Head of Sensors & Radar Strategic Supply ChainNew$336K
The opportunity
The Head of Optical & Radar Strategic Supply Chain is a Director leadership role responsible for architecting and executing the sourcing strategy across all optical & radar commodities. This includes EO/IR sensor systems, focal plane arrays (FPAs/detectors), precision optics and…
What you'll do
Enterprise Supply Chain Vision & Strategy: Define and execute multi-year global sourcing strategies across complex sensor domains, including Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA), millimeter-wave radar, SWIR/MWIR/LWIR cooled and uncooled optical engines, precision optomechanics, and beam-steering systems.
Team Leadership & Scale: Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of commodity managers, strategic sourcing leads, and technical sourcing engineers across multiple global sites.
Supplier Relationship Management: Drive deep sub-tier visibility beyond Tier 1. Manage investments in supplier-owned tooling, cleanroom allocations, precision optical fabrication machinery (MRF, diamond turning), and specialized RF/optical test fixtures (anechoic chambers, collimators, interferometers).
Cross-Functional Engineering Alignment: Partner directly with Optical Engineers, RF/Antenna Designers, and Sensor Architecture teams during early-stage R&D/NPI to qualify state-of-the-art detector technology, influence "Design for Manufacturing & Test" (DFM/DFT), and establish yield-improvement roadmaps.
Commercial & Strategic Negotiations: Lead high-stakes negotiations for master service agreements (MSAs), development agreements, long-term supply agreements (LTSAs), and complex statement of works (SOWs)—optimizing pricing structures, IP protection, warranty, payment terms, and lead-time commitments.
Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify single-source dependencies, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and capacity constraints. Drive proactive risk mitigation plans, dual-sourcing strategies, and strategic buffer inventory models.
What they're looking for
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, optical engineering, or physics
- Previous experience in defense, aerospace, automotive, high tech, or related industry
- Well-versed in TCO and should costing analysis to ensure data-driven: analytics tied to component and supplier selection, in a product-based ecosystem
- Strategic thinker, experienced putting together commodities strategy/roadmap with key engineering stakeholders
- Proven leadership in driving and influencing other teams to a common goal.: You know how to effectively communicate and collaborate cross functionally and with all levels within an organization
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security clearance