Supplier Development Engineer – 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 from RFQ to delivery. You will work with engineering teams, machine shops, and suppliers to select parts that meet technical and schedule requirements, manage procurement, and drive fabrication and testing through deployment.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years in supplier-focused roles, hands-on sourcing experience, and the ability to translate engineering needs into supplier decisions while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline.
• 3+ years in supplier development, supplier engineering, procurement, or vendor-facing technical role.
• Hands-on sourcing of technical components, equipment, materials, or parts.
• Experience evaluating suppliers, fabricators, or contract manufacturers.
• Ability to read engineering drawings/specs and translate to supplier decisions.
• Experience supporting hardware projects through design, build, integration, and execution.
• Strong ability to balance cost, quality, performance, and schedule.

Responsibilities

• Own supplier and vendor relationships across engineering programs.
• Evaluate, qualify, and onboard suppliers based on capability, quality, cost, and delivery.
• Manage sourcing from RFQs to PO receipt.
• Select components and suppliers meeting engineering and cost requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering/chemistry teams to translate requirements into sourcing decisions.
• Work with machine shops and fabricators on custom parts and equipment.
• Assess supplier capabilities and risks; mitigate delays.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and purchasing terms.
• Maintain BOMs, purchasing records, and supplier documentation.
• Track long-lead hardware and expedite orders against schedules.
• Develop alternate suppliers and continuity plans for high-risk items.
• Build knowledge of purchased hardware to advise on trade-offs.

Skills

Supplier development

Sourcing

Procurement

Vendor management

Engineering requirements

Reading drawings

Project coordination

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

ERP

MRP

Job description

Supplier Development Engineer – Own supplier strategy and execution for next-generation defense manufacturing

Waltham, Massachusetts | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join a well-funded Series A defense technology company developing advanced manufacturing systems for critical energetic materials. The company is building automated, modular production platforms designed to expand domestic manufacturing capacity and support growing defense requirements. As a Supplier Development Engineer, you will own supplier relationships, sourcing, procurement, component selection, and vendor execution across complex engineering programs. You will work directly with engineering teams, machine shops, fabricators, and equipment suppliers to make sure the right parts and systems are selected, built, delivered, and ready when the project needs them. This is a hands-on technical supplier role for someone who can understand engineering requirements, evaluate vendor capabilities, make sound sourcing decisions, and help drive projects from design through fabrication, testing, and deployment.

About Us

We are a Series A defense manufacturing startup developing automated chemical production systems for critical energetic materials. The team combines chemistry, process engineering, automation, and advanced manufacturing to create safer, more scalable domestic production capabilities for defense applications.

Job Duties

• Own supplier and vendor relationships across critical engineering and manufacturing programs
• Evaluate, qualify, and onboard suppliers based on technical capability, quality, cost, and delivery performance
• Manage sourcing and procurement from RFQs and supplier selection through purchase orders, delivery, and receipt
• Select components, materials, equipment, and suppliers that meet engineering, schedule, quality, and cost requirements
• Partner with engineering and chemistry teams to translate technical requirements into sourcing and component decisions
• Work directly with machine shops, fabricators, and equipment manufacturers on custom parts, assemblies, and process equipment
• Assess supplier capabilities and identify technical, schedule, and manufacturing risks before they impact execution
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, commercial terms, and purchasing agreements
• Resolve supplier issues involving quality, specifications, delivery, invoicing, or production delays
• Own and maintain BOMs, purchasing records, supplier documentation, and component data
• Track long-lead hardware and expedite critical orders against project schedules
• Develop alternate suppliers, replacement components, and continuity plans for high-risk or single-source items
• Build deep technical knowledge of purchased hardware and advise engineering teams on trade-offs and alternatives
• Support engineering teams throughout design, fabrication, integration, and testing
• Help manage project scope, priorities, dependencies, and timelines across multidisciplinary hardware builds
• Maintain complete and audit-ready supplier and procurement records
• Contribute to technical reviews, test planning, and project documentation as systems move toward deployment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or another relevant technical discipline
• 3+ years of experience in supplier development, supplier engineering, technical procurement, component engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, or a similar vendor-facing technical role
• Hands-on experience sourcing technical components, equipment, materials, or manufactured parts
• Experience evaluating and working directly with suppliers, fabricators, or contract manufacturers
• Ability to read engineering requirements, specifications, drawings, or technical documentation and translate them into supplier and sourcing decisions
• Experience supporting hardware projects through design, build, integration, and execution
• Strong engineering fundamentals and comfort making trade-offs across cost, quality, technical performance, and schedule
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple suppliers and priorities simultaneously
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail
• Ability to work on-site and travel as required
• Must meet U.S. Person requirements for access to export-controlled technology and be eligible to obtain a security clearance

Preferred Experience

• Experience sourcing precision-machined hardware, industrial equipment, automation components, controls, instrumentation, fluid systems, or process equipment
• Experience working directly with machine shops, contract manufacturers, or custom equipment fabricators
• Background in defense, energetics, chemicals, industrial manufacturing, biotech, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or another regulated technical environment
• Exposure to automated, modular, or skid-mounted process systems
• Familiarity with BOM management and ERP, MRP, or procurement systems
• Experience working within ITAR, CMMC, ISO, cGMP, or similar controlled environments
• Experience developing alternate suppliers or mitigating long-lead and single-source component risk
• Experience improving supplier quality, delivery performance, manufacturability, or cost

Why Join Us

• Join a well-capitalized Series A company working on a critical defense manufacturing problem
• Take significant ownership over suppliers and sourcing decisions that directly affect engineering execution
• Work closely with engineers, chemists, fabricators, and suppliers rather than operating in a traditional purchasing function
• Gain exposure to complex automated hardware and manufacturing systems from initial design through deployment
• Help build the supplier network and execution infrastructure needed as the company scales

Compensation Details

$130,000 – $180,000

LI-AV