Senior Supply Chain Manager

Tin Can•Seattle, WA

About The Position

Tin Can is building a better way for kids and families to connect — starting with beautifully designed, screen-free hardware and a global communications network underneath it. As we scale, we believe our long-term advantage won’t just come from IP or brand, but from how well we build and ship physical products at speed, quality, and cost. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for a Senior Supply Chain Manager to own Tin Can’s end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain strategy. Today, we work with a single contract manufacturer in China who handles most of the stack. Tomorrow, we want a diversified, competitive, resilient supply chain that gives us speed, leverage, and margin. This role will own that evolution. Your north-star metrics are simple and unforgiving: Cost per unit Shipping timelines / time to customer How you get there is where the craft comes in.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in supply chain, manufacturing, or operations in electronic consumer hardware
Direct experience managing contract manufacturers in China and other international locations
A proven track record of reducing unit costs and improving lead times through supplier strategy, not just negotiation
Hands-on experience with supplier diversification and/or near-shoring strategies
Strong operator mindset — you’re comfortable getting into the weeds and making hard tradeoffs
Commercially sharp: you understand how manufacturing decisions flow directly into margin and customer experience
Clear communicator who can partner cross-functionally and push when needed
Knowledge of FCC, UL and other relevant certifications
Ability to work off hours and be available on the manufacturer’s timezone (late nights, early mornings) and travel overseas 2-4 times per year

Nice To Haves

Experience scaling an electrical hardware product from early volume to mass production (1M units+)
Exposure to multiple manufacturing regions (China, Vietnam, Mexico, etc.)
Experience building the first supply chain function at a growing company
Speaking Mandarin & a Chinese visa

Responsibilities

Own all contract manufacturing relationships, starting with our current CM and expanding from there
Develop and execute a supplier diversification strategy (by geography, capability, and risk profile)
Create a competitive manufacturing environment to continuously drive better pricing, terms, and lead times
Reduce shipping timelines by evaluating near-shore and regional manufacturing options aligned with where Tin Cans are sold
Own DFM and DFSC to bring new hardware to market faster and more efficiently
Lead cost modeling, quoting, and negotiation across tooling, BOMs, assembly, testing, and logistics
Build systems and processes that scale — forecasting, inventory planning, quality control, and risk mitigation
Be on the ground oversees 2-4 times a year: factories, partners, problem spots. This is not a “from the desk” role.
Review manufacturing agreements
Be the company’s subject-matter expert on tariffs, duties, and trade regulations, including ongoing monitoring of changes and their business impact