Supply Chain / Procurement (Buyer-Planner)

First Order Effects; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

First Order Effects, based in Austin, TX, seeks a Buyer-Planner to own long-lead item procurement for hardware builds. You will build and manage supplier relationships, negotiate terms, and ensure on-time delivery for items like LFP cells, inverters, generators, and structural hardware.

You will plan material against the build schedule, monitor lead times, and maintain accurate BOMs, costs, and inventory, operating in a fast-paced, defense-aware procurement environment with ITAR considerations.

Qualifications

• Experience sourcing batteries, power equipment, or steel and aluminum fabrication.
• A background in defense procurement, DFARS, or ITAR-aware sourcing.
• A track record standing up MRP or ERP at an early company.

Responsibilities

• Own procurement of long-lead items: LFP cells, inverters, generators, and container and structural hardware.

Skills

Procurement

Supplier management

Negotiation

Supply chain

Tools

MRP/ERP

Job description

FIRST ORDER EFFECTS

Supply Chain / Procurement (Buyer-Planner)

Infrastructure for the Autonomous Era · First in. First up.

On-site · Austin, TX

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A hardware delivery lives or dies on parts arriving on time. You own the long-lead items and keep the build fed. When the schedule is measured in months, the difference between hitting the date and missing it often sits in your inbox, and you are the person who makes sure it lands early.

Who We Are

First Order Effects (FOE) is building America's Infrastructure Prime for the robotic era. Autonomous ships, drones, and robots are rewriting how the world moves, fights, and builds - but none of them work without infrastructure to power them, connect them, and launch and recover them. That's what we build.

We've Built Cutting Edge Systems at Legendary Companies

Our team comes from SpaceX, Anduril, Saronic, Lockheed Skunk Works, Forterra, and Fuse Energy. Before founding FOE, we built satellite ground stations that closed a national comms gap in days, deployed multi-megawatt power systems at commercial speed, and shipped autonomous surface vessels into Navy fleet production. We've built infrastructure at lightspeed before - now we're applying that playbook to an entire company.

The Role

• Own procurement of long-lead items: LFP cells, inverters, generators, and container and structural hardware.

• Build the supplier base, negotiate, and manage lead times, purchase orders, and delivery.

• Plan material against the build and delivery schedule and flag risk early.

• Keep the bill of materials, cost, and inventory honest.

What You\'ll Do

• Run procurement or supply chain for hardware, ideally low-volume, high-mix, or new product introduction.

• Manage and negotiate with suppliers.

• Read bills of materials and work directly with engineers.

What We\'re Looking For

• Experience sourcing batteries, power equipment, or steel and aluminum fabrication.

• A background in defense procurement, DFARS, or ITAR-aware sourcing.

• A track record standing up MRP or ERP at an early company.

Compensation

$100,000–$250,000 base + founding-team equity sized for the role + benefits. If you\'re an outlier, we\'ll pay like it.

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations (ITAR/EAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; active clearance not required.

FOE is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with FOE is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Sovereignty is built, not declared — come build it with us.