Supplier Relationship Manager

Keysight Technologies, Inc.•Santa Rosa, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Keysight is seeking an Expert-level Procurement Specialist to join the New Product Introduction (NPI) Technology Procurement team within Supply Chain. This role is the key technical contributor for supplier relationships supporting Keysight's internal precision manufacturing organization, which delivers high-precision machined, plated, and assembled mechanical components used across markets including 5G, semiconductor, aerospace and defense, and automotive. This is a specialized, high-impact role: rather than executing predefined procurement plans, this person takes broad business objectives and strategies and translates them into structured supplier and commodity plans, then leads execution independently.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, International Business, Finance, or a related field; postgraduate study or relevant certification/license may be required or preferred
Typically 8+ years of experience in supply chain, procurement, sourcing, or supplier management, with demonstrated specialized depth and/or breadth of expertise
Demonstrated ability to work independently and lead procurement process/program design from concept to delivery
Working knowledge of MRP methodology and ERP systems (e.g., Oracle or SAP) within production and NPI environments
Extensive experience directly negotiating with suppliers and resolving cost, quality, and delivery issues at a strategic level
Strong command of commercial contracting concepts, including Statements of Work (SOWs) and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize complex, ambiguous information into clear strategic recommendations
Demonstrated ability to influence across organizational boundaries and drive alignment within cross-functional, geographically distributed teams
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for engineering, operations, and leadership audiences
Highly organized and detail-oriented, able to lead multiple concurrent high-impact initiatives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Self-motivated, able to support global and/or multi-site operations across multiple time zones with minimal oversight
Continuous improvement mindset, with a history of initiating (not just participating in) process improvements
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft products

Nice To Haves

Experience integrating Artificial Intelligence tools into daily workflows, with an above-average understanding of prompt usage and foundational knowledge of Generative and Agentic AI concepts
Experience or interest in dashboard/app development and data visualization
Familiarity with Power Apps, Power BI, Copilot, and Claude

Responsibilities

Negotiating commercial agreements and pricing structures with strategic suppliers supporting NPI and production
Leading the design and delivery of supplier management processes and programs, serving as the technical authority on supplier capability, capacity, and performance
Reducing broad NPI and commodity strategy objectives into structured project plans, then leading execution against them
Solving complex, high-impact supply base problems such as capacity constraints, resourcing decisions, cost and quality escalations by using in-depth industry and supplier knowledge
Assessing supplier capabilities and capacity, and shaping the supply base to meet current and future NPI/production needs
Leading process improvement initiatives related to NPI execution, resourcing, cost reduction, and quality, often originating and designing the approach rather than following an established one
Acting as the primary point of accountability across R&D Management, R&D Engineering, Supply Chain Planning and Procurement, Manufacturing Operations, and Global Procurement, exercising independent judgment aligned to broad organizational objectives