As Strategic Sourcing Manager of Direct Procurement, you will be responsible for Zoox’s strategic sourcing and industry partnerships, which includes working cross-functionally to understand needs for third-party engagement across the business, finding and evaluating potential partners and suppliers, drafting and issuing RFQs, leading the negotiation of all key terms and conditions as well as pricing, managing commercial and supply chain issues, identifying and executing on cost reduction opportunities, and overall management of third party relationships. You can operate independently and possess expertise in electronics, powertrain, chassis, body, safety systems, EV charging, fleet maintenance or capital equipment.
In this role, you will:
Lead procurement and partnership initiatives for vehicle direct materials (interiors, structural components, advanced hardware) and/or operations infrastructure (EV charging, vehicle maintenance, capital equipment)
Proactively engage with Zoox stakeholders (incl. engineering, operations, manufacturing, strategy, finance, and design) to derive and execute the medium-term (3-5 years) business and technology roadmap to support Zoox’s vehicle development program and autonomous ride-hailing service
Develop the supply chain and partnership footprint with a long-term, strategic view
Lead the day-to-day process of ensuring successful partnerships (milestone adherence, change order management, quality assurance, cost control, etc.) and build supplier performance assessments to support future sourcing decisions
Design, conduct, and synthesize supplier, industry, and market research
Drive cost transparency and build total cost of ownership models to support sourcing decisions
Ensure optimal contract coverage for the commodity/service in partnership with engineering and legal support
Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers as the lead point of contact for all commercial issues
Review, analyze, and finalize quote packages from suppliers
Support and inform internal stakeholders with respect to supplier selection and management
Identify sourcing alternatives to drive efficiencies via benchmarking, competitive quotes, and changing requirements
Qualifications
6+ years of experience in partnership development and/or purchasing in a hardware product environment
Bachelor’s degree
Strategic sourcing, financial and business opportunity analysis, comfort with legal frameworks, and contract negotiation skills (development, supply, licensing, and service agreements)
Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, including C-level, engineering, legal, finance, manufacturing, and logistics
Excellent analytical skills
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
Bonus Qualifications
Ability to analyze and interpret market trends relevant to pricing.
Proven ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers.
Strong focus on cost management and optimization.
Experience in evaluating and optimizing Bill of Materials (BOM) costs in collaboration with suppliers.
Ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams on cost optimization projects, including sourcing low-cost electrical alternatives.
Strategic mindset for negotiating costs with key component suppliers.
