Supply Base Manager

VAST Data • New York, NY

2d

About The Position

VAST Data is seeking a Supply Base Manager to manage relationships with contract manufacturers (CMs) and hardware suppliers, aligning supplier capabilities and requirements with organizational needs. The role coordinates production readiness for new product launches with CMs and cross-functional teams to support go-to-market needs.

The Supply Base Manager evaluates CM performance across quality, delivery, and cost; conducts performance reviews; and drives improvement initiatives. The role champions cost reduction, process optimization, supply chain resilience, lean practices, and automation, while managing contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments.

Responsibilities also include quarterly capacity evaluation and production allocation, managing CM build plans against engineering needs, customer orders, and finished-goods levels, and ensuring on-time shipment within lead times. The role tracks monthly CM fees and supports month- and quarter-end close cadences, as well as POC refurbishment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations/Production Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• 10–15 years of experience successfully managing contract manufacturers, with a deep understanding of supply-chain processes and best practices.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and a process-oriented mindset.
• Ability to adapt and take on varied responsibilities in a dynamic, unstructured startup environment.
• Ability to deliver results in a fast-paced startup setting with minimal supervision and tight deadlines.
• Strong interest in innovation and the ability to implement ideas that improve operational processes and positively affect departments.
• Self-motivation and proactive ownership of tasks and projects.
• Ability to coordinate multiple project timelines while maintaining quality and efficiency.
• Strong analytical and decision-making abilities, including using data-driven insights.
• Excellent communication skills in multi-language and multicultural environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 10–20% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and manage relationships with contract manufacturers and hardware suppliers, aligning them with organizational needs and requirements.
• Establish and maintain strong CM relationships, ensuring clear communication and alignment on production goals, quality standards, and contractual obligations.
• Manage production readiness for new product launches in collaboration with CMs and internal cross-functional teams, coordinating execution to meet go-to-market needs.
• Evaluate CM performance using quality, delivery, and cost-efficiency metrics; conduct regular reviews and drive performance improvements.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, process optimization, and supply chain resilience, including industry best practices, lean methodologies, and process automation.
• Manage contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments to secure terms aligned with organizational objectives.
• Evaluate CM capacity quarterly and collaborate with CMs and internal stakeholders on capacity planning and allocation.
• Analyze demand forecasts, production requirements, and CM capacity to optimize production-volume allocation; coordinate schedule and capacity changes as needed.
• Manage CM build plans against engineering needs, customer orders, and finished-goods levels to support on-time shipping against customer request dates and within lead times.
• Monitor and track monthly CM fees and manage month- and quarter-end close cadences.
• Manage POC refurbishment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior