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Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, is seeking a Director of Global Supply Chain Integration based in Abu Dhabi to lead a hybrid role spanning supply chain strategy and business growth across the Middle East region.
You will operate at the intersection of growth, strategic sourcing, and supply chain risk management, supporting Anduril's expansion into the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and broader Middle East. This is not a traditional supply chain role—you'll shape deals before they're signed and build infrastructure enabling rapid scaling in a complex regulatory environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Growth & Partnership Development: Fuel Anduril's Middle East expansion by supporting growth and corporate development teams in forging relationships with industry leaders. Shape pre-contract strategy by driving scope definition, proposal development, and term sheet generation. Serve as the supply chain voice in critical go/no-go decisions, bringing market intelligence and risk assessment to leadership. Monitor regional industrial ecosystem dynamics, emerging manufacturing technologies, and regulatory developments to identify partnership opportunities.
Middle East Supply Network Development: Develop a regional supply base by proactively identifying and qualifying suppliers across diverse commodity categories. Lead end-to-end supplier engagement including selection, qualification, and onboarding for Anduril's partners in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar—assessing technical capability, capacity, quality systems, and financial stability. Achieve multi-tier visibility by understanding and mitigating supply chain risks across tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers (state-backed defense conglomerates, family-owned industrial groups, and independent suppliers). Drive localization initiatives that strengthen competitive positioning and align with national in-country value and industrial participation requirements.
Expert Advisory & Regulatory Navigation: Guide regional industry partners by providing strategic advisory support to their supply chain teams. Support comprehensive sourcing strategies for partners executing on Anduril programs, ensuring alignment with technical requirements and security considerations. Navigate regulatory complexity by ensuring compliance with host-nation regulations including UAE strategic goods import/export control law, Tawazun Economic Program and MOIAT ICV requirements, Qatar's Tawteen program, Kuwait's offset regime, technology transfer restrictions, and U.S. export controls. Partner with business line teams to assess existing sourcing strategies and develop comprehensive approaches aligned with Anduril's product roadmap and cost targets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as primary liaison between Anduril's engineering, operations, and program teams and Middle East manufacturing partners. Partner closely with Product Sourcing Engineers and Global Sourcing Managers to deliver integrated solutions. Manage supplier performance including escalation protocols, corrective action oversight, and strategic capacity planning to support rapid scaling and new product introductions.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or related field
- 12+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing or procurement focused on contract manufacturing, preferably within defense, aerospace, or advanced technology industries
- Professional fluency in English (written and verbal); professional working proficiency in Arabic strongly preferred
- Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
- Willingness to travel regionally and internationally (approximately 30–40%) to support supplier engagement, audits, and program requirements
- Ability to work across international timezones with U.S. partners
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated success negotiating and managing complex manufacturing agreements with Middle East suppliers, with deep understanding of GCC business culture, negotiation practices, and relationship-building expectations
- Regulatory expertise in the GCC compliance landscape (UAE strategic goods control law, Tawazun Council acquisition and industrial participation policy, host-nation export controls, dual-use technology regulations)
- Broad commodity knowledge spanning electronics, precision manufacturing, materials, optics, sensors, and other defense-relevant categories
- Demonstrated success managing complex supplier relationships and negotiating agreements with companies in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar
- Strong analytical and financial acumen, including expertise in total cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and make-vs-buy assessments, combined with proficiency in ERP systems and sourcing tools
- Past experience in the UAE Armed Forces or another GCC military
- Track record of building supplier networks and partnerships in the Middle East
- NPI strategic sourcing experience in fast-paced environments
- Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes (e.g., electronics, machining)
- Past experience supporting growth teams or corporate development functions
- Proven ability to navigate cross-cultural communication and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels
