Manages sourcing, procurement, supplier execution, competitive RFQs, negotiations, supplier qualification, performance recovery, cost reduction, and supply-risk mitigation for spacecraft hardware, materials, and services. Partners with engineering, manufacturing, quality, planning, finance, and program teams from requirements through delivery. Maintains purchasing data, resolves supply issues, supports process improvements, and guides junior team members. Requires at least three years of relevant experience, with aerospace or high-reliability manufacturing experience preferred.
As a Sourcing Specialist at Impulse Space, you will manage sourcing and supplier execution for assigned hardware, materials, and services critical to spacecraft development and production. You will work closely with engineering, quality, planning, manufacturing, and program teams to deliver sourcing solutions that balance cost, quality, delivery, and technical risk.
This role is responsible for managing assigned suppliers, executing complex competitive sourcing activities, negotiating commercial terms, resolving supply-chain problems, and improving supplier performance. You will also identify alternate sources, support supply-risk mitigation, and provide guidance to junior members of the sourcing team.
Additional Note: Leveling will be commensurate with experience.
Responsibilities
- Own sourcing, procurement, and supplier execution for assigned parts, suppliers, commodities, or projects from initial requirements through delivery
- Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned suppliers and manage performance, capacity, cost, and contractual matters
- Lead RFQs and supplier evaluations by assessing cost, lead time, technical capability, capacity, quality, and compliance
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, payment terms, minimum-order quantities, tooling arrangements, and other commercial terms within established sourcing strategies
- Partner with engineering, manufacturing, planning, and program teams to source development and production hardware in support of program schedules
- Collaborate with Supply Chain Engineering to evaluate and qualify suppliers against technical, quality, regulatory, and business requirements
- Monitor supplier performance and lead recovery efforts when cost, quality, delivery, or responsiveness falls below expectations
- Drive cost-reduction and value-improvement opportunities through competitive sourcing, cost analysis, demand consolidation, and supplier negotiations
- Maintain accurate purchasing and supplier data, resolve delivery and invoice issues, support sourcing-process improvements, and provide guidance to junior sourcing and purchasing team members
- Travel to supplier locations as needed to support qualification, negotiations, production readiness, and performance recovery
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, or a related field
- 3+ years of experience in sourcing, procurement, supply chain, supplier management, or a related function
- Demonstrated experience independently managing suppliers, purchase orders, RFQs, and procurement activities
- Demonstrated experience evaluating supplier proposals and negotiating pricing, lead times, and other commercial terms
- Demonstrated experience working with ERP, MRP, procurement, or inventory-management systems
- Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to interpret sourcing data and work effectively across engineering, quality, manufacturing, planning, finance, and program teams
Preferred Skills and Experience
- 5+ years of experience in sourcing, procurement, supply chain, or supplier management
- Demonstrated experience supporting aerospace, defense, automotive, or another high-reliability manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated experience sourcing machined components, raw materials, PCB/PCBA, composites, propulsion hardware, electrical components, or commercial off-the-shelf hardware
- Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, technical drawings, bills of material, and engineering change control
- Demonstrated experience with supplier qualification, audits, corrective actions, alternate sourcing, or supplier-performance improvement
- Demonstrated experience using cost models, should-cost analysis, or total-cost-of-ownership analysis
- Familiarity with AS9100, ITAR, EAR, and applicable aerospace quality and regulatory requirements
- Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with SQL, Power BI, or other analytical tools is a plus
- Ability to travel up to 15%
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
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