Senior Manager, Supply Chain

Cellula Robotics Ltd•Burnaby, BC

3d•CA$110,000 - CA$135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Cellula Robotics Ltd. is seeking a Senior Manager, Supply Chain to join its Supply Chain team and support its growing list of projects. As a world-leading marine technology company, Cellula focuses on autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) systems for subsea survey, science, and security. The company is transitioning from prototype development to producing multiple units of its four core products for various sectors including defense, mineral exploration, and energy. Cellula values collaboration, innovation, adaptability, and reliability, fostering a team-based workplace and a culture of learning by doing. The Senior Manager, Supply Chain will lead and execute all supply chain, procurement, logistics, planning, supplier qualification, and supplier management activities during a critical growth phase. This role requires a hands-on leader who can initially operate as an individual contributor, managing day-to-day procurement, supplier management, logistics, inventory planning, and supplier performance, while progressively building a scalable supply chain organization. The position is primarily on-site with some limited flexibility for remote work.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, procurement, logistics, operations, or related leadership roles.
Strong background in manufacturing, engineering, project-based, or production environments.
Hands-on experience across procurement, supplier management, logistics, inventory planning, supplier qualification, and supplier performance management.
Proven ability to build systems, processes, reporting structures, and teams from the ground up.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems, vendor management systems, supply chain analytics, and production management tools.
Experience with import/export regulations, customs procedures, classification, and logistics documentation.
Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, supplier relationship management, and contract management experience.
Experience with supplier audits, vendor compliance, OQE documentation, supplier NCRs, and corrective action follow-up.
Bachelor’s degree in STEM, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related technical discipline is preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience in defense, marine, robotics, subsea, offshore, or highly engineered systems.
Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, or equivalent quality systems and supplier audit practices.
Experience with NetSuite, Assent VMS, TDG shipping practices, and vendor compliance frameworks.
Ability to read technical or engineering drawings and work closely with engineering teams.
Microsoft Office Suite experience, specifically Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Responsibilities

Manage procurement, inventory, logistics, supplier coordination, and supply chain execution across projects and production needs.
Ensure continuity of supply by balancing cost, quality, delivery, risk, and regulatory requirements.
Monitor inventory levels and manage purchase requisitions to support desired stock levels and production flow.
Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics, including shipping, receiving, import/export activities, customs documentation, and regulatory compliance.
Follow up on production plans versus parts deliveries, addressing emergencies and unexpected issues related to parts and services.
Develop and execute procurement strategies aligned with company goals, cash flow planning, delivery scheduling, and usage patterns.
Lead supplier negotiations, contracts, terms, pricing strategies, and cost-saving initiatives.
Manage RFQs, RFIs, RFPs, sourcing activities, and supplier selection for standard, custom, and engineering-to-order components.
Analyze spending, identify buying trends, and improve purchasing efficiency.
Procure goods, materials, and services while considering price, quality, delivery, and continuity of supply.
Own the supplier lifecycle, including sourcing, qualification, classification, onboarding, performance management, reassessment, and exit.
Identify, assess, and evaluate potential suppliers based on industry requirements, business needs, internal quality standards, capability, pricing, delivery performance, and regulatory compliance.
Classify suppliers as quality-critical or standard based on their potential impact on product quality and regulatory compliance.
Conduct supplier assessments, risk analysis, audits, and performance reviews to verify quality, compliance, reliability, and ongoing suitability.
Maintain and develop the Approved Vendor List and Vendor Management System, including supplier records, assessments, evaluations, and onboarding documentation.
Build and maintain strong supplier relationships while addressing issues and supporting communication between suppliers and internal teams.
Work closely with Quality and Materials Coordination to maintain supplier quality documentation, OQE records, certifications, regulatory approvals, compliance records, and supplier delivery documentation.
Support supplier non-conformances by investigating issues, coordinating corrective actions, triggering vendor NCRs as required, and ensuring timely closure.
Conduct or support supplier audits to verify manufacturing practices, quality management systems, SOPs, compliance records, and adherence to applicable requirements.
Ensure suppliers meet ISO 9001 and other applicable quality or regulatory requirements, including documentation and audit expectations.
Define supplier expectations, roles, compliance requirements, performance expectations, and onboarding requirements in formal agreements and supporting materials.
Analyze supply chain data, spending patterns, supplier performance metrics, quality performance, delivery trends, compliance performance, and supplier risk.
Develop, track, and report KPIs for supply chain performance, supplier effectiveness, department performance, and production support.
Create, modify, and manage ERP/MRP data, reports, and supply chain analytics to support procurement, logistics, inventory, and production planning.
Support ERP/MRP implementation, optimization, vendor management system usage, and scalable reporting practices.
Collect and present data on supply chain and production trends to support operational and leadership decisions.
Partner with Engineering, Project Management, Program Management, Production, Quality, and Materials Coordination to integrate supply chain into project execution and production planning.
Act as the primary interface between internal teams and external suppliers for supply chain processes, project needs, technical requirements, lead times, shipments, and supplier issues.
Support engineering-to-order and custom build environments, including off-the-shelf and customized parts.
Assist leadership and production management in maintaining planned production schedules and resolving supply-related constraints.
Establish supply chain processes, workflows, governance frameworks, procedures, and best practices.
Identify hiring needs and progressively build the supply chain function, including procurement, analytics, supplier management, and logistics capabilities.
Implement scalable tools, systems, and reporting practices that support repeatable production and long-term growth.
Transition from a hands-on individual contributor role to a functional leadership position as the department scales.
Identify opportunities to improve supplier qualification, vendor management, procurement, inventory, logistics, and supply chain reporting workflows.