Strategic Sourcing Buyer

About Northwood:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Role:

Northwood is seeking a dynamic and experienced Buyer to help develop our ground station supply base and support our production launch this year. As the first procurement hire at our rapidly growing ground station team, you will play a pivotal role in establishing and scaling our procurement function. You will be responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and managing the materials, components, and services necessary to support the development and manufacturing of our cutting-edge ground station technology. Your expertise in building strong supplier relationships, executing cost-effective sourcing strategies, and ensuring timely delivery will be critical as we scale operations and bring innovative products to market.

In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to shape and influence the direction of our procurement processes, systems, and supplier relationships. Your contributions will directly impact the success and scalability of our groundbreaking technology. If you are a proactive, strategic thinker with a passion for supply chain management and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities: 

• Supplier Identification & Management: Proactively identify, evaluate, and develop relationships with both new and existing suppliers to ensure a diverse and reliable supplier base.

• Cost Management & Negotiation: Negotiate with suppliers to secure the best prices, terms, and quality standards while meeting budgetary constraints and project timelines.

• Supply Chain Coordination: Work closely with engineering, production, and logistics teams to ensure the seamless flow of materials and components required for manufacturing operations.

• Procurement Process Development: Support in setting up our first ERP system and be a leader in development of procurement strategy, processes, and systems to ensure efficient and cost-effective sourcing of materials, components, and services.

• Inventory & Lead Time Management: Monitor inventory levels, order lead times, and supplier performance to minimize production delays and avoid stockouts or excess inventory.

• Quality Assurance: Work with suppliers to ensure that components meet quality standards and regulatory requirements for ground station manufacturing.

• Risk Management: Identify potential risks in the supply chain (e.g., supply disruptions, geopolitical risks, price fluctuations) and develop contingency plans to mitigate them.

• Data & Record Management: Maintain accurate and organized procurement records, including supplier contracts, purchase orders, and invoices, ensuring compliance with company policies.

• Process Improvement: Continuously drive process improvements to enhance efficiency in the procurement function, reduce costs, and foster strong supplier relationships.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal teams such as engineering, product development, and operations to ensure that procurement aligns with product development goals and timelines.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3-5+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management, ideally within manufacturing or technology industries.

• Experience with procurement software and MRP systems; familiarity with Netsuite, Oracle, or similar tools is a plus.

• Able to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Netsuite  Experience

• Prior experience in rapid growth environment

• CPM, CSCP certification or equivalent

• Project Management Experience

• Six sigma/lean process improvement experience

• Proficient in SQL 

Compensation:

Compensation at Northwood Space is based on role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on job-related skills, education, experience, and technical expertise. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long-term incentives such as company stock options and discretionary performance bonuses. Benefits include equity, comprehensive health care, flexible vacation, retirement savings plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Additional Information:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space 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.