Manager of Global Supply Chain

Lightship • Broomfield, CO

1d • $110,000 - $140,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As Manager of Global Supply Chain at Lightship, you will lead and develop a team of supply chain professionals responsible for procurement, sourcing, supplier management, and logistics coordination across our vehicle programs. Reporting to the VP of Supply Chain, you will own strategic supplier relationships, drive sourcing decisions, and ensure Lightship has the right parts, at the right time, at the right cost — from early product development through serial production. This is a player-coach role: you will set direction and build scalable process while remaining hands-on in the complexity of an early-stage EV manufacturer scaling toward production. You will be a key voice at the leadership level, translating supply chain strategy into day-to-day execution and building a team capable of growing with the company.

Requirements

• 7+ years of supply chain or procurement experience, with at least 2 years in a people management role leading a team of 2 or more direct reports
• Demonstrated experience managing procurement of custom-engineered or manufactured components in a production environment — not purely commodity or indirect purchasing
• Proven track record of leading end-to-end supplier negotiations, including piece price, tooling, and commercial terms
• Working knowledge of ERP systems — specifically managing purchase orders, receipts, vendor records, and inventory in a manufacturing context
• Experience partnering directly with Engineering through product development and design change cycles, including BOM management and NPI activities
• Strong communicator with the ability to influence cross-functionally, present to senior leadership, and represent supply chain in executive-level discussions
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, resource-constrained startup environment where process must be built and not just followed

Nice To Haves

• RV industry experience is a strong plus; automotive, aerospace, or adjacent custom manufacturing experience is helpful
• Familiarity with the Elkhart/Detroit supplier ecosystem and established relationships in the region
• Experience scaling a supply chain function from early-stage prototype through volume production
• Proficiency with NetSuite ERP; comfort with Jira, Confluence, and Google Workspace
• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent professional certification
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Procurement Specialists and supply chain contributors; set clear goals and expectations, deliver regular feedback, and build a high-performing, accountable team culture
• Strategic Sourcing: Own commodity strategy and sourcing decisions across assigned categories, including custom-engineered and long-lead components; lead supplier selection, RFQs, and competitive bidding processes
• Supplier Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with a global supplier base; lead business reviews, drive performance accountability on quality, delivery, and cost, and manage escalations to resolution
• Contract Negotiation: Lead negotiation of piece price agreements, tooling contracts, general terms and conditions, NDAs, and other commercial agreements; ensure Lightship’s commercial interests are protected
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with Engineering, Program Management, and Finance to support new product introduction, design changes, cost targets, and phase gate milestones; serve as the supply chain voice in cross-functional program reviews
• Cost Management: Identify and execute cost reduction opportunities; track and report supply chain spend against budget; own savings targets and present results to VP and executive leadership
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks — single-source dependencies, geopolitical exposure, supplier financial health, tariff and trade impacts, and capacity constraints
• Logistics Coordination: Oversee inbound freight and carrier relationships; ensure on-time delivery of materials to support production schedules; drive continuous improvement in freight cost and transit performance
• Process & Systems: Build and enforce procurement process discipline across the team; ensure accurate and timely PO management, vendor master data, and inventory records in NetSuite ERP; drive adoption of tools and workflows that scale
• Supplier Site Visits & Travel: Conduct regular supplier and partner site visits to assess capability, audit performance, and strengthen relationships; travel up to 25%

Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, Vision
• 401k
• Flexible Paid Time Off - that we actually want you to use!
• 8 Company Holidays + the company observes a period of scheduled downtime during the end of the year for a week, allowing all employees to enjoy a break
• 12 weeks paid parental leave
• $2,000 per year towards an RV trip of your own &/or professional development opportunities - we call this a LightTrip

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees