Manager, Strategic & Commodities Sourcing, Frontier AI & Robotics

Amazon.com Inc

San Francisco, CA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Component Assembly, Contract Manufacturing, Contract Negotiation, Control Engineering, Cost Analysis, Cost Control, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Electrical Engineering, Electrical Wiring, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), Inventory Levels, Inventory Management, Laboratory Equipment, Leadership, Manufacturing, Materials Planning, Mentoring, Negotiation Skills, Process Development, Process Improvement, Procurement Specifications, Procurement Strategy, Product/Service Launch, Production Volume, Prototyping, Purchasing/Procurement, Quality Management, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Robotics, Robotics Components, Shipping/Receiving, Sourcing Strategy, Strategic Planning, Supply Chain, Team Building, Vehicle Fleets, Vendor/Supplier Evaluation, Vendor/Supplier Relations, Warehousing
LOCATION
San Francisco, CA
POSTED
30+ days ago

Join us in shaping the future of robotics and AI by building the supply chains that power breakthrough innovation. As a Strategic Sourcing & Commodities Manager, you"ll own end-to-end sourcing strategy and supplier relationships across our full spectrum of needs, from specialized robotics components to commodity parts, software, data, and advanced lab equipment. You"ll drive a unified, high-performing supply chain team that enables our rapidly scaling organization while solving complex procurement challenges at the intersection of innovative technology and operational excellence.

Key job responsibilities

  • Lead comprehensive, end-to-end sourcing strategies for our advanced robotic product portfolios, spanning contract manufacturers, specialized components, commodity parts, and general lab equipment acquisitions
  • Distill ambiguous requirements and future plans into an actionable supply chain strategy while exhibiting strong judgement and leadership
  • Identify, negotiate, execute and structure partnerships with robot contract manufacturers; serve as the ongoing relationship owner and bridge requirements and design changes between our engineering teams and manufacturing partners
  • Source and negotiate favorable terms for off-the-shelf robots and manage follow-up parts orders, maintenance, and support contracts for robot fleets
  • Source specialized and commodity components critical to our efforts, such as actuators, perception modules, cameras, GPUs, wiring, other specialized robotics components, and lab equipment
  • Plan material supply requirements, manage inventory levels, and maintain schedules while proactively identifying supply chain risks and developing mitigation strategies
  • Implement, update, and train others on using an inventory management / ERP system
  • Actively identify process improvements, cost analysis, and automation opportunities; manage and mentor a small team including sourcing managers, buyers, and inventory, shipping and receiving staff

A day in the life

Your focus centers on managing the complete sourcing lifecycle for the Frontier AI & Robotics team. You might spend your morning negotiating contract terms with a robot manufacturer while simultaneously coordinating with our engineering teams to translate technical specifications into procurement strategies. In the afternoon, you could be evaluating specialized component suppliers for perception modules, then reviewing inventory levels and supply chain risks to identify potential bottlenecks before they impact our development timeline.

Beyond routine procurement, you"ll collaborate across AI research, mechanical, electrical, controls engineering, operations, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure seamless product launches. You"ll mentor sourcers, buyers, shipping and receiving, and inventory staff, and actively seek opportunities to streamline processes, reduce costs, and automate workflows. Your work directly enables our teams to access the specialized robotics components, off-the-shelf robots, and lab infrastructure they need to push the boundaries of what"s possible in embodied AI.

About the team

We are the supply chain backbone of Frontier AI & Robotics-the team building the next generation of embodied intelligence at Amazon. Our mission is to enable our research and engineering teams to move fast by sourcing and managing a portfolio of highly specialized robotics technology, advanced sensing systems, custom assemblies, and precision components. We serve customers across Amazon"s operations who depend on our robots to see, reason, and act in warehouse environments. Over the coming years, we"re focused on scaling our supply base from prototype quantities to production volumes while maintaining the quality and reliability that our programs demand. You"ll be a key partner in that journey, working closely with colleagues across supply chain, engineering, and research to anticipate needs, solve sourcing challenges, and build supplier relationships that support our ambitious roadmap.

About the Company

A

Amazon.com Inc

At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Retail
FOUNDED
1994
WEBSITE
http://Amazon.com/militaryroles