Global Supply Manager, Programs and Production

Divergent • Torrance, CA

6d • $109,240 - $173,470 • Onsite

About The Position

The Global Supply Manager, Programs & Production manages supplier relationships, executes sourcing strategies, and ensures the availability of critical components, materials, manufacturing capabilities, and capacity for Divergent’s aerospace, defense, and automotive customer programs. The position supports programs as they progress from development and low-rate initial production to full-rate production, spanning sourcing, supplier management, outside process management, commercial negotiations, and day-to-day procurement execution in a fast-moving environment where bills of materials, schedules, and demand change frequently and systems and processes are still being developed.

The role works closely with Program Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Production Planning, Finance, and Logistics to meet customer commitments and build a supply base that can scale. Within assigned programs and categories, the manager independently keeps production moving while preparing the supply chain for full-rate production, balancing cost, quality, delivery, capacity, and risk and contributing to the development of a scalable procurement organization. The position is based on-site in Torrance, California, with relocation to Divergent’s Long Beach facility anticipated in 2027. Occasional domestic and international travel of approximately 10–25% may be required. Candidates may be evaluated at S05 Senior Global Supply Manager or S06 Lead Global Supply Manager levels.

Requirements

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology subject to U.S. export controls.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related technical field.
• At least 5 years of sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain experience in program-driven manufacturing, such as aerospace, defense, automotive, or similarly complex hardware industries.
• Demonstrated experience supporting production programs through changing BOMs, schedules, and demand, including managing shortages and recovering supply to protect customer deliveries.
• Experience managing outside processes and processors, such as machining, heat treatment, finishing, coatings, NDT, or other special processes.
• Experience preparing suppliers for production ramps, including capacity planning, supplier qualification, and alternate-source development.
• Ability to operate effectively while systems and processes are being developed, building practical tools and workflows to maintain control and visibility.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills and experience managing supplier agreements, lead times, and commercial risk.
• Experience using ERP/MRP, PLM, and procurement systems, such as SAP, NetSuite, Arena, or Windchill, and advanced Excel skills.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to track and report supply KPIs, shortage status, supplier performance, and cost trends.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced technical degree.
• Experience supporting programs from LRIP through full-rate production in aerospace, defense, or automotive.
• Experience with Nadcap-accredited special processes and AS9102 First Article Inspection or PPAP.
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing, CNC machining, castings, or other advanced manufacturing processes.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, including GD&T, bills of materials, specifications, and process routings.
• Experience in AS9100, ISO 9001, IATF 16949-certified, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience with customer flow-down requirements, DFARS/ITAR, or other regulated program requirements.
• International sourcing experience and global supplier management.
• Experience leading supplier development initiatives and senior-level supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Act as the sourcing point of contact for assigned customer programs, supporting milestones from initial capture through development builds, low-rate initial production, and full-rate production.
• Translate program bills of materials, build schedules, and customer demand into actionable procurement plans, adjusting as designs, quantities, and schedules change.
• Manage supplier impacts of engineering changes and BOM revisions, including cost, lead time, open orders, inventory, and in-process material.
• Own shortage management for assigned programs by identifying and prioritizing shortages, expediting supply, developing recovery plans, and escalating risks with options and trade-offs.
• Track part readiness for critical build events, customer deliveries, and first article milestones, and maintain visibility of material status for program and production leadership.
• Build and maintain practical supply tracking tools, such as shortage lists, open-order trackers, and supplier commit schedules, and help transition them into scalable system-based processes.
• Support production planning and S&OP-type discussions with supplier capacity, lead-time, and constraint information.
• Lead sourcing strategy and readiness for complex, high-impact program requirements.
• Execute sourcing strategies for outside and special processes; build-to-print components; purchased components; and production consumables, tooling, fixtures, and packaging.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities, including market analysis, RFx, supplier evaluation, cost analysis, negotiations, and sourcing recommendations.
• Assess supply markets, supplier capabilities, and supplier performance to identify cost-reduction, continuity, and long-term value opportunities.
• Identify program supply, capacity, quality, and commercial risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking sourcing pipeline covering new suppliers, alternate sources, cost-reduction opportunities, and capacity requirements.
• Improve sourcing processes, procurement standards, and supplier management practices.
• Develop supply-readiness plans for transitions from low-volume production to full-rate production.
• Assess supplier capacity, tooling, staffing, and process capability against forecast rates and identify gaps in advance.
• Drive supplier rate-readiness activities, including capacity assessments and reservations, alternate-source development, and safety-stock or buffer strategies for critical items.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier qualification and production part approval activities, including FAI/AS9102 and PPAP.
• Establish forecast-sharing and supply-commitment practices with key suppliers.
• Define and execute supply strategies for programs transitioning to full-rate production, influencing supplier selection, capacity investment, and commercial structure.
• Serve as the primary commercial interface for assigned suppliers, managing pricing, lead time, capacity, quality, and overall performance.
• Manage assigned outside-process suppliers, including machining, heat treatment, HIP, surface finishing, coatings, anodize and plating, painting, welding, and NDT.
• Develop supplier relationships that improve cost, quality, delivery, and manufacturing scalability.
• Coordinate material flow between Divergent and outside processors, including routing, sequencing, turnaround time, traceability, and returns.
• Work with Quality and Engineering to ensure outside processors meet specification, certification, and special-process requirements, including Nadcap and customer-approved source-list requirements.
• Monitor outside-process lead times, supplier WIP, yield, rework, and turnaround performance, and drive improvement where processors constrain production.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to qualify suppliers and outside-process sources that add capacity, reduce risk, and support rate growth.
• Conduct structured supplier performance reviews and coordinate corrective action with cross-functional partners.
• Develop supplier relationships that support long-term agreements and future capacity needs, including executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers and outside processors.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, volume tiers, lead time, payment terms, tooling ownership, expedite fees, and supply terms.
• Develop cost analyses and commercial evaluations for sourcing decisions, program quotes, and product cost targets.
• Provide supplier cost inputs for customer proposals, rate changes, and engineering changes to support program cost targets.
• Execute value analysis/value engineering, alternate-source development, and cost-reduction initiatives, including volume-based pricing as programs scale.
• Monitor supplier cost trends and develop actions to protect program margins.
• Lead complex, high-value negotiations involving long-term supply agreements, capacity reservations, customer flow-down requirements, or significant business risk.
• Partner with Program Management to align sourcing with customer schedules, milestones, and contractual requirements and communicate supply risks and recovery plans.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Production Planning to align supplier deliveries and outside-process flow with build sequencing, line loading, and production schedules.
• Partner with Engineering on design-for-supply, engineering change management, and supplier technical feasibility.
• Partner with Quality on supplier qualification, FAI/PPAP, nonconformance resolution, and corrective action.
• Partner with Finance to align procurement spend, inventory, and forecasts with program budgets and business requirements.
• Provide commercial inputs to supplier agreements, including MSAs, NDAs, and customer flow-down terms, in coordination with Legal and Contracts.
• Influence cross-functional decisions with significant cost, schedule, or supply-continuity implications.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities.
• Paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, including a year-end shutdown.
• Paid parental leave.
• Health and wellness benefits, including HMO and Premium PPO options.
• Company-sponsored life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Reimbursement opportunities for learning and development initiatives.

What This Job Offers

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