Supply Chain Manager — Sonny V2

Tutor Intelligence • Watertown, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are scaling to 1,000+ robots by 2028, and Sonny ramps in Q2 2027. You'll own its purchased-part supply chain end to end: the vendor base, the buys, the buffers, the cost, and the data that tells the company what we can build and when. Our critical parts come from China with 100+ day lead times, and the design is still changing monthly. We are only as good as our suppliers — you're the person who makes that work. We want someone as comfortable in a spreadsheet as on a call with a factory in Shenzhen. Someone who builds the tools that predict shortages instead of chasing them, and who negotiates like every dollar and every day matters — because at our scale it does. Mindset and ownership over credentials.

Requirements

• 5+ years in supply chain, purchasing, or strategic sourcing for a hardware product, ideally through a new-product-introduction ramp (prototype → pilot → production)
• Hands-on experience sourcing from and managing Chinese vendors: factory qualification, PI/T/T payment structures, EXW and freight tradeoffs (sea vs. air), customs, and the reality of time-zone and communication gaps
• A proven negotiator with examples of cost, lead-time, MOQ, or terms wins you personally drove
• Strong analytical and tool-building skills: you've built clear-to-build, MRP-style, or shortage-forecasting tools in Excel, SQL, Python, or a BI tool — not just consumed them
• Fluency with an MES/ERP/PLM system (ION, NetSuite, Arena, Odoo, SAP, or similar) and comfort working from a controlled BOM with revision control
• Mechanical and electrical literacy: you can read a drawing, understand a harness spec, and talk to an engineer about why a tolerance matters to a supplier
• Willingness to be on the shop floor, in the warehouse, and occasionally on a plane to a supplier
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, engineering, business, or equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

• Mandarin or Cantonese fluency — a real advantage in day-to-day work with our China-based suppliers
• Experience with robotics, automation, EV, drones, or other electromechanical products with motors, batteries, PCBAs, and sheet metal
• Prior experience setting up or managing a China-based sourcing presence or sourcing agent
• APICS / CPSM / CSCP certification or Lean Six Sigma training
• Experience with First Resonance ION specifically
• Contract manufacturing / EMS outsourcing experience

Responsibilities

• Source, qualify, and manage suppliers for every purchased part on the Sonny V2 BOM.
• Lead second-sourcing on single-point-of-failure parts.
• Build real partnerships with critical suppliers, not just transactional relationships.
• Own purchase orders, buffer strategy, and material coverage against the build plan.
• Decide when to bulk-order for lead-time insurance, when to air freight, and when to hold.
• Attach controlled drawings and revs to every PO on a critical part — no exceptions.
• Build and maintain the predictive tools the company relies on: clear-to-build reports (now / 30 / 60 / 90 days), shortage callouts, lead-time trackers, and material risk dashboards pulled from ION and the build forecast.
• Drive unit cost, payment terms, MOQs, and lead times down through structured negotiation.
• Own landed cost and COGS visibility for the product.
• Work directly with Production Engineering and R&D through the ECO process so the supply chain absorbs changes at monthly build cutovers rather than stalling the line.
• Evaluate and stand up outsourced sub-assembly and contract-manufacturing options as Sonny volume grows, including offshore options.
• Track on-time delivery, quality (NCMRs back to the vendor), and responsiveness.
• Escalate early and hard when a supplier slips.
• Keep ION accurate: part numbers, unit costs, purchased assemblies, on-order quantities, and inventory so the shop floor and the finance team see the same truth.

Benefits

• fully employer-covered health insurance
• a managed 401(k)
• regular in-office meals
• unlimited PTO and holidays
• social events
• collaborative, low-ego work culture where people are trusted to take ownership and solve real problems

What This Job Offers

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