The roleYou will own procurement end to end, from placing purchase orders on Monday to building the supplier base we'll need over the next two years. This is a hybrid role where you'll manage day-to-day purchasing for active customer programs while developing the sourcing strategies, supplier network, and processes we need to scale.
- Buyer side (execution): turn customer BOMs into on-time, conforming material for every build, often for new products launched in weeks, not quarters.
- GSM side (strategy): qualify and develop a domestic-first, defense-ready supplier base; negotiate agreements; manage risk, cost and AS9100 supplier controls.
You'll be one of the first supply chain hires, working directly with production, quality, program management and our customers' engineering teams.
Founder mentality: We love people who build like it's their own company. You move fast, take ownership, and find a way through when the path isn't obvious. You have the drive to make big things happen and the judgment to take smart risks along the way. If you prefer a clearly defined lane, a predictable pace, and all the answers before you start, there's nothing wrong with that-but Foundry might not be the right fit.
What you'll do- Procurement and execution
- Own purchasing for high-mix, low-volume electromechanical builds: electronics, cable and harness, machined and sheet-metal parts, fasteners, motors, sensors and consumables.
- Convert customer BOMs and quotes into purchase orders with complete requirements and flow-downs (quality clauses, DFARS/ITAR, certs, FAI, special processes).
- Run expedites, shortages and allocation calls so NPI and production builds start on schedule.
- Manage customer-furnished material and customer-directed suppliers alongside our own buys.
- Maintain accurate purchasing data in our ERP: lead times, pricing, approved sources, open PO status.
- Strategic sourcing and supplier management
- Build and maintain the Approved Supplier List; evaluate, qualify and onboard new suppliers per our AS9100 Purchasing procedure.
- Develop a domestic and allied-nation supply base that supports defense customers and onshoring goals.
- Negotiate pricing, LTAs, blanket orders, consignment and VMI programs that support both speed and cost.
- Track supplier performance (OTD, quality, responsiveness) and report it at Management Review; drive SCARs with Quality.
- Identify single-source, obsolescence and geopolitical risks early and stand up alternates.
- Quality and compliance
- Prevent counterfeit parts: buy from authorized channels and enforce traceability and C of C requirements.
- Partner with the Head of Quality on supplier audits, source inspection and nonconformance disposition.
- Ensure compliance with ITAR/EAR, DFARS specialty-metals and cybersecurity flow-downs, and country-of-origin rules.
Scaling the function- Help select and configure procurement tools, MRP logic and supplier portals as we grow.
- Feed DFM and quoting with real cost and lead-time data, and flag long-lead or hard-to-source parts during quote review.
- Support the supply plan for our new factory build-out, including robotic cell components and capital equipment.
- Write the playbooks and mentor future buyers and planners.
What We're Looking for- 7+ years in procurement, purchasing or supply management for electromechanical hardware, with at least 3 years in a senior buyer, commodity manager or supply manager role.
- Experience in a contract manufacturer (EMS/CM) or high-mix, low-volume production environment.
- Hands-on buying across multiple commodities: electronic components, PCBAs, cable/harness, machined and sheet-metal parts.
- Working knowledge of AS9100 or ISO 9001 purchasing requirements: supplier approval, flow-downs, FAI, traceability and counterfeit-parts prevention.
- Familiarity with ITAR/EAR and DFARS requirements, and willingness to work on export-controlled programs. U.S. person status required (ITAR).
- Proven negotiation results on price, lead time and terms, plus experience building supplier relationships from scratch.
- Strong ERP/MRP skills (e.g., NetSuite, Odoo, Epicor or similar) and advanced spreadsheet skills.
- Comfort reading engineering drawings and BOMs and talking specs with engineers.
- Bias for action: you thrive with ambiguity, own outcomes, and move fast without cutting quality corners.
Preferred qualifications- Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, medical device or autonomy hardware.
- Background building a supply chain function at an early-stage startup or a new factory.
- Established network of domestic machine shops, harness houses, PCBA suppliers and authorized distributors.
- Experience sourcing robotics and automation components (servos, actuators, cameras, grippers, industrial PCs) or capital equipment.
- Knowledge of DFARS 252.225 specialty metals, [redacted]/7008 counterfeit-part rules, NIST 800-171/CMMC flow-downs, and Buy American / TAA.
- Component obsolescence and lifecycle management (e.g., SiliconExpert, Z2Data).
- Certifications such as CPSM, CSCP or APICS CPIM.
- Interest in using software and AI to automate procurement workflows (quote parsing, BOM scrubbing, supplier scoring).
- Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, engineering or equivalent experience.
This is one of the only places where world-class manufacturing operators, mechanical engineers, robotics researchers, and software engineers sit in the same room - building production systems together.
We are committed to being deeply embedded in the U.S. industrial base. Our focus is simple: build adaptive robotic assembly systems that make American manufacturing scalable, resilient, and competitive again.
The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of Emeryville is:
$150,000-$220,000 USDCompensation packages at Foundry Robotics for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Foundry Robotics employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, and generous PTO.
