The Role
Manages contract manufacturer and hardware supplier relationships, production readiness, capacity planning, build schedules, performance metrics, cost reduction, continuous improvement, contract negotiations, fees, and refurbishment programs. Coordinates cross-functional product launches and ensures customer orders ship on time. Requires extensive contract manufacturing and supply chain experience in a fast-paced startup environment, with 10–20% domestic and international travel.
Summary Generated by Built In
Description
VAST Data is looking for a Supply Base Manager to join our growing team!
This is a great opportunity to be part of the fast-growing infrastructure company in history. In just a few short years, we’ve shaken up the industry by challenging traditional architecture models and introduced a revolutionary set of storage possibilities through our Universal Storage platform.
Our success has been built through incredible leadership and motivated employees who want to leverage their skills & experiences to make a real impact. This is an opportunity to be a key player at a pivotal time in our company’s growth.
Come join the disruption, make your mark, and be a part of the amazing team introducing the new era of data storage!
THE ROLE
- Primary point of contact and manages the relationship with Contract Manufacturer/ Hardware Suppliers and align with our organizations needs and requirements. Establish and maintain robust relationships with CMs, fostering clear communication and alignment on production goals, quality standards and contractual obligations.
- Effectively manage all aspects of production readiness for new product launches with CMs, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, VAST Internal, and CMs to ensure meticulous coordination and execution that aligns with Go To Market needs
- Evaluate CM performance using predefined metrics, encompassing quality, delivery, and cost efficiencies. Conduct regular performance reviews with CMs and actively drive performance improvement initiatives to enhance overall operational effectiveness.
- Lead and champion continuous improvement initiatives within the CM supply chain, with a specific focus on driving cost reduction, process optimization, and supply chain resilience. Implement industry best practices, lean methodologies, and process automation to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Skillfully manage contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments to secure favorable terms and conditions that align with organizational objectives.
- Evaluate quarterly the available capacity of CMs. Collaborate with CMs and internal stakeholders to ensure optimal production capacity planning and allocation. Analyze demand forecasts, production requirements, and CM capacities to optimize the allocation of production volumes. Coordinate closely with CMs to adjust production schedules and capacities as needed to meet changing demands.
- Manage CM build plan to meet demand requirements against Engineering, Customer orders and Finished Goods level, ensuring we ship on time against customer request date and within lead time.
- Monitor and track monthly CM’s fee and manage through Month/Quarter End Close cadences.
- Manage POC Refurbishment
REQUIREMENTS
- BS/BA in Business Administration, Operations/Production Management, Supply Chain Management or related field of Study.
- 10-15 years of extensive experience in successfully managing Contract Manufacturers, with a deep understanding of supply chain processes and best practices.
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with a process-oriented mindset that ensures accuracy and efficiency.
- Possesses a start-up attitude, thriving in a dynamic and unstructured environment by readily adapting and taking on various responsibilities.
- Demonstrated ability to excel in a fast-paced startup setting with minimal supervision, consistently delivering results under tight deadlines.
- Strong passion for innovation, consistently seeking and implementing fresh ideas to enhance operational processes and positively impact various departments.
- Highly self-motivated, thriving in a fast-paced environment and proactively taking ownership of tasks and projects.
- Exceptional organizational skills, capable of coordinating and advancing multiple project timelines simultaneously while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.
- Excellent analytical and decision-making abilities, adept at utilizing data-driven insights to make informed decisions that drive business success.
- Outstanding communication skills, capable of effectively conveying information in a multi-language and multi-cultural environment, fostering collaboration and understanding.
- Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally, approximately 10-20% of the time, to effectively engage with contract manufacturers and support global supply chain operations.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations or Production Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
- 10–15 years of experience managing contract manufacturers
- Deep understanding of supply chain processes and best practices
- Experience evaluating supplier performance across quality, delivery, and cost metrics
- Experience with production readiness, capacity planning, demand forecasting, and build plans
- Experience leading cost reduction, process optimization, supply chain resilience, lean, or continuous improvement initiatives
- Experience managing contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments
- Strong analytical, decision-making, organizational, and process-management skills
- Ability to manage multiple project timelines and work independently under tight deadlines
- Excellent communication skills in multicultural and multilingual environments
- Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 10–20% of the time
VAST Data Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about VAST Data and has not been reviewed or approved by VAST Data.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, vision and life insurance are included, with several elements identified as employer-provided. Coverage aligns with what is commonly offered by high‑growth tech companies.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off includes generous or unlimited PTO alongside paid sick days and paid holidays, coupled with remote or work‑from‑home flexibility. This breadth supports taking time away when needed.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company equity is a standard part of offers with a typical four‑year vest, and professional development support is available. Equity is positioned as a meaningful component of total compensation at a growth‑stage company.
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The Company
What We Do
Meet the data platform company for the AI era. Accelerating time-to-insight for workload-intensive applications, the VAST Data Platform delivers scalable performance, radically simple data management and enhanced productivity for the AI-powered world. Launched in 2019, VAST is the fastest-selling data infrastructure startup in history.
