Senior Purchasing Lead
Job Type
Full-Time
Workspace
Hybrid-Tucson, AZ
About the Role
The Senior Purchasing Lead will play a critical role in building and scaling the company's procurement and supply chain function within a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment. This role is responsible not only for day-to-day purchasing and supplier management, but also for establishing the processes, systems, and infrastructure required to support company growth, operational excellence, and compliance with aerospace and defense industry standards.
The successful candidate will bring a hands-on, builder mentality and thrive in an environment where not all processes have been defined. They will partner across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Program Management, Contracts, and Finance to develop a scalable procurement organization capable of supporting commercial and government-funded programs.
This position requires experience supporting defense and government contracts, including working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and contractual flow-down requirements. The Procurement Manager will also be a key contributor to the company's quality and operational maturity efforts, helping establish procurement processes, supplier controls, and documentation practices that support AS9100 compliance and future certification objectives.
Qualifications:
Required:
7+ years of progressive procurement, purchasing, supply chain, or sourcing experience.
3+ years supporting government, aerospace, defense, or federally funded programs.
Demonstrated experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing strategic supplier relationships.
Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS requirements and their application to procurement activities.
Experience supporting regulated manufacturing, aerospace, defense, engineering, or technology environments.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems and procurement analytics.
Preferred:
CPSM, CSCP, CPM, or equivalent procurement certification.
Manufacturing, industrial, construction, or distribution industry experience.
Experience leading supplier development and strategic sourcing initiatives.
Supervisory or team leadership experience.
Responsibilities
• Lead strategic sourcing, purchasing, and supplier management activities supporting prototype, low-rate, and production manufacturing.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, delivery, and supply chain risk.
• Negotiate supplier pricing, contracts, and long-term agreements while building strong supplier partnerships.
• Ensure continuity of supply for materials, components, and services supporting manufacturing and customer commitments.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with FAR, DFARS, customer flow-down requirements, and company policies.
• Support government and defense programs through compliant supplier selection, documentation, and contract execution.
• Maintain procurement records and support audit readiness, supplier compliance, and contractual requirements.
• Build and implement scalable procurement processes, policies, controls, and performance metrics to support organizational growth.
• Develop supplier qualification, onboarding, and performance management programs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across procurement, planning, inventory, and supplier management functions.
• Partner with Quality and Operations teams to establish procurement and supplier management processes aligned with AS9100 requirements.
• Support supplier quality programs, audits, corrective actions, traceability, and certification readiness efforts.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, and Finance to support new product introductions and production readiness.
• Support proposal efforts, cost analysis, manufacturing readiness, and strategic supply chain planning.
• Provide leadership and mentorship as the procurement and supply chain organization grows.
• Serve as a key stakeholder in ERP/MRP implementation and optimization, defining procurement, inventory, and supplier management requirements.
• Support process mapping, system configuration, data migration, testing, and user adoption while establishing controls that support scalability, government compliance, and AS9100 objectives.
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