Director, Supply Chain - Negotiations (R4752)
About The Position
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube . Job Description: The Director of Supply Chain – Negotiations is responsible for leading sourcing strategy, supplier negotiations, and contract execution for munitions and defense-related commodities. This role drives cost, performance, and supply continuity in a highly regulated and capacity-constrained environment, while ensuring full compliance with U.S. government regulations.
Requirements
- Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred) with ~10–15+ years of progressive experience in procurement/supply chain, including significant exposure to defense or munitions programs or Aerospace Programs
- Defense & Munitions Expertise: Proven experience sourcing and negotiating for munitions or defense-related commodities, with a strong understanding of constrained supply markets, sole-source environments, and lifecycle requirements
- Regulatory Knowledge: Demonstrated expertise in ITAR, EAR, DFARS, and U.S. government contracting requirements, including experience working with export-controlled materials and compliance frameworks.
- Negotiation & Contracting: Track record of leading complex, high-value negotiations (e.g., long-term agreements, pricing structures, terms & conditions) and executing contracts that deliver cost savings and mitigate risk.
- Leadership Experience: Experience leading teams or influencing cross-functional stakeholders (engineering, legal, finance, program management) in a matrixed environment to achieve business objectives.
- Analytical & Financial Acumen: Strong capability in cost analysis, should-cost modeling, and data-driven decision-making to optimize supplier performance and total cost of ownership.
- Security Clearance (if applicable): Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance, depending on program requirements.
Responsibilities
- Lead complex, high-value negotiations with munitions and defense suppliers, including pricing, long-term agreements (LTAs), and terms & conditions.
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for critical munitions components and assemblies, balancing cost, risk, and delivery requirements.
- Build and manage strategic supplier relationships, including sole-source and limited-source vendors, to ensure continuity of supply.
- Partner cross-functionally with engineering, program management, legal, and finance to align negotiation strategies with program and business objectives.
- Drive cost savings and value creation through should-cost analysis, benchmarking, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with ITAR, EAR, DFARS, and other applicable U.S. government regulations and export controls.
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including geopolitical, capacity, and regulatory risks specific to munitions.
- Lead and develop a high-performing procurement/supply chain team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and execution excellence.
- Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for supplier performance, cost, quality, and delivery.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
