, allocation, quality holds, and expedites for your commodities.

• Support domestic-content and localization requirements with the supplier documentation and traceability to back them up.

Cross-Functional Execution

Partner closely with Engineering on specifications, supplier selection, design-to-cost, and NPI; with Supply Chain and Planning on material availability and supply assurance; with Operations and Quality on production readiness and supplier performance; and with Finance and Legal on commercial agreements, terms, and supplier financial risk.

Qualifications, Functional Experience & Skills

Required 8+ years in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or procurement, including direct-material sourcing of technical components.

• Hands‑on sourcing experience in batteries/energy storage or PCS/power electronics, with genuine commodity depth — cost structure, manufacturing process, technology, and supplier landscape.

• Track record qualifying new suppliers and negotiating meaningful supply agreements.

• Experience managing suppliers in Asia as well as North America or Europe.

• Strong should-cost and total-cost analysis skills; fluent in Excel and comfortable building your own models.

• Strong technical and commercial communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with Engineering teams, suppliers, and senior leadership. Proven ability to drive outcomes without direct authority, aligning Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Finance behind a sourcing recommendation on the strength of the analysis.

• Self‑directed and able to manage a broad commodity portfolio and multiple sourcing initiatives simultaneously.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, including supplier site visits and audits.

Preferred

• Experience across both batteries and PCS/power electronics.

• Direct experience with LFP cells, modules, packs, racks, or DC blocks; or with PCS, inverters, converters, transformers or switchgear.

• Background in BESS, data‑center power infrastructure, renewable energy, EV, or other high‑power electrical systems.

• Existing working relationships with battery cell manufacturers or PCS/power‑electronics suppliers.

• Familiarity with FEOC and U.S. domestic‑content requirements.

• Experience supporting NPI and volume production ramps.

• APICS/CPSM certification or Six Sigma training.

_ The compensation range for this role is between $140,000-$170,000 + Benefits. _

Learn more Imagination, skill, and will

At TAE Power Solutions, we design power systems that use less but do more. Systems that charge faster, run stronger, go farther, and last longer. We inspire better ways to move, work, play and live.

The future is electric, because it’s powered by TAE.

We are unwavering in our expertise and knowledge, separating fact from fiction and proof from hypothesis.

You will be a successful member of TAE Power Solutions if you have these traits:

Confident
You are confident in your skills, based on your credentials, technical accomplishments and positive impact on your teams/organizations.

Collaborative
You are collaborative and work well within and with teams to approach challenges with respect, transparency, optimism, and confidence to succeed together.

Creative
You are creative, with determination to learn continuously, break new ground, and push the cutting edge.

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TAE Power Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

We ensure all individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions and receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.