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Senior Category Manager, Sensors/Mission Systems

Anduril - Costa Mesa, CA, United States - In-office - posted 2026-07-27

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Salary: USD 166,000 - 0 / annual

Anduril Industries is seeking a Senior Category Manager for Sensors/Mission Systems to serve as the domain expert and primary sourcing leader for sensor and mission systems commodities. This is a strategic, high-impact role responsible for developing and executing comprehensive commodity strategies focused on cost reduction, quality improvement, and supply chain resilience. You will own end-to-end responsibility for delivering quality parts at the right cost and timeline. Key responsibilities include developing new supplier and sourcing partnerships for both new and existing products, leading RFI/RFQ/RFP processes, and managing relationships with external contract manufacturers. You will partner closely with engineering teams to influence technical design specifications and customize manufacturing requirements. The role requires deep analytical capability—performing detailed cost breakdowns, total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis, and data-driven decision-making across the entire supply chain. You will negotiate key agreements with suppliers on pricing, quality, flexibility, delivery, and service terms, while managing supplier performance metrics including delivery, quality, cost, and innovation. You will serve as the primary escalation point for your commodity, conduct regular technology reviews to executive staff, and influence contract manufacturers' processes, capital expenditure decisions, and technology roadmaps. Cross-functional collaboration is essential—you will work with engineering, operations, and leadership to resolve problems, advance new offerings, and drive strategic sourcing activities from prototype through full production. Required: Bachelor's degree in supply chain, engineering, or related technical field; 5+ years in supply chain commodity management of sensors/mission systems or sourcing engineering; ability to travel up to 50%; willingness to relocate to Costa Mesa if not local. Preferred: Degree in physics or electrical/mechanical engineering; prior defense, aerospace, automotive, or high-tech experience; expertise in TCO analysis; strategic commodity roadmap development; proven cross-functional leadership; ability to obtain and maintain U.S. TS/SCI clearance.

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