Director, Commodity Management, PCBAs & Electrical Components

Careers•San Antonio, TX

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Darkhive is redefining the future of autonomous systems by designing and building next-generation hardware and software solutions for critical public safety and defense networks. The company focuses on developing tactical, human-machine interfaces and scaling the mass production of affordable, attritable uncrewed systems. Darkhive is a high-growth startup comprised of U.S. Special Operations veterans, aerospace engineers, robotics perception experts, and DevSecOps professionals, operating with a mission-first culture. They seek free-thinking problem solvers to build cutting-edge robotics in a fast-paced, highly collaborative startup environment. The Director of Commodity Management of PCBAs and Electrical Components is the domain expert and owner of the PCBA and electrical component sourcing. This role owns the strategic and tactical supplier relationships across EMS partners, component manufacturers, and authorized distributors, covering the entire product lifecycle from concept through production and end-of-life. The Director is accountable for end-to-end commodity performance, including supply assurance, cost competitiveness, quality, compliance, BOM health, and supplier readiness for new product development. This role partners closely with Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Supply Chain to drive supplier performance, mitigate risk, and deliver against program milestones. This is a full-time, exempt, non-supervisory role reporting to the Vice President of Supply Chain. The role can be remote or hybrid with travel up to 10-20% of the time. The company prefers candidates in the Austin or San Antonio markets. Initially an individual contributor role, it may evolve into a supervisory position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Electrical Engineering, Business, or related technical field. MBA preferred.
10+ years of progressive procurement, commodity management, or strategic sourcing experience, with direct ownership of PCBA and/or electrical component commodities.
Demonstrated experience managing EMS / contract manufacturing relationships across global footprints.
Working knowledge of electrical components — active, passive, semiconductors, connectors, relays — and the franchised distribution channel (e.g., Arrow, Avnet, Future, etc.).
Hands-on experience with BOM risk management, including EOL/last-time-buy strategies, lifecycle monitoring, and alternate part qualification.
Proven track record leading supplier negotiations, contracts (MSAs, supply agreements, SOWs), and commercial workflows.
Familiarity with quality and manufacturing standards relevant to PCBAs.
Experience operating across global supplier bases, particularly Asia (Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia), Mexico, and the United States.
Familiarity with open-book costing and tear-down / cost breakdown negotiations with EMS partners.
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in cost / should-cost modeling.
Excellent communication, influencing, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Must be a 'U.S. Person' as defined by ITAR and EAR (e.g., U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee).

Nice To Haves

Experience managing direct reports, performance management systems and approaches, as well as employee development practices.
Direct experience in the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) or robotics industry.
An active security clearance.
Prior experience in a fast-paced startup environment, specifically building hardware departments from the ground up.

Responsibilities

Own and manage relationships with key EMS partners, electrical component manufacturers, and authorized component distributors across the assigned commodity portfolio.
Serve as the strategic and tactical primary point of contact with EMS partners from concept through production, ensuring critical milestones and program objectives are completed on target.
Develop and execute commodity strategies aligned with business and engineering roadmaps.
Gather and maintain market intelligence on the global PCBA and electronic components markets.
Manage all aspects of cost for PCBAs through the development process through sustaining, including cost modeling, should-cost, and forecasting.
Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to drive supplier readiness in support of new product development efforts, including early supplier engagement, P/AVL management, and alternative component identification.
Influence design decisions through component selection guidance, second-source recommendations, and bill of material (BOM) risk assessments.
Support PCBA design reviews and DFM/DFA activities by representing supplier capability, component availability, and cost implications of design choices.
Manage NPI with key CM partners, ensuring supplier readiness for prototype, EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production builds.
Own BOM risk management across the assigned commodities, including end-of-life (EOL), country-of-origin (COO), lead-time, lifecycle status, allocation, and sole/single-source exposure.
Influence proactive risk mitigation and strategies including last-time buys, alternate / second-source qualification, redesign recommendations, and strategic inventory positioning.
Maintain BOM health dashboards and risk reporting for active programs, partnering with Engineering and Supply Chain Managers to communicate exposures and resolution plans.
Own EMS supplier factory and overall performance across supply assurance, cost competitiveness, quality, delivery, and general compliance. Drive EMS performance scorecards and KPIs.
Partner with Quality to drive EMS supplier compliance with quality standards (e.g., ISO and IPC) and applicable regulatory frameworks.
Drive supply forecasting to key EMS partners, component manufacturers, and distributors, ensuring alignment between demand signals, supplier capacity, and material lead times.
Manage supply allocation and shortage scenarios by working with distribution partners, brokers (when policy permits), and direct manufacturers to secure constrained components.
Drive cost management activities across the full product lifecycle — from pre-launch should-cost modeling and target costing through production cost-down initiatives and end-of-life run-out strategies.
Lead cost reduction programs including VAVE, resourcing, redesign-for-cost, alternate component qualification, and negotiated price reductions.
Develop and maintain should-cost models for PCBAs.
Track and report PPV, cost savings, and cost avoidance against annual targets in partnership with Finance.
Drive quoting and contracting workflows with EMS partners, component suppliers, and distributors, including RFI / RFQ / RFP packages, NDAs, MSAs, supply agreements, pricing agreements, and SOWs.
Lead supplier negotiations on price, payment terms, MOQs, lead times, capacity commitments, liability terms, IP protections, and warranty provisions. Ensure the proper contracts / agreements are in place.
Own PCBA/EMS supplier contracting across the enterprise, ensuring all business requirements are considered and met.
Institute and lead a QBR process for key EMS partners in partnership with cross-functional teams.