Strategic Supply Chain Director: Sourcing & Ops

CelLink; San Carlos (CA); On-site; Full time

Job description

TheDirector, Supply Chain is responsible for leading all sourcing, contract, and pricing negotiations, supplier management, and supplier development activities across the organization. This role ensures the Supply Chain team operates efficiently and effectively while meeting company standards for quality, integrity, safety, and operational excellence. The Director will develop and execute sourcing strategies, negotiate favorable supplier terms, and drive measurable improvements in key operational metrics.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Drive both strategic and tactical sourcing strategies across all commodities; develop action plans that mitigate risk and optimize total cost.
• Negotiate favorable terms and conditions with Tier II and Tier III suppliers and service providers.
• Collaborate with Production and Sales to optimize inventory levels, balancing minimal holding costs with exceptional on-time delivery performance.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date master data in the ERP system reflecting current supply chain and economic conditions.
• Own supplier development programs and lead actions to improve key performance metrics.
• Establish quarterly supplier improvement plans and systematically track supplier performance.
• Develop inventory control processes to enhance material flow, facility layout, cost-effectiveness, and accuracy.
• Conduct frequent supplier visits and audits to ensure compliance with company requirements.
• Generate forward-looking material consumption reports and take proactive steps to prevent shortages.
• Support Engineering with tooling requests, specifications, and supplier negotiations.
• Ensure clear and timely communication with suppliers regarding forecasts, business conditions, and performance expectations; translate supplier feedback into actionable improvements.
• Partner with Finance to identify excess and obsolete inventory and lead disposition efforts.
• Coordinate cross-functional actions to ensure inventory accuracy, including improvements in supplier counts and labeling.
• Foster a positive work culture aligned with senior leadership objectives.
• Perform other professional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Purchasing/Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in commodity sourcing, purchasing, and contract negotiations; automotive industry experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of MRP functionality and inventory planning/control.
• Solid background in Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Proven experience in supplier development and supplier performance management.
• Working knowledge of financial principles relevant to supply chain decisions.
• Excellent communication skills and high emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated judgment, tact, and diplomacy when interacting with internal and external stakeholders.
• Self-motivated leader with an enthusiastic, hands-on approach.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expertise in contracting, negotiation, and change management.
• Experience with ISO quality standards and certifications.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with the capability to independently resolve complex issues.
• Ability to create, analyze, and present data for leadership decision-making.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure while managing multiple and conflicting priorities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to understand the “big picture” and translate strategic goals into tactical execution plans.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

Working Conditions/Hours: Full-time/Salaried

Physical Demands – Office While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use their hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, and pull/push; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment – Office includes both a typical office environment, with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues, and a shop environment, with exposure to high noise levels from operating machines, physical hazards from moving equipment and machine parts, nuisance dust, and skin exposure to ink and chemicals used to run/maintain machines.

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We believe diversity and inclusion among our teammates are essential to our success. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees while building teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are an equal opportunity employer. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. CelLink participates in the E-Verify program in specific locations as required by law.

CelLink was founded in 2012 and entered volume production in 2018. CelLink provides electrical systems to the world's leading automotive OEMs & EV manufacturers, data center developers, and stationary power companies. The company has raised approximately $315M in funding through private investment and multiple grants from the US Department of Energy. CelLink’s investors include 3M, Atreides, BMW, BorgWarner, Bosch, D1 Capital, Fidelity, Fontinalis Partners, Ford, Franklin Templeton, Lear, Park West, SK Telecom, Standard Investments, T. Rowe Price, Tinicum, and Whale Rock.

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