Role Overview
We are seeking a highly strategic and experienced Director of External Manufacturing & Strategic Sourcing to lead our global hardware supply chain operations. In this critical leadership role, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of our external manufacturing partnerships, including primary foundry relationships such as TSMC, GlobalFoundries, and Samsung, while actively identifying, contacting, and negotiating with other alternative foundries globally. You will also oversee the procurement of third-party IP, custom silicon components, substrates, and raw materials. Acting as the primary bridge between our internal engineering teams and external manufacturing partners, you will ensure production scaling, cost efficiency, and supply chain resilience.
Key Responsibilities:
Foundry & OSAT Management:
- Strategic Partner Management: Own executive relationships with Tier-1 semiconductor foundries and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) partners.
- Foundry Scouting & Engagement: Proactively identify, contact, and evaluate alternative and emerging foundries globally to diversify our manufacturing base, mitigate geopolitical risks, and secure competitive advantages.
- Contract Negotiation: Lead end-to-end negotiations with both primary and alternative foundries. Secure favorable Wafer Supply Agreements (WSA), Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs, and Long-Term Agreements (LTA), ensuring optimal pricing, terms, and delivery schedules.
- Capacity Planning & Allocation: Secure short-term and long-term wafer capacity allocations to meet product roadmaps and demand forecasts in a highly competitive market.
- Yield & Production Oversight: Partner with engineering teams to monitor fab yields, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and resolve critical manufacturing excursions or delays.
Strategic Sourcing & Procurement:
- Component Sourcing: Lead the procurement strategy for external hardware components, including memory, active/passive electronic components, substrates, and specialized packaging materials.
- IP Procurement: Negotiate licensing agreements and procure third-party semiconductor IP blocks required for custom ASIC and SoC designs.
- Supplier Landscape Evaluation: Continuously evaluate and qualify new suppliers to maintain a competitive and technologically advanced supply base.
- Cost Management: Drive rigorous Should-Cost modeling and implement aggressive cost-reduction strategies across the entire Bill of Materials (BOM) without compromising quality or performance.
Supply Chain Operations & Risk Management:
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate closely with Silicon Engineering, Hardware Operations, Product Management, and Finance to align manufacturing capabilities with product launch timelines.
- Risk Mitigation: Develop and execute dual-sourcing strategies and geographic diversification plans to protect against supply chain shocks and material shortages.
- Inventory Optimization: Implement inventory management strategies for raw materials, WIP (Work in Progress), and finished goods to balance capital efficiency with supply security.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Operations, or a related technical field. An MBA or Master's degree is highly preferred.
- 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in semiconductor supply chain, strategic sourcing, or external manufacturing operations.
- Deep technical understanding of the semiconductor manufacturing lifecycle, including wafer fabrication processes, advanced packaging, and testing methodologies.
- Established network and proven track record of contacting and negotiating with key decision-makers at major foundries (TSMC, GlobalFoundries, UMC, etc.) as well as specialized alternative foundries.
- Exceptional negotiation skills with experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and executing complex technical, IP, and manufacturing contracts.
- Willingness to travel internationally (up to 30%) to partner facilities in Europe, Asia, and North America.
- Prior experience transitioning new custom silicon products from NPI (New Product Introduction) into high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
