Procurement Director

Zone 5 Technologies•San Luis Obispo, CA

2d•$205,000 - $253,000

About The Position

The Procurement Director leads Zone 5 Technologies’ global procurement activities, including strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, subcontract administration, and vendor performance management. The role ensures that materials, components, and services are secured to support full-rate production at the best total cost, quality, and risk profile, while maintaining compliance in a regulated government-contracting environment. The director owns the supplier-facing side of the supply chain, from sourcing and negotiation through subcontract execution and performance. They partner closely with the Supply Chain Director, Program Management, Engineering, and Finance to support reliable, on-time material flow and align procurement with Production, Engineering New Product Introduction (NPI), franchise partners, and financial control requirements. The role leads and develops the procurement organization, strengthens supplier resilience, supports capital investment purchasing, and drives the use of ERP and digital procurement tools. It is primarily based in San Luis Obispo, California, and requires approximately 40% travel to supplier, subcontractor, and other facility sites.

Requirements

Proven experience leading global procurement or strategic sourcing in a manufacturing environment, ideally at scale.
Experience administering subcontracts under FAR/DFARS and customer flow-down requirements.
Background in aerospace, defense, or another high-reliability industry.
Demonstrated success negotiating complex supplier and subcontract agreements.
Experience building executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers and running structured supplier business reviews.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
Deep understanding of strategic sourcing, supplier negotiation, and cost-reduction methodologies.
Deep understanding of subcontract administration and compliance under FAR/DFARS and CAS.
Deep understanding of make/buy analysis and outsourcing strategy.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems and procurement or contract management tools.
Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and continuous improvement methodologies such as Toyota Kata.
Experience with quality systems aligned to AS9100 or equivalent.
Experience with supplier scorecard and corrective action programs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree, such as an MBA.
Experience in manufacturing environments operating at scale.

Responsibilities

Lead sourcing of raw materials, components, and services to support full-rate production.
Implement strategic sourcing, vendor qualification, and cost-reduction programs while maintaining quality and compliance standards.
Maintain an aligned supplier base that meets the technical and service needs of Zone 5 and its franchise partners.
Build strategic supplier relationships, including executive-level relationships between companies.
Identify sole-source and single-source exposure and drive mitigation plans such as dual sourcing, qualified alternates, or long-term agreements.
Assess supplier capacity against projected production rates and address suppliers that cannot scale through capacity investment, dual sourcing, or re-sourcing.
Build a diversified, resilient supplier base and qualify alternate vendors for critical or at-risk parts.
Source and qualify long-lead and new parts to support NPI and production ramp.
Source and negotiate capital equipment, automation, and digital system purchases.
Extend supplier qualification and performance standards to franchise and external manufacturing sites.
Negotiate supplier and subcontractor pricing, terms, and contract conditions to secure favorable terms and mitigate supply risk.
Work with strategic suppliers to understand cost drivers and market pricing, and negotiate long-term agreements, volume discounts, and tiered pricing.
Establish and track purchase price variance and other cost-performance KPIs, and lead cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality or delivery.
Manage procurement processes and supplier performance, including escalation and corrective action.
Administer complex subcontracts in compliance with FAR/DFARS and customer-specific flow-downs.
Oversee critical subcontractor delivery, quality, and performance in coordination with cross-functional teams.
Maintain supplier scorecards and drive corrective action plans for delivery or quality deficiencies.
Conduct scheduled business reviews with strategic suppliers and appropriate cross-functional participants.
Support supplier audits, qualification, and corrective action in partnership with the Quality organization, which retains ownership of these functions.
Conduct make/buy analyses and support outsourcing decisions, including evaluation of insourcing opportunities.
Partner with Engineering, Programs, and Manufacturing to evaluate sourcing options for critical or at-risk parts.
Ensure procurement practices comply with FAR/DFARS, CAS, AS9100, and other applicable government-contracting and quality standards.
Confirm required internal approvals are obtained before issuing purchase orders above defined dollar thresholds.
Verify budget line allocations align with contract and proposal terms before reallocating funds, and escalate potential formal notice or modification requirements to Contracts/Legal.
Ensure subcontractor security and compliance documentation, such as DD-254, is finalized before contract award.
Prepare for and participate in audits, reviews, and regulatory evaluations.
Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing procurement team with clear roles and career development pathways.
Structure and align the procurement organization to support Production, Engineering NPI, and franchise partners.
Drive adoption and optimization of ERP and digital procurement tools.
Promote continuous improvement, cost discipline, and cross-functional collaboration.