Strategic Supplier Engineer for Defense Manufacturing

Approach Venture; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture in Waltham, MA is seeking a Supplier Development Engineer to own supplier relationships, sourcing, procurement, component selection, and vendor execution across complex engineering programs on-site. You will collaborate with engineering teams, machine shops, and vendors to ensure parts and systems are selected, built, and delivered when projects need them.

This hands-on role requires translating engineering requirements into sourcing decisions, evaluating vendor capabilities,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field.
• 3+ years in supplier development, supplier engineering, technical procurement, or equivalent vendor-facing role.
• Hands-on experience sourcing technical components, equipment, or manufactured parts.
• Experience evaluating and working with suppliers, fabricators, or contract manufacturers.
• Ability to read engineering requirements and translate them into sourcing decisions.
• Experience supporting hardware projects through design, build, and execution.

Responsibilities

• Own supplier and vendor relationships across engineering and manufacturing programs.
• Evaluate, qualify, and onboard suppliers based on capability, quality, cost, and delivery.
• Manage sourcing from RFQs through purchase orders, delivery, and receipt.
• Select components, materials, equipment, and suppliers that meet cost, quality, and schedule needs.
• Collaborate with engineering and chemistry teams to translate technical requirements into sourcing decisions.
• Coordinate with machine shops and fabricators on custom parts and process equipment.
• Assess supplier capabilities and identify risks before they impact execution.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and purchasing terms.
• Maintain BOMs, purchasing records, and supplier documentation.

Skills

Supplier development

Procurement

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

ERP systems

MRP systems

Job description

Approach Venture in Waltham, MA is seeking a Supplier Development Engineer to own supplier relationships, sourcing, procurement, component selection, and vendor execution across complex engineering programs on-site. You will collaborate with engineering teams, machine shops, and vendors to ensure parts and systems are selected, built, and delivered when projects need them.

This hands-on role requires translating engineering requirements into sourcing decisions, evaluating vendor capabilities,