Associate Purchasing Manager

About Us

LeoLabs enables military space commands, civil government agencies, and commercial operators to confidently detect, track, characterize, and respond to threats in space. Our proliferated, multi-mission radar network, real-time orbital data catalog, and AI-powered analytics support secure, safe, and dynamic space operations.

At LeoLabs, our core values of Innovation,Integrity, and Impact guide everything we do. We foster an environment where bold ideas are encouraged, doing the right thing is fundamental, and our work makes a meaningful difference in safeguarding space and our way of life on Earth. As part of our team, you’ll contribute to building the world’s most comprehensive living map of orbital activity, designed to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our era. Together, we are preserving the U.S. and Allied advantage in space, driving the growth of the global economy, and enabling the future of space exploration and innovation.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a detail-oriented and strategic Associate Purchasing Manager on the Radar Supply Chain Management team with experience in the electronics/hardware industry to lead procurement efforts for electronic components, subassemblies, and manufacturing services. The ideal candidate will be responsible for sourcing and managing suppliers, negotiating pricing and terms, and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality components to meet production and engineering requirements. Cross-functional engagement across the Radar organization and an understanding of the engineering workflow is critical to your success in this role.

This role requires a high level of comfort with ambiguity and the agility to adjust purchasing strategies in response to evolving project timelines. A strong background in planning and forecasting is essential, as these skills are critical to success in this position. The ideal candidate will conduct cost analyses, identify opportunities to reduce spend, and take a strategic approach to vendor selection to ensure consistent parts availability for the Radar organization.

The Supply Chain team is responsible for communication between Accounting, Hardware Engineering, and the Global Infrastructure Teams. Providing proactive information regularly to resolve complications with open orders is a weekly and sometimes daily function.

It is imperative that you understand that you are joining a start-up, that you will work on multiple projects at any given time and will need to be comfortable with shifting priorities as the company is in a growth phase and expanding our market reach. It is expected you are a proactive colleague who will step in where you can best support the company’s mission. This role demands exceptional organizational skills, effective time management, and meticulous attention to detail. As a key contributor to the growth of LeoLabs’ production capacity, the ideal candidate will take full ownership of end-to-end procurement and supply chain execution.

You will be responsible for meeting and accelerating time sensitive deployment schedules working closely with the production, finance, operations, and engineering departments. You will join the Radar Deployments Group and report to the Associate Director of Supply Chain Management.

This is a hybrid role at our Headquarters in Menlo Park, CA.

Responsibilities

·        Develop and implement purchasing strategies for electronic components, PCBs, cables, mechanicals, and custom assemblies.

·        Partake in implementation of tools/modules within our system to improve efficiency of our current processes

·        Source and qualify new suppliers, with a focus on quality, lead time, pricing, and reliability.

·        Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Planning teams to forecast demand and ensure alignment of procurement schedules with production needs.

·        Issue and manage open purchase orders for approved requisitions and contracts. Provide status updates to relevant stakeholders as needed

·        Stay up-to-date with component availability, lifecycle changes (e.g., EOL notices), and market fluctuations affecting electronic parts.

·        Manage RFQs and obtain product/service information such as price, availability, and delivery schedule

·        Negotiate supplier contracts, volume discounts, and long-term agreements to reduce costs and minimize risk.

Qualifications

·        Proficiency with Excel, NetSuite (or other ERP program)

·        5+ years of purchasing/procurement experience, specifically in the electronics or high-tech manufacturing industry.BS/BA Degree or equivalent experience

·        Experience working with electronics Bill of Materials and engineering drawing packages

·        Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.

·        Strong communication and negotiation skills, detail oriented, efficient with managing multiple projects

·        Familiarity with demand planning, inventory optimization, and just-in-time (JIT) purchasing.

·        Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and cross-functional environment.

Within 1 month, you’ll:

·        Complete our on boarding program designed to get you up to speed on our business, vision and team

·        Gain an understanding about how your role fits into LeoLabs broader organization

·        Learn about our current supply chain process and be introduced to ongoing projects

Within 3 months, you’ll:

·        Issue RFQs, place purchase orders and be actively communicating with our vendors

·        Have a detailed understanding of our build schedule and work towards meeting delivery deadlines

·        Work cross functionally with Accounting and Inventory Management to reconcile discrepancies

Within 6 months, you’ll:

●       Manage multiple BOMs/projects and provide support to the Engineers for their projects

●       Expanded supplier base by sourcing and onboarding high-performing vendors.

●       Develop deep expertise in our ERP and PLM systems, and drive optimization of key modules to enhance procurement and operational efficiency.

Within 12 months, you’ll:

·        Develop a deeper understanding of the engineering workflow to enable accurate forecasting and planning

·        Revamped SOPs and optimized workflows to increase operational efficiency and consistency.

·        Conduct cost analysis, create KPls for our suppliers and build financial targets for future radar deployment

Salary offers are based on a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skills, and location. The base salary range for this position is $114K - $138K  + bonus + stock options + benefits

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

We do not work with outside staffing agencies

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. More information regarding ITAR can be found at DDTC’s website