Engineering Supply Chain Manager (Mechanical)

Iceye

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Supply Chain Manager (Mechanical) joins ICEYE’s Global Supply Chain organization and works closely with hardware engineering teams to secure the mechanical systems, structures, materials, and parts needed for fast-moving engineering projects. The role identifies long-lead items, critical materials, and complex parts early, then secures supply to prevent delays to testing and prototype builds. It responds proactively to risks such as limited machining capacity, material shortages, special-process queues, and design changes.

The position is a hands-on link between Engineering and Production. It communicates R&D supply risks and critical parts to Production ahead of handover, supports rapid prototype iteration, and establishes sourcing foundations for rollout and series production. The role requires a proactive, solution-driven approach, strong understanding of mechanical manufacturing and hardware prototyping, and comfort working with ambiguity and shifting priorities.

ICEYE is a global satellite and intelligence company headquartered in Finland, with more than 1,000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The role is based in Munich, Germany, within Global Supply Chain, reports to the R&D Supply Chain Manager, and is permanent and office/on-site. Employment is subject to applicable security screening, including SUPO where required.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of direct experience in mechanical sourcing, procurement, or engineering supply chain roles in fast-moving hardware environments.
• Strong procurement understanding of machined and composite parts, special processes, engineering materials, and prototyping flows.
• Ability to work effectively in startup-like conditions with tight deadlines, shifting priorities, incomplete information, and rapid cycles.
• Hands-on experience managing purchasing and materials through an ERP system.
• Confident commercial and technical negotiation skills, including the ability to influence engineers, program managers, and suppliers without formal authority.
• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in space, aerospace, defence, hardware startups, or other deep-tech R&D environments.
• Mechanical engineering background, knowledge of tools such as CAD, and technical understanding of designs.
• Experience taking a hardware design from prototype into series production.
• Existing relationships with machine shops, fabricators, special-process providers, and material distributors.
• Familiarity with rapid-prototyping suppliers and global component marketplaces.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on supply chain support to fast-paced mechanical engineering teams working on multiple evolving hardware projects.
• Identify and proactively secure long-lead items, critical raw materials, and complex parts through early orders, material reservations, capacity bookings, buffer stock, coating readiness, and securing helicoils.
• Translate early-stage concepts, evolving bills of materials, and design changes into sourcing actions with minimal delay.
• Give engineers timely information on material and component availability and quick-turn manufacturing options.
• Identify supply issues before they become blockers and propose immediate workarounds.
• Manage project procurement of CNC-machined parts, structural and composite parts, mechanisms, motors, fasteners, bearings, thermal hardware, raw materials, and related special processes.
• Run fast quoting and supplier selection to meet engineering prototype and build dates.
• Find alternative suppliers, processes, or materials when capacity or material shortages arise.
• Set stock levels and material availability plans for development and prototype builds.
• Work with machine shops, composite fabricators, special-process providers, and material distributors to understand lead times, capabilities, design-for-manufacturing implications, and expedited build options.
• Support technical capability assessments of machining and special-process suppliers and material distributors.
• Negotiate priority machine time, expedited processing, and shipments to secure prototypes on compressed timelines.
• Coordinate with engineering, manufacturing, program management, and operations to remove obstacles and maintain build readiness.
• Maintain visibility into prototype schedules, engineering changes, and material risks, and communicate updates clearly and frequently.
• Maintain a current view of supply risks across active projects, including capacity constraints, raw-material availability, single-source suppliers, special-process bottlenecks, and export restrictions; qualify alternatives early.
• Keep purchasing details accurate in the ERP system, with reliable traceability and build-readiness status.
• Test new suppliers, sourcing channels, manufacturing partners, and tools to reduce lead times and cost.
• Communicate R&D supply risks and critical parts and materials to Production before handover.
• Ensure critical and long-lead parts, qualified suppliers and special processes, realistic lead times, and capacity are in place before designs enter series production.
• Help establish sourcing foundations that support the transition from prototype to repeatable production.

Benefits

• Continuous professional development and training opportunities.
• Benefits designed to support health and wellbeing; offerings vary by location and are confirmed during the recruitment process.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed