Lead Global Supply Manager – Capital Projects & Equipment

Purpose

The Lead Global Supply Manager – Capital Projects & Equipment is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that enable Divergent's manufacturing capability, facility expansion, and long-term growth.

This role leads the commercial strategy for capital equipment and assigned indirect categories, partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Facilities, Finance, Legal, and Program Management to ensure critical equipment, infrastructure, and supplier partnerships support aggressive product development, facility expansion, and production objectives.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, this individual owns supplier strategy from opportunity identification through contract execution and supplier performance management. The successful candidate combines strategic category management with hands-on sourcing execution, balancing cost, quality, delivery, technology, and risk while helping build a scalable procurement organization capable of supporting the company's rapid growth and global expansion.

The Role

Strategic Procurement Leadership

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies, supplier roadmaps, and sourcing plans for assigned capital equipment and indirect procurement categories.
• Lead sourcing initiatives supporting advanced manufacturing equipment, facility expansion, automation, robotics, metrology, motion systems, industrial controls, and other strategic capital investments.
• Continuously assess supply markets, supplier performance, technology trends, and commercial risks to identify opportunities for cost reduction, innovation, supply continuity, and long-term value creation.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities including market analysis, RFx development, supplier evaluation, should-cost analysis, total cost of ownership modeling, commercial negotiations, and sourcing recommendations.
• Serve as the commercial subject matter expert for assigned categories, providing strategic guidance to Engineering, Manufacturing, Program Management, and Executive Leadership.
• Support capital investment planning through commercial strategy, supplier selection, and total cost of ownership analysis.
• Identify supply chain risks early and develop mitigation strategies that protect program schedules and manufacturing readiness.
• Lead cross-functional sourcing readiness reviews supporting high-visibility development and production programs.
• Drive continuous improvement of sourcing processes, procurement standards, and category management best practices.

Supplier Relationship Management & Technical Collaboration

• Develop strategic supplier relationships that improve cost, quality, delivery, innovation, and manufacturing scalability.
• Serve as the primary commercial interface for global suppliers, ensuring accountability for pricing, lead time, quality, capacity, and overall business performance.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to qualify new suppliers and develop resilient supply chains.
• Collaborate with suppliers, contractors, and equipment integrators on value engineering, lead time reduction, capacity planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage sourcing strategies for long-lead equipment, sole-source suppliers, tooling, and technically complex procurement activities.
• Lead structured supplier performance reviews and corrective action initiatives.
• Build executive-level supplier relationships supporting long-term agreements, technology roadmaps, strategic partnerships, and capacity expansion.

Cost Management & Commercial Negotiation

• Develop cost models and commercial analyses supporting sourcing decisions, capital investments, and product cost optimization.
• Lead value analysis/value engineering (VA/VE), alternate source development, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations supporting capital equipment, construction, and strategic supplier agreements, including pricing, payment terms, tooling ownership, intellectual property, warranties, service agreements, capacity reservations, and long-term supply agreements.
• Monitor supplier cost trends and identify proactive mitigation strategies supporting business objectives.
• Present commercial recommendations and sourcing strategies that balance cost, schedule, technical performance, and risk.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Align sourcing activities with manufacturing readiness, capital projects, production schedules, and facility expansion plans.
• Support Program Management through proactive supply chain planning and schedule risk mitigation.
• Partner with Finance on capital planning, procurement budgets, investment analysis, and forecast accuracy.
• Support Legal in developing commercial agreements including MSAs, NDAs, Statements of Work, licensing agreements, and intellectual property protections.
• Provide mentorship and category management expertise to peers and junior procurement professionals.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls 
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or supply chain experience within advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, robotics, industrial automation, semiconductor, or similarly complex hardware industries.
• Demonstrated success developing sourcing strategies that support rapidly scaling manufacturing organizations.
• Experience sourcing technically sophisticated manufacturing equipment, industrial automation systems, production technologies, or capital equipment.
• Experience developing category strategies, supplier segmentation, and long-term supplier partnerships.
• Strong commercial negotiation experience involving multimillion-dollar capital investments, strategic supplier agreements, and complex commercial contracts.
• Strong analytical capabilities including should-cost modeling, total cost of ownership analysis, supplier performance measurement, and commercial decision-making.
• Experience utilizing ERP, PLM, and procurement systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Arena, Windchill).

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced technical degree.
• Experience supporting greenfield or brownfield manufacturing expansion projects.
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing, robotics, CNC machining, industrial automation, laser systems, metrology, or advanced manufacturing technologies.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, bills of materials, technical specifications, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience operating within AS9100, ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments.
• International sourcing experience and global supplier management.
• Experience leading supplier development initiatives and executive-level supplier relationships.

Work Environment

• This position is based onsite in our Torrance, CA office. 
• Occasional domestic and international travel (approximately 10–25%) may be required to support supplier development, sourcing activities, and manufacturing readiness.

Compensation

At Divergent, our pay range is based on the level of the job. For this role, we will consider candidates at level S06 as evaluated through our interview process. 

• S06 / Lead Global Supply Manager: $126,160 - $173,470