Supply Chain & Procurement Lead
About The Position
The Supply Chain & Procurement Lead owns Kraken Kinetics’ procurement function, managing the end-to-end purchasing lifecycle from supplier sourcing and RFQ development through negotiation, purchase order placement, and delivery coordination. This role ensures that specialized components and materials required for engineering development, prototyping, and production are sourced reliably and delivered in alignment with fabrication schedules. Operating in a fast-paced engineering and manufacturing environment, the position maintains supplier relationships, monitors delivery commitments, and proactively resolves supply risks that could impact production timelines. The role works closely with engineering, fabrication, finance, and logistics teams to ensure materials are available when needed to support development and manufacturing activities. Inventory system development and administration are managed by the Director of Logistics; this role focuses on procurement execution, supplier performance, and material availability.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3–7 years of experience in supply chain, procurement, logistics, or operations roles.
- Experience managing purchasing activities, vendor sourcing, and inventory control in a manufacturing, hardware, or technical environment.
- Experience working with inventory or ERP systems (Fishbowl experience strongly preferred).
- Strong proficiency with spreadsheets and operational tracking tools.
- Ability to manage multiple purchase orders, suppliers, and material flows simultaneously.
- Strong organizational and planning abilities with attention to detail.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.
- Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate across engineering, operations, and leadership teams.
- Security Statement: This position requires special access to U.S. government information. You must be a U.S. citizen for consideration
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting defense, aerospace, or other high-reliability manufacturing programs
- Experience sourcing specialized technical components or working with precision manufacturing suppliers.
- Experience building supply chain processes or procurement systems within a growing company.
- Experience supporting prototype-to-production transitions.
Responsibilities
- Own the full procurement lifecycle from sourcing and RFQ development through negotiation, purchase order issuance, delivery tracking, and closeout.
- Identify, evaluate, and engage suppliers capable of supporting specialized manufacturing and technical component requirements.
- Maintain supplier cadence through consistent communication, delivery monitoring, and expediting activities to protect production schedules.
- Manage purchase orders across multiple concurrent programs, ensuring accurate documentation, tracking, and supplier accountability.
- Monitor supplier performance including lead time, quality, and delivery reliability.
- Support supplier relationship management to maintain reliable delivery and supply continuity.
- Coordinate closely with engineering and fabrication teams to align material procurement with build schedules and program timelines.
- Monitor supplier lead times and identify potential supply constraints that could impact fabrication or testing activities.
- Execute expediting and shortage mitigation actions to prevent production delays or material shortages.
- Support rapid prototyping and development builds by sourcing components and accelerating supplier response when required.
- Coordinate with the Director of Logistics and receiving personnel to track incoming shipments and confirm delivery status.
- Ensure materials are ordered and delivered in alignment with operational schedules and build priorities.
- Support accurate purchasing documentation to enable efficient receiving, inventory tracking, and materials handling.
- Maintain organized procurement records, supplier documentation, and purchasing data.
- Coordinate with the company’s compliance officer to ensure procurement activities align with ITAR regulations and applicable NDAA supply chain restrictions.
- Support the company’s Counterfeit Parts Prevention Program, ensuring traceability of materials and sourcing through authorized or verified suppliers where required.
- Maintain purchasing documentation and supplier records consistent with defense industry contracting and audit expectations.
Benefits
- Generous PTO policy
- Comprehensive medical coverage effective day 1 (80% company-paid for employee + dependents).
- Vision & dental (100% company-paid)
- Short- and long-term disability coverage (100% company-paid)
- Generous 401(k) retirement plan
- Company-paid life insurance
- Great teammates and well stocked snacks
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
