Director, Strategic Sourcing
Location: Riverside, CA
Pay/Salary Range: $155,000 - $195,000Position Summary The Director of Strategic Sourcing is responsible for developing and executing the company's sourcing strategy to ensure a reliable, cost-effective, and scalable supply base that supports the production of world-class vehicles. This leader will build the strategic sourcing organization, establish supplier partnerships, negotiate commercial agreements, mitigate supply risks, and drive cost competitiveness while supporting aggressive product development and manufacturing growth.
Operating in a fast-paced startup environment, the Director will partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance launch new products on time and at target cost while creating a resilient global supply chain.
Key Responsibilities:Strategic Sourcing Leadership- Develop and execute the company's strategic sourcing roadmap aligned with business growth and production objectives.
- Build and lead a high-performing sourcing organization capable of supporting rapid expansion.
- Develop sourcing strategies by commodity, leveraging market intelligence, supplier capabilities, and total cost of ownership principles.
- Establish sourcing governance, procurement policies, and supplier management processes consistent with automotive OEM best practices.
Supplier Development & Management- Identify, qualify, and develop world-class suppliers for direct materials and production components.
- Lead supplier selection through competitive RFQ/RFP processes.
- Establish and drive sourcing council process across all vehicle programs
- Negotiate long-term supply agreements, pricing, commercial terms, capacity commitments, and service-level expectations.
- Build executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers.
- Conduct executive supplier business reviews focused on quality, delivery, cost, innovation, and risk.
Cost Management- Lead annual cost reduction initiatives through should-cost analysis, value engineering, competitive sourcing, and supplier negotiations.
- Drive year-over-year productivity savings while maintaining quality and delivery performance.
- Collaborate with Engineering to influence design/platform decisions that improve manufacturability and reduce total product cost.
- Monitor commodity markets and implement strategies to mitigate inflation and supply volatility.
New Product Introduction (NPI)- Partner with Engineering during product development to ensure sourcing readiness for new vehicle programs.
- Support supplier tooling, APQP activities, PPAP approvals, and launch readiness.
- Ensure supplier capacity, production timing, and material availability align with manufacturing schedules.
- Supply Risk Management
- Develop risk mitigation strategies for single-source suppliers, constrained materials, and geopolitical disruptions.
- Create business continuity plans for critical components.
- Monitor supplier financial health, capacity, and operational performance.
Cross-Functional Leadership- Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, Program Management, and Finance to achieve company objectives.
- Support Sales and Product Management by aligning sourcing strategies with customer requirements and product roadmaps.
- Participate in executive planning, S&OP, and capacity planning activities.
Supplier Quality & Performance- Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering to establish supplier scorecards and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Drive corrective actions for supplier quality and delivery issues.
- Support supplier audits and ongoing performance evaluations.
Compliance & Governance- Ensure compliance with ethical sourcing practices, trade regulations, and applicable environmental and sustainability requirements.
- Maintain procurement controls and documentation supporting internal audits and regulatory requirements.
Position Requirements: - Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Operations, or related discipline.
- 10+ years of progressive sourcing or procurement experience within the automotive, commercial vehicle, heavy equipment, or EV manufacturing industries.
- 5+ years leading strategic sourcing teams.
- Demonstrated experience launching new vehicle or automotive programs.
- Strong commercial negotiation and contract management skills.
- Experience managing global suppliers across North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Deep understanding of automotive/heavy duty manufacturing and supplier development processes.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 25%).
Preferred Qualifications: - MBA or Master's degree.
- CPSM, CPIM, CPM, or equivalent professional certification.
- Experience in vehicle manufacturing and battery supply chains.
- Familiarity with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, APQP, DFMEA, FMVSS, PPAP, Altoona Bus Testing, and Buy America requirements
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, EPICOR, or Microsoft Dynamics.
- Experience developing BI Tool Suites
Technical Knowledge - Strategic sourcing methodologies
- Commodity management
- Cost modeling and should-cost analysis
- Supplier negotiations
- Contract development
- APQP / PPAP
- Supplier Quality Management
- Lean Manufacturing
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Supply risk management
- Inventory optimization
- Category management
- Global logistics fundamentals
Leadership Competencies - Strategic thinking
- Executive presence
- Influencing without authority
- Data-driven decision making
- Change leadership
- Team development
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Continuous improvement mindset
- High sense of urgency
- Entrepreneurial problem solving
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - Material cost savings
- Cost avoidance
- Supplier on-time delivery
- Supplier PPM (Parts Per Million defects)
- New supplier qualification cycle time
- RFQ turnaround time
- Purchase price variance (PPV)
- Supplier scorecard performance
- On-time program launch support
- Supply continuity
- Inventory turns
- Working capital improvements
Success in the First 12 Months - Establish a scalable strategic sourcing organization.
- Complete sourcing strategies for all major vehicle commodities.
- Develop a preferred supplier network capable of supporting production growth.
- Implement supplier performance scorecards and executive business reviews.
- Deliver measurable material cost savings while improving supplier quality and delivery performance.
- Support successful launch of new vehicle platforms without supply disruptions.
- Build procurement processes and governance that can scale from startup operations to full-rate production.
Work Environment: This is an onsite position based in Riverside, CA and requires being onsite.
Benefits: - Comprehensive benefits package: Medical (including FSA & HSA), dental, vision, life and disability insurance, EAP, mental health, and wellness programs
- 401(k) with employer match
- Paid time off and twelve (12) paid holidays
- Employee referral program
- Career growth and development opportunities
Career Growth at ENC We believe great careers and leaders are built from within. Many of our team members have advanced into roles that lead or into specialized technical positions. We invest in hands-on training, skill development, and long-term career pathways within manufacturing operations.
