Purchasing director Jobs in Torrance, CA

Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, and Commodity Management (All Levels)

Torrance, California, United States

About the Job

Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, and Commodity Management (All Levels)

As a member of the strategic sourcing team, you will be integral in working with the cross-functional groups defining, designing, building, and testing Castelion vehicle and missile subsystems. We are looking for people of all levels; from newly established supply chain professionals to those who have amassed multiple years worth of experience. You win in this role by creating a supplier ecosystem that scales seamlessly from prototype to production. Success is defined by the perfect balance of technical quality, aggressive timelines, and the operational agility needed to help Castelion scale. We seek intelligent, collaborative, and driven individuals who are passionate about problem-solving and eager to lay the groundwork for a team to contribute to an extraordinary mission. If you thrive in challenging environments and are excited by the prospect of making an immediate tangible impact, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of sourcing strategies by analyzing suppliers to identify cost-saving opportunities and ensure reliable supply for upcoming product launches.
• Assist in evaluating and selecting suppliers based on quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness to maintain a robust supply base capable of Castelion's rapid development and production.
• Track and report on performance metrics and sourcing trends to support alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaborate with suppliers to improve quality, reduce costs, and enhance service levels while addressing risks and compliance requirements.
• Participate in contract negotiations, including pricing, technical requirements, and compliance terms.
• Facilitate design for manufacturability reviews with input from supplier quality and engineering teams.
• Contribute to the development and execution of supply plans to mitigate risks and ensure timely delivery of quality materials.
• Assist in addressing sole/single source risks to maintain supply chain continuity.
• Lead and collaborate with engineering and quality teams to address and resolve issues with rejected materials, aiming to prevent future quality problems.
• Provide regular updates to key stakeholders on critical supply issues and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Ensure adherence to company policies, procedures, and relevant government regulations.

Basic Qualifications

• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Technical Proficiency: 2+ years of experience working in a related field, program, or project

Preferred Skills and Experience

• System Experience: Experience with MRP or ERP systems, and with managing bill of materials, work orders, and purchase orders, and the total ownership of the data within them.
• Technical Skills: This role requires broad mechanical domain knowledge, including machined parts, composites, chemicals, avionics and their associated manufacturers and manufacturing methods.
• Problem-Solving: Innovative problem-solving approach using critical thinking, including utilization of learnings from an American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) certification, Six Sigma certification, or similar certifications and data analysis using Excel, SQL, or an advanced analytics software.
• Clearance: Active US Government security clearance or the ability to get one.

All employees are granted long-term stock incentives as part of their employment as Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.

Leadership Qualities

Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving. Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to break through ideas that are ultimately implemented. Successfully bring in applicable processes/concepts/materials from other industries to achieve efficiency gains. Ability to personally resolve minor issues in development without requiring significant support.

High Commitment, High Initiative. A successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Castelion's mission and consistently look for ways to contribute to the company's technical goals and prevent hardware blockers. Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere. Strong sense of accountability and integrity.

Clear Communicator. Proactively communicates blockers. Trusted in previous roles to be voice of company with regulators, suppliers, gate keepers and customers. Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company-desired outcomes without compromising relationships. Emails, IMs and verbal interactions are logical, drive clarity, and detailed enough to eliminate ambiguity.

ITAR Requirements:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Employment with Castelion is governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.