Supply Chain Manager (Vehicle Programs)

Wayve; United States; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Wayve is seeking a Supply Chain Program Manager to own end-to-end execution across programs, including prototype development and NPI, spanning Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, and external partners. You will ensure material readiness, manage supplier relationships, and drive program timelines in a fast-moving hardware environment.

The role collaborates across global teams to meet vehicle build milestones, optimize procurement, and mitigate supply chain risks.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain program management, NPI, and hardware operations.
• Strong understanding of BOM management, material planning, and procurement processes.
• Experience in automotive, consumer, hardware, or robotics industries preferred.
• Familiarity with supplier compliance frameworks including TISAX, ISO standards, and ethical sourcing.
• Ability to travel internationally as needed.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary Supply Chain lead for assigned programs or internal product builds (e.g., prototypes, new product introduction, subassembly).
• Own end-to-end material readiness to support program milestones across R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Planning, Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, and Suppliers to align supply chain activities with program timelines.
• Act as the strategic liaison between hardware engineering and the procurement teams, managing demand aggregation.
• Define, track, and report on key supply chain performance metrics including, material availability, total cost saving, inventory cycle count accuracy.

Skills

Supply chain management

NPI

Hardware operations

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Job description

The role

The Supply Chain Program Manager is a critical cross-functional role responsible for owning end-to-end supply chain execution across assigned programs and product builds at Wayve. This includes prototype development, new product introduction (NPI), and supporting fleet launches.

This role serves as the primary Supply Chain lead ensuring meeting program deliverables, supplier compliance, and seamless coordination across Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, and external partners. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-moving, hardware-driven environment and brings both strategic thinking and hands-on execution capability.

The role works cross-functionally with Engineering, Planning, Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, Legal, and Suppliers, and partners closely with global upfitters and third-party integration partners (spanning the US, UK, and other regions) to ensure vehicle and program timelines are met.

Program Ownership & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the primary Supply Chain lead for assigned programs or internal product builds (e.g., prototypes, new product introduction, subassembly).

• Own end-to-end material readiness to support program milestones across R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing.

• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Planning, Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, and Suppliers to align supply chain activities with program timelines.

• Act as the strategic liaison between hardware engineering and the procurement teams, managing demand aggregation.

Material Planning & Readiness

• Translate engineering BOMs and aggregate Technical Program Manager demand into procurement plans

• Identify long-lead items and critical path components early in the product lifecycle.

• Track material status through build phases and elevate gaps or risks proactively.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Collaborating with Supply Chain Team Leads to ensure direct purchasing, indirect purchasing, and logistics suppliers are meeting compliance requirements, including legal, environmental, regulatory (e.g., TISAX, ISO), and ethical sourcing standards.

• Partner with legal and compliance teams to ensure appropriate supplier agreements, NDAs, and risk controls are in place.

• Develop contingency plans for supply disruptions and actively manage supply chain risks.

Program Managing Upfitter / Partner

• Serve as the primary program manager for upfitter and partner relationships, ensuring alignment across all stakeholders.

• Drive upfitter/partner activities to ensure vehicles meet overall program timelines and quality standards.

• Proactively identify and resolve issues impacting vehicle build readiness, coordinating between internal teams and external partners.

• Maintain clear communication cadence with upfitters and stakeholders, tracking milestones and escalating risks as needed.

Supply Chain KPI Management

• Define, track, and report on key supply chain performance metrics including, material availability, total cost saving, inventory cycle count accuracy.

• Establish program-level supply chain dashboards and reporting cadences to provide visibility to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Analyse KPI trends to identify root causes of supply chain underperformance and drive corrective actions with suppliers and internal teams.

• Leverage KPI insights to continuously improve supply chain processes, reduce waste, and increase overall program efficiency.

About you

In order to set you up for success as a Supply Chain Manager at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain program management, NPI, and hardware operations

• Strong understanding of BOM management, material planning, and procurement processes.

• Automotive, consumer, hardware, or robotic industry experience preferred

• Familiarity with supplier compliance frameworks including TISAX, ISO standards, and ethical sourcing requirements.

• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional programs across Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and risk management skills.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.

• Ability to travel internationally as needed

This is a full-time, office-based role located in Yokohama, depending on the candidate's place of residence. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home. We operate core working hours so you can determine the schedule that works best for you and your team.