Procurement Manager

Job Title: Procurement Manager Job Description The Procurement Manager leads all purchasing activities as the organization scales from prototype builds to volume delivery of small unmanned aircraft systems. This role sets and enforces purchasing policy, structures and manages the supplier base, and owns the full procurement lifecycle for production materials and shop supplies. The Procurement Manager works closely with engineering and production teams to turn bills of materials into reliable material plans, ensuring that components and assemblies arrive on time and at target cost. This is a high-ownership position with significant influence over how, from whom, and on what terms the company procures its materials. Responsibilities

- Set, document, and enforce purchasing policies, including purchase order approval thresholds, spend authority, requisition-to-PO workflow, and receiving and inspection handoff, and ensure engineering and production teams adhere to these policies.
- Organize and rationalize the supplier base by consolidating vendors, qualifying and tiering suppliers, establishing approved vendor and approved manufacturer lists, and formalizing terms, non-disclosure agreements, and pricing agreements in writing.
- Own and manage the ERP purchasing module, maintaining accurate vendor records, lead times, pricing, and bill of materials data so the system serves as the single source of truth for material planning.
- Manage the full procurement lifecycle for all production materials, including electronic components, PCB assemblies, mechanical parts, motors, batteries, consumables, and general shop supplies.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, and lead times with distributors, contract manufacturers, and other suppliers, and manage ongoing relationships for PCB assemblies and machined parts.
- Run BOM-driven material planning in collaboration with production and engineering, placing orders for long-lead and allocated components early enough to ensure uninterrupted production.
- Balance minimum order quantities, lead times, and carrying costs while tracking purchased cost against bill of materials cost targets to support both operational and financial objectives.
- Ensure compliance with applicable export and procurement regulations in sourcing activities, including regulatory flow-downs to suppliers, and maintain traceability and certificates of conformance for controlled parts.
- Own the supplier quality feedback loop by logging nonconformances, driving corrective actions with suppliers, and maintaining supplier scorecards that track delivery performance, quality, and pricing.
- Proactively expedite critical orders and resolve shortages, delays, and quality issues before they impact production or customer deliveries.
- Monitor and report purchasing spend, key performance indicators, and supply risk to senior leadership, providing clear visibility into procurement performance and challenges.
- Redirect out-of-process purchases into approved procurement workflows and consistently uphold purchasing discipline with engineering and production stakeholders.

Essential Skills

- At least 5 years of experience in purchasing or supply chain management for low-volume, high-mix hardware or electronics manufacturing.
- Demonstrated experience writing and enforcing purchasing policy in environments where engineers previously ordered their own parts, and successfully implementing and sustaining those policies.
- Proven track record of consolidating and formalizing a supplier base, including vendor qualification, establishment of approved vendor and manufacturer lists, and negotiation of supplier agreements.
- Hands-on daily experience using an MRP or ERP purchasing module, including ownership of master data and execution of BOM-driven material planning.
- Working knowledge of electronic component sourcing, including lifecycle and obsolescence management, allocation and lead-time risk, authorized distribution channels, and counterfeit avoidance practices.
- Strong procurement, purchasing, and supply chain management skills, including strategic sourcing, vendor management, and supplier relationship management.
- Proficiency in contract and pricing negotiation, including the ability to secure favorable terms while maintaining supplier partnerships.
- Ability to manage purchase orders, analyze purchasing and cost data, and use Microsoft Office and ERP tools to support decision-making.
- Direct, organized communication style with the ability to enforce process discipline and guide stakeholders back into approved purchasing workflows.
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Experience managing procurement under export and procurement regulations, including regulatory flow-downs to suppliers and traceability of controlled parts.
- Background in sourcing PCB assemblies, motors, batteries, or machined aerospace components.
- Familiarity with AS9100 or ISO 9001 supplier control and purchasing requirements.
- Experience drafting supplier agreements, terms and conditions, and long-term pricing agreements.
- Exposure to unmanned aircraft systems, aerospace, or defense manufacturing environments.
- Professional certifications such as APICS CPIM, APICS CSCP, or ISM CPSM.
- Strong project management capabilities to coordinate material planning and purchasing activities across engineering and production.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment with compressed program timelines and limited support structures.
- Comfort with hands-on collaboration in a setting where engineers build and test what they design and where feedback from the field is rapid and direct.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Auburn Hills, MI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $130000.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. • Health Insurance: We cover 100% of health insurance premiums for our employees.
• 401(k): Company retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid Time Off.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Auburn Hills,MI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 6, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.