Global Supply Manager

Bedrock Robotics Inc•San Francisco, CA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Global Supply Manager (GSM) at Bedrock Robotics, you will serve as the key link between technical hardware engineering, financial forecasting, and global supplier operations. Robotics systems integrate complex custom mechanical components, high-spec sensors, precision electronics, and specialized software-hardware interfaces, so a GSM must manage both advanced commodity strategies and the physical availability of supplies.

Requirements

8–10+ years in global supply chain, commodity, or program management, with proven experience managing complex, cross-functional projects in fast-paced, tech-driven environments.
Strong understanding of supply and vendor management, with the ability to communicate complex ideas across internal teams as well as external suppliers, vendors, and partners.
Ability to manage and resolve complex challenges with little to no established playbook, using creative and proven strategic thinking to drive solutions.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across diverse teams (Engineering, Product, Operations, Partnerships, etc.).
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with comfort presenting metrics and supply chain strategies to senior leadership and external stakeholders.
Proven track record of identifying, managing, and mitigating risks in large, complex programs.
Comfortable with ambiguity and able to thrive in a fast-moving, constantly evolving environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with robotics, automation, or hardware-related areas such as compute, sensors, or memory design and utilization is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute global sourcing strategies by commodity and technology category.
Identify, evaluate, qualify, and onboard strategic suppliers for critical robotics components, including compute, memory, sensors/LiDAR, cameras, PCBAs, harnesses, actuators, gearboxes, batteries, and electromechanical assemblies.
Establish dual-source, multi-source, and regional sourcing strategies to reduce single-source dependency and mitigate geopolitical, tariff, capacity, and lead-time risks.
Develop China+1 and regionalization strategies where appropriate.
Own and maintain the Approved Vendor List (AVL), including supplier capabilities, capacity, technology roadmap, financial health, and risk profile.
Establish supplier segmentation and strategic sourcing roadmaps aligned with long-term product and fleet requirements.
Develop supplier capacity strategies aligned with 3–5 year production and fleet deployment forecasts.
Secure capacity and long-lead components ahead of production ramps through capacity reservations, LTAs, NCNR commitments, and strategic buys where appropriate.
Monitor supplier capacity, utilization, material availability, sub-tier constraints, and technology transitions.
Establish supply continuity plans and recovery strategies for constrained or allocation components.
Ensure supply plans support the transition from prototype through pilot, production ramp, and sustaining operations.
Own commodity cost strategies and annual cost-reduction targets.
Develop should-cost models based on raw materials, manufacturing processes, labor, tooling, overhead, and supplier margins.
Negotiate pricing, volume commitments, LTAs, rebates, payment terms, Incoterms, warranty, liability, tooling, and other commercial terms.
Track commodity indices, FX, tariffs, raw material costs, and market dynamics to anticipate cost movements.
Drive VA/VE, DFM, competitive bidding, and supplier productivity to achieve BOM cost targets.
Establish contractual protections against unexpected price increases, supply disruptions, and delivery performance issues.
Partner early with Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management to establish sourcing strategy before design freeze.
Lead supplier RFQs, selection, qualification, prototype builds, and production readiness.
Partner with engineering on DFM/DFA to ensure designs are optimized for cost, quality, scalability, and repeatable manufacturing.
Conduct BOM reviews to identify EOL, obsolete, long-lead, allocation, and single-source components early in the development cycle.
Manage the transition from quick-turn prototype suppliers to qualified high-volume CMs/EMS/ODM partners.
Ensure suppliers are capable of supporting EVT → DVT → PVT → Production → Sustaining requirements.
Maintain a critical-component risk register covering supply, cost, capacity, technology, geopolitical, tariff, and single-source exposure.
Identify sub-tier dependencies and vulnerabilities across critical semiconductors, memory, sensors, PCBs, batteries, and other strategic components.
Develop qualified alternate sources and substitute components for high-risk items.
Assess supplier business continuity, disaster recovery, financial health, and geopolitical exposure.
Proactively identify emerging risks and develop mitigation plans before they impact production or fleet deployment.
Own strategic supplier relationships and executive-level engagement with critical Tier-1 suppliers.
Establish QBRs and performance reviews covering cost, quality, delivery, capacity, technology roadmap, and risk.
Track supplier KPIs including OTD/OTIF, yield, defects, lead time, responsiveness, and cost performance.
Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering on supplier qualification, factory audits, FAI, 8D/CAPA, and corrective actions.
Build strategic supplier partnerships to secure priority allocation and engineering support during constrained market conditions.
Escalate and resolve chronic supplier performance and commercial issues.
Align rolling demand forecasts from Manufacturing, Fleet Operations, and Deployment teams with supplier capacity and material availability.
Ensure material availability supports production schedules and fleet deployment requirements.
Partner with CMs/ODMs/EMS providers on material planning, allocation, inventory, and production execution.
Develop appropriate VMI, safety stock, hub inventory, and strategic stocking strategies to balance working capital and supply risk.
Drive improvements in supplier lead times, MOQ, lot sizes, logistics, and delivery performance.
Act as the primary escalation point for allocation, customs, freight disruptions, production interruptions, and supplier shutdowns.
Own commercial strategy for soft tooling, hard tooling, fixtures, test equipment, and supplier CapEx.
Negotiate tooling ownership, amortization, maintenance, capacity, transfer rights, and end-of-life provisions.
Ensure tooling investment and capacity are aligned with long-term production ramps.
Monitor global markets across semiconductors, memory, sensors/LiDAR, PCBs, metals, plastics, batteries, and other strategic commodities.
Track supplier technology roadmaps, industry capacity expansions, commodity trends, tariffs, and geopolitical developments.
Provide 12–36 month supply, cost, capacity, and risk outlooks to leadership.
Translate market intelligence into actionable sourcing, inventory, contracting, and design decisions.