The roleThis is Helsing's first supply chain hire in the United States. You will set up how we buy - and then do the buying yourself. Expect to spend your first year as a player-coach: designing the supplier strategy, the sourcing playbook and the compliance posture in the morning, and placing purchase orders, chasing commit dates and clearing the shortage list in the afternoon. We are deliberately not hiring a pure strategist or a pure buyer. The person who succeeds here can hold both altitudes: they know what "right" looks like for a defense supply chain - NDAA, ITAR/EAR, DFARS flow-downs, counterfeit-part avoidance - and they are equally comfortable on the phone with a distributor at 7pm to pull a lead time in by three weeks. You will work daily with Production, Systems Engineering and our Head of Logistics, and you will be the single point of accountability for whether material is where it needs to be. There is no team reporting to you on day one. There is a clear path to building one.
The day-to-day- Own the Buy, End to End. Place, expedite and close purchase orders across all production and prototype commodities. Run the shortage list daily, hold suppliers to their commit dates, and know when to trigger the next order before MRP tells you.
- Build the Supplier Base. Identify, qualify and negotiate with suppliers across electronics, semiconductors, machined parts and contract manufacturing. Establish terms, pricing agreements and second sources for every single-point-of-failure part.
- Set the Compliance Posture. Know what good looks like and build it in from the start - NDAA Section 889/5949 screening, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, ITAR/EAR export controls, counterfeit-part avoidance (AS5553) and supplier documentation that will survive an audit.
- Purchasing Process & Data Ownership. Define the purchasing process, approval thresholds and supplier documentation standards. Own procurement data quality - part, cost, lead-time and sourcing records - inside the MRP/ERP our Head of Production is standing up, and represent supply chain requirements in that rollout.
- Synchronize with Production and Logistics. Convert the build schedule into a buy plan. Work hand-in-glove with the Head of Logistics on inbound freight, receiving and inventory, and with Production on kitting readiness and line-side availability.
- Support NPI. Partner with Systems Engineering on BOMs, ECOs, alternates and end-of-life parts. Quote new designs early, source prototype material fast, and drive designs toward parts we can actually get at volume.
- Manage Risk. Map geopolitical, allocation and lead-time exposure across the BOM. Maintain buffer and last-time-buy strategies for long-lead and sole-source items so a single shortage never stops a build.
- Grow the Function. Document what you build, then hire and mentor the buyers and planners who come after you as U.S. volume scales.
You should apply if you- 7-12 years in supply chain, procurement, strategic sourcing or planning within a hardware manufacturing environment (semiconductor, high-tech, advanced manufacturing, robotics, or aerospace/defense).
- You have personally owned POs, supplier commit dates and shortage resolution within the last few years - and you are eager to do it again without a team beneath you.
- Demonstrated ownership of supplier selection, qualification and commercial negotiation, not just execution against someone else's sourcing decisions.
- Working knowledge of - or the demonstrated ability to rapidly master - NDAA compliance, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, ITAR/EAR and counterfeit-part avoidance, and the judgement to know which rules bind in which situation.
- Hands-on daily user of an MRP/ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Odoo, Arena, Duro or similar) - able to run demand, planning and purchasing from the system and keep its data trustworthy.
- Comfortable with multi-level BOMs, drawings and ECO workflows, and credible in a technical conversation with engineers about alternates and part selection.
- Proven effectiveness where the process does not exist yet - fixing today's problem and building tomorrow's system at the same time.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or Top Secret). U.S. Citizenship is required.
Note: We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points.
Nice to Have- Sourcing high-performance and edge AI compute, semiconductors, cable assemblies, optics, precision machined parts or ruggedized enclosures.
- Managing CMs, EMS providers and machine shops, including consigned versus turnkey material models.
- Having bought through a real shortage - brokers, allocation, last-time buys, cross-referencing alternates under schedule pressure.
- Prior experience on ITAR-controlled or classified programs; familiarity with CMMC.
- Active U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or above).
- Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering or Business; CPIM, CSCP or CPSM a plus.
What we offer- A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
- A generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to base salary) that includes, but may not be limited to, insurance coverage (medical and travel), flexible paid time off, paid holidays, and remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying plans or programs, as applicable and as may be amended, terminated or superseded from time to time.
The base salary offered to the successful candidate will be determined by a variety of factors including relevant experience, qualifications, education, skill level, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.
