Strategic Sourcing Manager - Mechanical (R5858)

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube .

Job Description:

The Strategic Sourcing Manager – Mechanical will lead sourcing strategies for critical mechanical commodities, including airframe structures, precision-machined components, landing gear systems, and propulsion and engine-related hardware. This role will identify and develop suppliers, lead competitive sourcing activities and negotiations, manage supplier performance, and establish long-term agreements that support cost, quality, delivery, and capacity objectives. The manager will partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, and Supplier Development to support new product introduction, production ramp-up, and supply-risk mitigation. The ideal candidate has strong aerospace or defense sourcing experience, can independently manage complex and flight-critical suppliers, and is able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

What you'll do:

• Lead the strategic sourcing and procurement of critical mechanical commodities, with a primary focus on airframe structures, precision-machined components, landing gear systems, and propulsion and engine-related hardware.
• Develop and execute commodity strategies that support prototype, development, qualification, and production requirements across aerospace and defense programs.
• Own supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, and long-term management for complex and mission-critical components and systems.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities across manufacturing processes, technical expertise, capacity, quality systems, financial stability, and production scalability.
• Lead competitive sourcing activities, including requests for quotation, proposal analysis, supplier negotiations, cost modeling, source-selection recommendations, and contract execution.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, intellectual property provisions, capacity commitments, long-term agreements, and other commercial terms that reduce cost and program risk.
• Partner closely with Engineering to review drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, manufacturing requirements, statements of work, and engineering changes.
• Drive early supplier involvement during design and development to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, shorten lead times, and minimize technical and schedule risk.
• Develop a strong understanding of cost drivers associated with aircraft structures, machining, landing gear, engines, propulsion systems, special processes, and complex mechanical assemblies.
• Perform detailed cost and price analysis using supplier cost breakdowns, historical pricing, market data, should-cost models, and manufacturing process knowledge.
• Manage supplier performance across delivery, quality, cost, technical execution, responsiveness, and capacity while leading recovery plans and executive-level supplier reviews when performance falls below expectations.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal to resolve complex supply chain and technical issues.
• Support new product introduction and production ramp-up by ensuring supplier readiness, material availability, tooling capacity, manufacturing feasibility, and qualification completion.
• Identify long-lead materials, capacity constraints, sole-source dependencies, obsolescence concerns, and other supply risks while developing and executing mitigation plans.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain management within aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing efforts and independently managing critical suppliers, commodities, or major aircraft systems.
• Experience sourcing one or more of the following commodity areas:
• Airframe and structural assemblies
• Metallic and composite structures
• Precision-machined components
• Landing gear systems and components
• Engines and propulsion systems
• Engine mounts and supporting structures
• Complex mechanical assemblies
• Castings and forgings
• Special-process and finished components
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, structural fabrication, composite manufacturing, casting, forging, welding, heat treatment, plating, coating, finishing, and mechanical assembly.
• Experience conducting supplier negotiations, cost and price analysis, proposal evaluations, and supplier source selections.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex commercial agreements while balancing cost, quality, delivery, technical performance, and program risk.
• Experience managing suppliers through product development, engineering changes, qualification, production ramp-up, and supplier performance recovery.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple critical suppliers and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present supplier strategies, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Planning, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and Legal.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel for procurement, supplier management, cost analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to travel to supplier facilities and company locations as required.

Preferred qualifications:

• Active U.S. government SECRET security clearance at the time of hire.
• Experience supporting aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, or advanced aerospace and defense programs.
• Direct sourcing experience with airframe structures, landing gear, turbine engines, propulsion systems, or other flight-critical mechanical hardware.
• Experience managing technically complex, high-value, sole-source, or long-lead suppliers.
• Experience developing commodity strategies, supplier roadmaps, should-cost models, and long-term agreements.
• Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, ITAR, export compliance, and government contracting requirements.
• Experience working with design engineering and suppliers to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, and resolve technical issues.
• Experience supporting both prototype and production environments with aggressive schedule and delivery requirements.
• Knowledge of supplier capacity planning, tooling strategies, production readiness, and rate-ramp requirements.
• APICS/ASCM, CPSM, CPSD, PMP, or another relevant professional certification.