Supply Chain Manager/Director - Aerospace

AscendArc; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Flexible hours

Ownership in projects

Job summary

AscendArc is seeking an experienced Supply Chain Manager/Director to own the end-to-end supply chain for a revolutionary satellite communications system. You will lead sourcing, procurement, inventory, logistics, and supplier management while building the function and team as the company scales.

You will negotiate aerospace contracts, drive lean practices, and coordinate with engineering and production to ensure buildable, sourceable hardware.

Qualifications

• Experience negotiating high-complexity aerospace or high-reliability hardware contracts.
• Ability to design and stand up end-to-end supply chain processes.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end supply chain strategy, sourcing, procurement, inventory, logistics, and supplier management.
• Lead supplier qualification, long-lead and single-source item management to protect the program schedule.
• Apply lean principles: optimized inventory, kanban and strategic buys where needed.
• Collaborate with engineering/production to translate designs into buildable, sourceable hardware.
• Drive material alignment to program milestones and push back on design choices that affect lead-time or cost.
• Manage procurement, BOM data in ERP and shape ERP/MES integration.
• Establish scalable supply chain processes compliant with AS9100 and export-control requirements.

Skills

Aerospace contracting

Lean supply chain

ERP/MRP proficiency

ITAR/EAR knowledge

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

NetSuite ERP

Job description

Come join us in shaping the future! Get in on the ground floor as an early member of our team as a Supply Chain Manager/Director developing a revolutionary satellite communications system.AscendArc is a seed startup founded to revolutionize the satellite communications industry. We are looking for doers who want to work in a ground-breaking and fast-paced environment. Our success will depend on your energy, skill, and creativity.

What You'll Do

• Own the end-to-end supply chain: strategy, sourcing, procurement, inventory, logistics, and supplier management, and build the function (and eventually the team) as we scale.
• Negotiate complex aerospace supply agreements across the full spectrum, from low-volume, high-value space-qualified components (long-lead EEE parts, RF hardware, custom mechanical and structural elements) to high-volume, low-value commodity parts, including pricing, terms, quality flow-downs, and schedule protection.
• Lead sourcing and qualification of suppliers, with a sharp eye on the long-lead and single-source items that drive our program schedule.
• Apply lean supply chain principles: right-sized inventory, waste elimination, and sourcing and stocking strategies matched to part criticality (strategic buys where lead times demand it, kanban/min-max flow for commodity hardware).
• Work directly with engineering and production to translate designs into buildable, sourceable hardware, and push back early when a part choice creates a lead-time, cost, or obsolescence problem.
• Drive material alignment to program milestones so build and test teams never get stuck waiting on parts.
• Own procurement, inventory, and BOM/material data in our ERP (NetSuite, currently mid-implementation) and help shape how it integrates with our MES. You'll have a real voice in how these systems are configured.
• Stand up supply chain processes from scratch that hold up under aerospace quality and compliance expectations (AS9100-aligned practices, counterfeit parts avoidance, source inspection where warranted).
• Execute export compliance requirements in the procurement process, including denied party screening, ITAR/EAR flow-downs to suppliers, and coordination with our compliance program.

What You'll Bring

• Non-negotiable: A demonstrated record of negotiating high-complexity aerospace or high-reliability hardware contracts, and of building supply chain processes rather than inheriting them. This is the core of the role.
• Self-starter: You take ambiguous ownership and run with it. Nobody here will hand you requirements or wait to unblock you; you'll set the direction, make the calls, and keep leadership informed rather than asking permission.
• 7+ years in supply chain, procurement, or hardware operations, ideally in space, aerospace/defense, or complex hardware startups. Title and level will flex with what you bring: a proven leader steps in as Director; a rising operator who hits above their weight steps in as Lead with room to grow into it.
• Deep familiarity with space-qualified or high-reliability hardware supply chains: electronics, RF, mechanical, or propulsion.
• Fluency in lean supply chain / strategic sourcing practice, and the judgment to know which parts deserve which strategy.
• Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems and keeping BOM and material data tight; experience standing up or implementing an ERP is a big plus.
• A clear communicator who works easily across engineering, production, and leadership.
• Scrappy, resourceful, and not afraid to roll up their sleeves. Whatever the title says, you're never far from the work.
• Working knowledge of ITAR/EAR obligations as they apply to procurement and supplier management, a plus.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• You’ll have real ownership and shape how our supply chain runs as we grow.
• A tight-knit team that values transparency, creativity, and getting things done.
• Competitive salary + equity—your work directly impacts our mission.
• Flexible hours, flexible work style, and a culture built on trust.
• The chance to build spacecraft that actually go to space. (It never stops being cool.)

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $130,000-180,000. When determining an individual’s compensation, we consider several factors including skillset, experience, job scope, and current market data, so pay for this role may vary from the amounts listed.

Legal Eligibility to Work

Due to U.S. export control regulations, this position is only open to “U.S. persons.” That means you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or have refugee/asylee status. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applicants on temporary work visas (such as H-1B, TN, O-1, etc.) for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AscendArc is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor or legally protected status.