Supply Chain Manager

THE ROLE

Mesodyne is scaling LightCell from small-batch assembly to real production, and that means our supply chain has to grow up fast. As Supply Chain Manager, you'll own vendor management, inventory, and procurement controls for the LightCell line — building the systems and relationships that make sure the right parts show up on time, at the right cost, and at the right quality, every time.

This is a hands-on role for someone who's as comfortable negotiating with a vendor as they are digging into an inventory discrepancy. You'll work closely with manufacturing, R&D, and finance, and your decisions will directly shape how reliably we can build and ship product as we scale.WHY NOWWe're moving from tens of units a year to hundreds, with more scale to follow. Over the next 18 months, that means:

• Building a vendor network that can scale with us — fabrication, brazing, coatings, electronics
• Replacing ad hoc purchasing with real procurement processes and controls
• Tightening inventory accuracy and reducing shortages as order volume grows
• Hitting delivery and cost targets as the design and vendor base both mature
• Reducing supply risk on critical components before it becomes a production problem

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Manage the vendor network
• Source, qualify, and manage vendors across fabrication, brazing, coatings, and electronics.
• Negotiate pricing and contracts, track performance, and build vendor relationships that hold up under pressure, not just on paper.
• Own inventory management and controls
• Set and maintain inventory policies — stocking levels, reorder points, cycle counts — that keep production supplied without tying up cash in excess parts.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies before they become shortages.
• Run procurement operations
• Manage purchase orders end to end: issuing, tracking, and reconciling against invoices and receipts.
• Build a procurement process that's fast enough for a startup and disciplined enough to scale.
• Reduce supply chain risk
• Diversify the vendor base for critical components so one supplier problem doesn't stop the line.
• Build contingency plans for long-lead-time or single-source parts.
• Drive vendor quality and accountability
• Set quality and delivery standards with vendors, track performance against them, and run regular vendor reviews.
• Escalate and resolve issues before they hit production.
• Partner across the business
• Work closely with manufacturing to align supply with production schedules, with R&D on sourcing for new components, and with finance on cost tracking and forecasting.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Must-haves
• BS in Supply Chain Management or Engineering with relevant experience 3+ years in supply chain, procurement, or vendor management, ideally in a manufacturing environment
• A proven track record sourcing, qualifying, and managing vendors — from initial sourcing through ongoing relationship management
• Hands-on experience with inventory management and controls (stocking levels, cycle counts, reconciliation)
• Comfort managing purchase orders, invoices, and procurement processes in a fast-moving environment
• Strong negotiation skills and a track record of managing cost without sacrificing quality or delivery
• Comfort making calls with incomplete information
• Nice-to-haves
• Startup experience (20–200 people)
• Experience in advanced batteries, aerospace, optics, photonics, semiconductor, or other precision or specialty manufacturing Knowledge of any of the following: brazing, welding, high temperature materials, advanced ceramics, optomechanical systems, optical coatings, vacuum systems, semiconductors, microfabrication, and semiconductor packaging
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems or lightweight/home-built systems inventory and procurement
• Familiarity with supplier quality management and performance metrics
• COMPENSATION & BENEFITSCompetitive base salary, commensurate with experience
• Equity
• Health, dental, vision
• PTO