SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
ICEYE, the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space, is seeking an Engineering Supply Chain Manager (Mechanical) to join its Global Supply Chain organization in Munich. You will work closely with hardware engineering teams designing and building mechanical systems for satellite constellations on tight, shifting timelines.
In this hands-on role, you'll be the critical link between Engineering and Production, identifying long lead items, critical materials, and complex parts early in the design cycle to prevent bottlenecks. You'll execute rapid sourcing and procurement for CNC machined parts, structural elements, composite parts, mechanisms, motors, fasteners, bearings, thermal hardware, and raw materials—including special processes like heat treatment, surface treatments, and coatings. When machining capacity, material availability, or design changes threaten schedules, you'll act immediately to find alternatives and secure prototypes under compressed timelines.
Your day-to-day responsibilities include: serving as the hands-on supply chain counterpart for fast-paced mechanical engineering teams; translating early-stage concepts and evolving BOMs into actionable sourcing steps with minimal delay; providing engineers with real-time insights on material and component availability; identifying supply issues before they become blockers; running fast quoting and supplier selection; leading efforts to find alternative suppliers, processes, or materials within hours; setting stock levels and material availability plans; working closely with machine shops, composite fabricators, special process providers, and material distributors; supporting technical capability assessments; negotiating priority machine time and expedited processing; coordinating across engineering, manufacturing, program management, and operations; maintaining complete visibility into prototype schedules and engineering changes; building and maintaining a living view of supply risks across all active projects; keeping ERP purchasing details accurate with clean traceability; and communicating R&D supply chain risks to Production early to prepare for rollout and mass production.
You'll operate with a bias for action in a startup-like environment where speed, ambition, and ownership are paramount. Your work directly supports the success of every engineering prototype iteration and prepares Production for mass production.
REQUIREMENTS:
Must Haves:
- 5+ years of direct experience in mechanical sourcing, procurement, or engineering supply chain roles in fast-moving hardware environments
- Strong procurement understanding of machined and composite parts, special processes, engineering materials, and prototyping flows
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in startup-like conditions: tight deadlines, shifting priorities, incomplete information, and rapid cycles
- Hands-on experience running purchasing and material management through an ERP system
- Confident negotiator, commercially and technically, able to influence engineers, program managers, and suppliers without formal authority
- Strong communication, problem-solving, and negotiation abilities
Nice to Haves:
- Experience in space, aerospace, defense, hardware startups, or other deep-tech R&D environments
- Mechanical engineering background and knowledge of tools such as CAD with technical understanding of designs
- Exposure to taking a hardware design from prototype into series production
- Existing relationships with machine shops, fabricators, special process providers, and material distributors; familiarity with rapid-prototyping suppliers and global component marketplaces
