Sr. Manager, Purchasing

SR. MANAGER, PURCHASING, 

We are a progressive procurement organization pushing the boundaries of traditional procurement reputation and methodologies. We are looking for individuals who can think outside the box to achieve company objectives regarding value and partnerships with our suppliers. Our organization moves quickly, and you must too. SpaceX has the unique ability and desire to influence and shape suppliers to be better with us as we challenge our supply chain on cost, quality and delivery. This individual will support indirect supplier management and SG&A spend reduction initiatives. The purchasing team has aggressive objectives for 2026 that will positively impact our product and bottom line. We are looking for the right person who is equipped and ready for these challenges to join our team. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage the indirect purchasing team while setting strategic direction and vision for the cloud, software, services, and facilities categories across all SpaceX locations.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, deeply understand their needs, and partner with them to develop high-quality procurement strategies aligned to business requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor who challenges stakeholders (including engineering and operations) to make decisions that support a high-performing, cost-effective supply plan.
• Own contract management to ensure supplier performance against obligations, drive on-time delivery, expedite as needed, and rapidly respond to demand changes.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies that reduce risk, deliver continuous cost reduction, and align with company goals on payment terms, cash targets, on-time delivery, and savings.
• Conduct comprehensive supplier and market analysis to build strategic sourcing plans that identify new/suitable suppliers, optimize cost structures, and proactively ensure supply continuity based on macro market and industry trends.
• Present clear value propositions to SpaceX executives covering contract awards, cost reviews, cost-reduction strategies, and critical supply issues.
• Develop and implement new tools and processes that leverage the latest AI tools to drive efficiencies across the purchasing team, including process optimization, analysis activities, and related operational areas. 
• Lead talent development: hire, manage, develop, and mentor team members while driving critical projects.
• Execute purchase orders and manage the escalation process for purchase-to-pay issues.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, supply chain, finance, or other discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in purchasing, supplier management, or contract negotiations; or a combination of these three areas.
• 2+ years of experience in a supervisory, lead, or management role.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Ability to develop spend strategy and execute on a specific plan.
• Experience with cloud, compute, AI and data center contracts.
• Experience with software and services categories.
• Prior experience managing large value contracts/LTA’s with a global supply base.
• Proven track record of managing a high volume of workload while setting and managing a strategy for your team’s commodities.
• Exceptional analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong technical knowledge in current technologies and applications (e.g. MS Office Suite, AI tools, Atlassian, PowerBI, etc.)
• Effective written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize appropriately to meet internal customer and company needs.
• Effective written and verbal communications skills, with strong ability to communicate with all levels of internal personnel.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to respond quickly to a fast-moving and ever-changing environment.
• Ability to conduct all activities with the highest of integrity.
• Experience performing forecasting and budgeting.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to work long hours and weekends if needed.
• Ability to communicate outside of work hours.
• Must be able to travel - up to 50% travel may be required.
• This position is based in Palo Alto, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.