Manager, Supplier Operations & Governance

CesiumAstro•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Manager, Supplier Operations & Governance leads CesiumAstro’s supplier governance function. The role oversees supplier qualification, Approved Supplier List (ASL) management, due diligence, compliance, risk management, and supplier performance across the supply base. The Manager establishes team priorities, manages resources, develops supply chain professionals, and implements supplier governance processes that support supply continuity, manufacturing requirements, and organizational growth. The position evaluates supplier capabilities, operational risks, compliance requirements, and performance trends to strengthen supplier reliability and improve governance practices. It partners with Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Compliance, Enterprise Systems, and other business functions to resolve supplier challenges and establish scalable governance practices. The role requires advanced knowledge of supplier management, qualification processes, compliance requirements, and operational improvement methodologies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Logistics, or a related field with 7–9 years of related experience; or a related master’s degree with 5–7 years; or a related PhD with 3–5 years. Experience must be in supplier management, supplier qualification, supply chain operations, procurement, supplier quality, compliance, or a related discipline.
1–3 years of leadership or management experience leading supplier operations, procurement, supplier quality, supply chain, or related professionals.
Advanced knowledge of supplier management, supplier qualification, supply chain operations, compliance, and supplier governance principles.
In-depth understanding of ASL management, supplier onboarding, due diligence, qualification standards, and supplier lifecycle processes.
Comprehensive knowledge of supplier performance management, scorecards, risk assessments, corrective actions, and supply continuity requirements.
Experience managing supplier governance activities, coordinating cross-functional approval processes, and overseeing supplier qualification, compliance, and performance improvement initiatives.
Proficiency in evaluating supplier capabilities, manufacturing capacity, regulatory requirements, operational risks, and performance data.
Sound judgment in resolving complex supplier challenges, determining qualification priorities, evaluating compliance risks, and balancing supplier performance with operational requirements.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Experience with ERP and supplier management applications such as Acumatica, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or equivalent platforms.
Experience with business intelligence, data visualization, and reporting applications such as Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent platforms.
Experience with supplier qualification, ASL, supplier performance management, and compliance tracking applications.
Experience with workflow management, documentation, and collaboration applications such as SharePoint, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent platforms.
Applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee (protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations, to comply with U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, defense, electronics, or manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR/EAR, DFARS, or other applicable supplier requirements.
Experience leading supplier site assessments, operational reviews, supplier development, or risk mitigation initiatives.
Familiarity with Acumatica, SAP, or comparable ERP systems, plus Power BI, SQL, and dashboard utilization.
Prior people-management experience and experience implementing enterprise-level supplier governance frameworks.

Responsibilities

Manage the enterprise Approved Supplier List (ASL), including supplier qualification standards, approval workflows, requalification requirements, data integrity, and governance practices.
Establish standardized supplier onboarding, qualification, approval, and exit procedures with documented decision criteria, responsibilities, and escalation requirements.
Coordinate cross-functional supplier approval reviews with Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Quality, Engineering, and Compliance.
Oversee supplier due diligence, site assessments, capability reviews, and operational readiness evaluations to assess manufacturing capacity, compliance, and supply continuity risks.
Evaluate supplier certifications, regulatory obligations, contractual requirements, and operational risks to identify significant compliance concerns and mitigation priorities.
Direct supplier risk assessments, corrective action tracking, and issue resolution, escalating material concerns to supply chain leadership.
Implement and manage the Grow, Sustain, and Exit supplier lifecycle framework, including supplier segmentation, performance expectations, and decision criteria.
Analyze supplier performance in quality, on-time delivery, responsiveness, manufacturing capacity, and operational risk to identify improvement opportunities.
Guide supplier scorecard reviews, development initiatives, corrective action plans, and supplier transitions.
Develop supplier governance procedures, internal controls, reporting methodologies, and performance measures.
Evaluate supplier qualification cycle times, ASL accuracy, compliance status, corrective action closure, and performance trends to identify operational improvements.
Partner with Enterprise Systems to improve supplier master data, ERP workflows, reporting automation, and governance controls.
Lead supplier operations personnel by establishing work priorities, allocating resources, monitoring deliverables, and developing team capabilities through coaching and performance management.
Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, and Compliance to align governance activities with business requirements.
Communicate supplier performance, compliance risks, operational constraints, resource needs, and improvement recommendations to supply chain leadership and key stakeholders.