The Role
The Head of Supply Chain is responsible for sourcing and managing procurement of components for drone submarines, supplier negotiations, and performance tracking.
Summary Generated by Built In
Albacore Inc. is a Philadelphia-based company building highly-capable, mass-producible drone submarines to defend sovereign waters of America and allied nations. We are backed with more than $10 million from Y Combinator and venture capital investors.
About the RoleAlbacore is looking for a Supply Chain Manager to build and own the systems that take our hardware from engineering design through procurement, receiving, inventory, build, and ultimately deployment.
We are building the systems and processes needed to support the development and production of complex hardware. You will work closely with engineering and operations to establish effective approaches for sourcing, receiving, inspecting, tracking, storing, and managing materials as our products evolve.
This is a highly hands-on role. You will run RFQs, place orders, manage suppliers, expedite critical hardware, and solve day-to-day material issues while simultaneously building the processes and infrastructure that will scale with the company. Over time, you will help turn what we learn from our first vehicles into a repeatable supply chain and production system.
- Build and own supply chain processes across sourcing, procurement, inventory, and supplier management
- Work closely with engineering to translate BOMs, drawings, and technical requirements into sourcing and material plans
- Identify, qualify, and manage suppliers across machining, fabrication, electronics, and electromechanical assemblies
- Run RFQs, negotiate pricing and lead times, manage purchase orders, and expedite critical components
- Establish practical systems for part numbering, revision control, serialization, labeling, inventory, and material traceability
- Develop receiving and incoming inspection processes and work instructions
- Track supplier performance across cost, quality, and delivery and resolve issues quickly
- Identify and mitigate long-lead, single-source, and other supply chain risks
- Support prototype builds and help turn early build processes into repeatable workflows as we scale toward production
- 5+ years of experience in supply chain, sourcing, procurement, or materials for complex hardware products
- Hands-on experience sourcing machined components, electronics, and electromechanical assemblies
- Experience working directly with engineering teams in prototype, NPI, or hardware development environments
- Strong understanding of BOMs, engineering drawings, specifications, and revision-controlled hardware
- Experience running RFQs, negotiating with suppliers, and managing purchasing and delivery schedules
- Experience building or significantly improving supply chain, inventory, or material control processes
- Ability to create structure and operate effectively in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
- Experience building or scaling supply chain processes in an early-stage hardware company
- Experience supporting hardware from prototype through NPI or low-rate production
- Experience with part numbering, serialization, inventory control, traceability, and incoming inspection
- Background in defense, aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, maritime, or other complex electromechanical products
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and ITAR, DFARS, or government contracting requirements
You are someone who sees an empty inventory cage and an evolving BOM and starts thinking about how the entire system should work.
You are comfortable creating structure without waiting for someone else to define it. You can work with an engineer on a changing design, call a machine shop about a late part, determine how that part should be received and inspected, and then document the process so the next build is better than the last.
You also understand that the goal is not process for the sake of process. The goal is to give engineering and manufacturing enough control, visibility, and repeatability to build increasingly complex vehicles quickly and reliably.
If you have spent your career operating inside a mature supply chain organization with established systems, dedicated teams, and clearly defined processes, this role may not be the right fit. If you like building those systems yourself, it probably is.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in supply chain, procurement, or sourcing for hardware products
- Experience sourcing machined components and electromechanical assemblies
- Familiarity with engineering documentation such as drawings and bills of materials
- Strong supplier management and negotiation skills
- Experience working with engineering teams in hardware development environments
- U.S. work authorization and ability to obtain a security clearance
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The Company
What We Do
Albacore Inc. is a Philadelphia-based company building highly-capable, mass-producible drone submarines to defend sovereign waters of America and allied nations. We are backed with more than $10 million from Y Combinator and venture capital investors.
Why Work With Us
We’re focused on mass-producible, long-range drone submarines that can travel ~1,000 nautical miles and be deployed in real-world environments. What makes Albacore unique is the chance to own meaningful systems end-to-end in a lean, fast-moving environment, with designs tested in the field instead of waiting years for impact.
