About Us:
Sapphire Technologies delivers power and cooling to energy infrastructure. Our FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander recovers the energy wasted when high-pressure gas is stepped down, converting it into clean electricity and low-temperature cooling. To better serve our customers in the data center industry, we are now expanding our high-speed turbomachinery offerings into oil-free compressors for chilling applications.
Our hands-on engineering team take products from concept to field deployment, with work spanning rotating machinery, power electronics, controls, and systems integration.
We are a mission-driven organization with one common goal: building a more sustainable world. Our employees are our biggest asset, and we are looking for change agents to join us on our journey.
Position Summary:
Sapphire Technologies is seeking a hands-on Supply Chain
& Contract Manufacturing Manager to manage sourcing, planning, supplier
management, and contract-manufacturing execution for advanced high-speed
rotating machinery serving energy and data-center infrastructure applications. Our
product platform integrates precision mechanical components, high-speed
electric machines, active magnetic bearings, power electronics, controls, and
liquid-cooled systems and is progressing from development into production.
This role is responsible for strategic and tactical
sourcing, material and production planning, ERP/MRP discipline, inventory and
logistics, supplier development, cost reduction, capacity planning, and
day-to-day commercial management of contract-manufacturing partners. The
position will lead the buyer/planner team and serve as the primary supply-chain
interface among Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Program
Management, suppliers, and contract manufacturers.
This is a functional leadership role with substantial
hands-on responsibility. The successful candidate will strengthen current
execution, standardize processes and systems, develop the team, and build the
scalable supply network required to support both internal assembly-and-test
operations and high-volume contract manufacturing.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage, lead, and develop the buyer/planner team
while remaining directly involved in sourcing, negotiations, shortage
resolution, planning, and supplier follow-up.
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for
mechanical, electrical, electronic, and electromechanical components and
assemblies, including machined parts, castings, motors, magnetic-bearing
components, power electronics, PCBAs, sensors, controls, and custom
sub-assemblies.
- Identify, evaluate, qualify, and manage
suppliers; lead RFQs, commercial analysis, negotiations, supplier agreements,
tooling investments, and capacity commitments in coordination with Finance,
Legal, Engineering, and Operations.
- Manage the day-to-day commercial and operational
relationship with contract manufacturers including pricing, purchase
commitments, materials, capacity, delivery, changes, claims, and recovery
actions.
- Coordinate with contract manufacturers to
leverage common suppliers, aggregated demand, and volume pricing where
advantageous while maintaining appropriate commercial control, continuity, and
visibility for Sapphire.
- Lead material and production planning for
prototype, validation, certification, pilot, and production builds, including
demand translation, BOM review, long-lead planning, shortage management,
work-order readiness, and schedule recovery.
- Establish and maintain disciplined ERP/MRP,
item-master, BOM, planning-parameter, purchasing, and inventory-control
practices that support accurate and timely execution.
- Standardize sourcing, planning, purchasing,
supplier-management, inventory, and logistics processes; establish clear roles,
operating cadences, metrics, and escalation paths.
- Own logistics planning and execution, including
inbound and outbound transportation, packaging, freight coordination, and
international or trade-compliance support as required.
- Develop costed BOMs and should-cost models and
lead value engineering, cost reduction, make-versus-buy, and
supplier-negotiation activities across compressor, turboexpander, and other
company requirements.
- Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing
Engineering on DFM, DFA, component standardization, manufacturing feasibility,
configuration changes, and supply-chain readiness before design release.
- Partner with Quality on supplier qualification,
APQP/PPAP, audits, incoming controls, corrective actions, change control, and
supplier-performance improvement.
- Assess single-source exposure and develop
risk-based dual-source, continuity, obsolescence, and capacity-expansion plans
for critical components, sub-assemblies, and technologies.
- Monitor supplier and contract-manufacturer
performance and provide leadership with clear reporting on material readiness,
cost, inventory, capacity, quality, delivery, risks, and corrective actions.
- Assess team capability and workload, develop
existing personnel, and recommend the organization, systems, and external
resources required as Sapphire scales.
The information below is a general guideline. Actual compensation depends on the candidate’s experience and qualifications, as well as market and business factors.
Salary range: $127,327 - $172,265
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, supply chain,
operations, business, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of
relevant education and directly applicable experience.
- 8+ years of progressively responsible experience
in supply chain, strategic sourcing, procurement, planning, contract
manufacturing, manufacturing, or operations.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience sourcing and
negotiating complex mechanical, electrical, electronic, or electromechanical
products and assemblies.
- Experience selecting, launching, and managing
contract manufacturers or strategic production suppliers through development,
launch, and production ramp.
- Experience leading material planning, production
planning, buyer/planner activities, ERP/MRP execution, inventory control, and
shortage management.
- Working knowledge of BOM management, item and
planning master data, forecasting, capacity planning, logistics, supplier
qualification, and cost modeling.
- Experience negotiating supplier, tooling,
capacity, pricing, and manufacturing agreements and managing ongoing commercial
issues.
- Demonstrated ability to standardize processes,
establish operating metrics, improve execution discipline, and develop team
capability.
- Strong commercial judgment, analytical
capability, communication, and structured problem-solving skills.
- Ability to combine hands-on execution with
functional leadership in a growing organization.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting new-product introduction
and scaling complex electromechanical or industrial products from development
into production.
- Experience with high-speed rotating machinery,
compressors, motors, industrial equipment, HVAC, data-center cooling, or
comparable complex equipment.
- Experience sourcing power electronics, PCB
assemblies, sensors, controls, precision castings, machined components, rotor
assemblies, or electric-machine components.
- Experience operating across a mixed
manufacturing model that combines internal assembly and test with outsourced
high-volume production.
- Experience with supplier audits,
process-capability reviews, APQP/PPAP, ISO 9001 systems, international
sourcing, logistics, and trade compliance.
APICS CPIM or CSCP certification; MBA or
relevant advanced degree is beneficial.
Work Environment:
This role is primarily on-site and involves work in office, manufacturing, equipment-installation, and test environments. Appropriate personal protective equipment and adherence to site safety requirements are required. Some activities may require coordination outside normal operating hours. Travel to suppliers, manufacturing partners, or other company locations may be required.
Benefits
We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our employees. Eligible team members receive paid vacation, paid sick time, comprehensive health benefits, and participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow other instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor. Management reserves the right to change, rescind, add, or delete the duties and responsibilities of positions within this job classification at any time.
Sapphire Technologies is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. This policy applies to recruiting, hiring, transfers, promotions, terminations, compensation, and benefits.