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Helsing is an AI-enabled defense technology company protecting democracies. This is Helsing's first supply chain hire in the United States, establishing how the company buys and executing procurement operations.
You will operate as a player-coach in your first year: designing supplier strategy, sourcing playbooks, and compliance posture while simultaneously placing purchase orders, managing supplier commit dates, and resolving shortages. You will hold both strategic and tactical altitudes—understanding defense supply chain requirements (NDAA, ITAR/EAR, DFARS flow-downs, counterfeit-part avoidance) while being equally comfortable negotiating with distributors to accelerate lead times.
You will work daily with Production, Systems Engineering, and the Head of Logistics as the single point of accountability for material availability. There is no team reporting to you on day one, but a clear path to building one as U.S. volume scales.
Key responsibilities:
- Own the complete purchase order lifecycle: placement, expediting, closure across all production and prototype commodities
- Run the shortage list daily, hold suppliers to commit dates, and trigger orders proactively
- Identify, qualify, and negotiate with suppliers across electronics, semiconductors, machined parts, and contract manufacturing; establish terms, pricing, and second sources for single-point-of-failure parts
- Build compliance posture from the start: NDAA Section 889/5949 screening, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, ITAR/EAR export controls, counterfeit-part avoidance (AS5553), and audit-ready supplier documentation
- Define purchasing processes, approval thresholds, and supplier documentation standards; own procurement data quality in the MRP/ERP system
- Convert build schedules into buy plans; synchronize with Logistics on inbound freight, receiving, and inventory; coordinate with Production on kitting and line-side availability
- Partner with Systems Engineering on BOMs, ECOs, alternates, and end-of-life parts; quote new designs early and drive designs toward sourceable parts at volume
- Map geopolitical, allocation, and lead-time exposure; maintain buffer and last-time-buy strategies for long-lead and sole-source items
- Document processes and mentor buyers and planners as the function scales
Requirements:
- 7–12 years in supply chain, procurement, strategic sourcing, or planning within hardware manufacturing (semiconductor, high-tech, advanced manufacturing, robotics, or aerospace/defense)
- Personal ownership of POs, supplier commit dates, and shortage resolution within the last few years; willingness to execute without a team initially
- Demonstrated ownership of supplier selection, qualification, and commercial negotiation (not just execution)
- Working knowledge of or ability to rapidly master NDAA compliance, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, ITAR/EAR, and counterfeit-part avoidance
- Hands-on daily user of MRP/ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Odoo, Arena, Duro, or similar); able to run demand, planning, and purchasing and maintain data quality
- Comfort with multi-level BOMs, drawings, ECO workflows; credible in technical conversations with engineers about alternates and part selection
- Proven effectiveness in building processes and systems where none exist
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or Top Secret); U.S. Citizenship required
Nice to have:
- Experience sourcing high-performance AI compute, semiconductors, cable assemblies, optics, precision machined parts, or ruggedized enclosures
- Management of contract manufacturers, EMS providers, and machine shops
- Experience buying through real shortages (brokers, allocation, last-time buys, cross-referencing alternates)
- Prior ITAR-controlled or classified program experience; CMMC familiarity
- Active U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or above)
- Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, or Business; CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM certification
