Category Manager, Mechanical

Salient Motion•Torrance, CA

5d•$160,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Category Manager, Mechanical Equipment owns the mechanical supply base behind Salient Motion's actuator product lines. This role is responsible for sourcing precision mechanical components, including gears, housings, bearings, shafts, and related machined/formed parts, as well as the raw materials (aluminum, titanium, steel, specialty alloys) that feed both the supplier base and Salient Motion's internal machine shop. This is the strategic owner of supplier relationships that directly determine whether Salient Motion's actuators ship on time, at the right cost and within spec, and requires U.S. Person status due to the export-controlled nature of the components and programs involved.

Requirements

5+ or more years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or supply chain for precision mechanical components, ideally in aerospace, defense, or another regulated manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated experience sourcing machined, forged, or cast metal components and raw materials (aluminum, titanium, steel, specialty alloys).
General knowledge of GD&T, material certifications, and special process requirements (heat treat, plating, NDT).
Experience negotiating supply agreements, pricing, and capacity commitments with machine shops, forge/casting houses, and material distributors.
Familiarity with AS9100 quality systems and supplier qualification/audit processes.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Must qualify as a U.S. Person under ITAR (22 CFR §120.15).

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing components for actuation systems, flight controls, or other high-precision mechanical assemblies.
Familiarity with internal CNC machine shop operations and make/buy capacity planning.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Epicor) for demand planning and PO management.

Responsibilities

Own commodity strategy and supplier selection for precision mechanical components: gears, housings, bearings, shafts, and related machined/formed parts.
Lead sourcing for new programs from RFQ through award, negotiating cost, lead time, and capacity commitments.
Own procurement for New Product Introduction (NPI): lead early supplier involvement, drive right-first-time supplier selection, and manage components through initial production before handover to operational buyers.
Qualify and develop precision machining, forging, and casting suppliers; lead supplier audits and capability assessments.
Partner with design and manufacturing engineering on material selection to balance cost, performance, and manufacturability.
Develop should-cost and price targets for mechanical commodities and own NPI cost-out commitments, using teardown and cost-modeling to drive supplier negotiations.
Manage supplier corrective action for dimensional, material, or process quality escapes.
Negotiate long-term agreements and POs with key machine shops, component providers, and distributors.
Ensure supplier compliance with AS9100, ITAR/EAR, and material traceability/certification requirements (special process approvals).
Support make/buy decisions and capacity planning in coordination with Salient Motion's internal CNC machine shop.