Commodity Manager - Liquid Nitrogen Cooling System

VEIR • Woburn, MA

7h • Onsite

About The Position

VEIR is seeking a Commodity Manager to own sourcing and supplier management for the Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) Cooling System. This is a technically demanding, cryogenics-driven subsystem with long-lead, often sole-sourced components critical to product reliability. The role involves running the sourcing program for the cooling system, focusing on reducing long lead times through multi-sourcing strategy, supplier development, and supplier agreements. As part of VEIR’s NPI stage-gate process, this role owns key sourcing deliverables at each phase, including candidate identification, RFI/RFQ development with Engineering, supplier audits, PPAP quality support, and process validation, to move cooling system suppliers from qualification through production readiness. This role requires close collaboration with Engineering and Quality on supplier qualification, including site audits, as well as cross-functional coordination across Product, Commercial, Project, Finance, Procurement, and Logistics teams.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in supply chain, commodity management, or strategic sourcing, ideally within a technical or cryogenics-adjacent environment.
• A technical engineering background; experience in cryogenics preferred.
• Experience setting up or managing fabricators or contract manufacturers preferred.
• Experience developing RFIs and RFQs in partnership with engineering teams, from prototype-level through production-intent sourcing.
• Familiarity with NPI stage-gate processes and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) is strongly preferred.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements and multi-sourcing strategies, particularly for long-lead-time components.
• Comfort conducting supplier site audits and working closely with Quality and Engineering to assess manufacturing capability.
• Experience in a hardware, hard tech, or manufacturing environment; startup or scale-up experience is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field preferred.
• Willingness to travel for supplier visits, audits, and qualification activities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in cryogenics.
• Experience setting up or managing fabricators or contract manufacturers.
• Startup or scale-up experience.

Responsibilities

• Own sourcing and supplier management for the Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) Cooling System.
• Run the sourcing program for the cooling system, focused on reducing long lead times through multi-sourcing strategy, supplier development, and supplier agreements.
• Own key sourcing deliverables at each phase of the NPI stage-gate process: candidate identification, RFI/RFQ development with Engineering, supplier audits, PPAP quality support, and process validation.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering and Quality on supplier qualification, including site audits.
• Coordinate cross-functionally across Product, Commercial, Project, Finance, Procurement, and Logistics teams.
• Learn VEIR’s LIN cooling system architecture, current supplier base, and known lead time/capacity constraints.
• Build relationships with key cooling system suppliers, including pump, skid, and vessel fabricators.
• Support ongoing supplier development activities aimed at reducing long lead times on critical components, working toward 4–5 commercially viable candidates per critical component.
• Partner with Engineering to support internal RFI development and preliminary RFQs against early (Ph2/Ph3) BOM, drawing, and specification releases.
• Partner with Procurement on AVL status and onboarding documentation for cooling system suppliers.
• Join Engineering and Quality on supplier site visits or technical/quality capability audits.
• Own the sourcing strategy and supplier base for the LIN Cooling System commodity, including pumps, skids, vessels, and related cryogenic components.
• Develop detailed production RFQs following design release, incorporating manufacturing requirements, critical-to-quality (CTQ) specs, and PPAP/qualification requirements, in partnership with Engineering.
• Support Engineering during sample builds and DFM iteration with candidate suppliers, ensuring feedback closes into the design ahead of design lock.
• Support Engineering during sample builds and DFM iteration with candidate suppliers, ensuring feedback closes into the design ahead of design lock.
• Partner with Quality to support supplier PPAP submissions (Part Submission Warrant, dimensional reports, process capability, material certifications) as part of production qualification.
• Support process validation / run-at-rate studies to confirm supplier capacity and process capability against forecast.
• Drive multi-sourcing strategy and supplier capacity development to reduce long lead times on critical components, and support second-source qualification for the highest-risk items.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify fabricators or contract manufacturers to support cooling system components as VEIR scales.
• Lead negotiation of supplier agreements, pricing structures, and commercial terms in partnership with Procurement and Finance.
• Build supplier scorecards and support periodic business reviews as suppliers move into ramp.
• Partner with Logistics on packaging and shipping plans, including any special handling requirements for cooling system components.
• Build a multi-year sourcing roadmap for the LIN Cooling System commodity in support of VEIR’s scale-up plans.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage with 100% employer paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Program
• 12 Company Holidays + unmetered PTO
• 12 Weeks 100% Paid Parental Leave for all new parents
• Stock Options
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP)
• Regular teambuilding, off-sites, and lunch & learns

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level