Senior Global Supply Manager - Critical Minerals

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

10d•$110,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Based on site at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, California, the Senior Global Supply Manager for Germanium will be the domain expert and single leader responsible for securing this strategic critical mineral for Rocket Lab’s rocket and satellite programs. The role owns the global Germanium mandate end to end, from market intelligence and tiered supply-chain mapping to supplier and government relationships, should-cost modeling, contracting, and stockpiling strategy. The manager will lead sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships, building supply-chain resilience from early development through serial production. They will work across engineering, manufacturing, quality, Legal/Contracts, Corporate Development, and Finance to meet program cost, quality, and delivery goals. The role involves monitoring market conditions and geopolitical risks, negotiating commercial agreements, evaluating strategic interventions, and representing Rocket Lab with suppliers, industry associations, and U.S. and allied government bodies. This position may involve prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, as well as occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas. Domestic and international travel may be required up to 50% of the time, including visits to mines, refiners, and processors. U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, supplier management, or commodity management, with direct exposure to critical minerals or downstream products such as Germanium, Gallium, rare-earth magnets, Tungsten, Antimony, Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, or Manganese.
Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience; the posting specifies 9 or more years of total work experience for the equivalent-experience pathway.
Demonstrated experience navigating concentrated, geopolitically sensitive supply chains.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 50% of the time, including to mines, refiners, and processors.
U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or Doctorate in materials science, chemical sciences, or metallurgical/mining engineering; an MBA is a plus.
Experience in defense, aerospace, automotive, or other disruptive manufacturing industries with deep raw-material dependencies.
Experience with U.S. government programs supporting domestic critical-mineral supply, such as DPA Title III, DOE Loan Programs Office, or DLA National Defense Stockpile.
Experience structuring or supporting non-traditional commercial arrangements, including long-term offtake, prepayments, equity investments, and joint ventures.
Track record of developing commodity roadmaps with engineering and finance stakeholders.
Experience in a rapid-growth environment with constantly shifting priorities.
Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Proven cross-functional leadership and ability to influence at all organizational levels.
APICS certification and experience with AS9100 and export controls.

Responsibilities

Own the Germanium commodity strategy, focusing on supply-chain resilience and mitigation of geopolitical risks arising from concentration in mining and refinement.
Identify and mitigate supply-chain risks to ensure resilience and reliability.
Maintain expert-level market intelligence and provide regular updates on pricing, disruptions, and geopolitical signals.
Conduct market research and monitor industry trends to inform strategic decisions.
Host cross-functional meetings, lead strategy reviews, and brief executives on market conditions and mitigation plans.
Develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with program cost, quality, and delivery goals.
Lead RFI, RFQ, and RFP processes involving miners, refiners, processors, and component suppliers.
Lead supplier negotiations; conduct should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership analyses; maintain cost models to support competitiveness targets.
Negotiate offtake, pricing, capacity reservation, and payment-term agreements suited to volatile, concentrated markets.
Evaluate and recommend strategic interventions such as stockpiling, prepayments, joint ventures, equity investments, and vertical integration, in partnership with Corporate Development and Finance.
Build and maintain supplier relationships from initial requests for information through contract execution and ongoing engagement.
Build trusted relationships with suppliers, industry associations, and U.S. and allied government bodies, including DoD, DPA Title III, DLA, and DOE; represent Rocket Lab externally on Germanium matters.
Work with Legal/Contracts to establish contractual frameworks that support programs and the commodity strategy.
Improve supplier performance through metrics, scorecards, and regular reviews.

Benefits

Company stock as part of total compensation.
Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount on company stock.
Medical plans, including HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP option with a company HSA contribution.
Dental coverage.
Vision coverage.
Paid vacation and sick time.
11 paid holidays.
Flexible spending and dependent-care accounts.
Paid parental leave.
Disability insurance.
Life insurance.
401(k) retirement plan with company match.
Subsidized EV charging.
Onsite fitness centers where available.
Discounted gym memberships.
Complimentary snacks and beverages.
50% employee discount on the company merchandise store and other employee discounts.