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Sr. Sourcing Manager

Irvine, CA

Aerospace is at a turning point — costs are rising, supply chains are strained, and old ways of building can’t keep up. At Neon Aero, we’re breaking that mold. We move fast, think big, and combine start-up agility with aerospace expertise to design, build, and scale aircraft in ways the industry has never seen. Our team leverages automation, AI-driven tools, and a fully connected digital backbone to accelerate innovation and reduce barriers to production.

Here, you won’t just take a job — you’ll help reinvent how the world flies. If you’re ready to solve complex problems, push technology further, and work alongside some of the brightest minds in aerospace, this is your chance to make a real impact.

The aerospace supply chain is stuck in old ways: slow, expensive, and allergic to change. Neon is building a modern, scalable supply foundation designed for speed, quality, and long-term resilience—by breaking conventional boundaries and embracing new pathways.

We’re hiring a Sr. Sourcing Manager who has repeatedly proven they can source materials and components beyond the traditional playbook. You’re commercially sharp, technically fluent, and you know how to unlock cost, speed, and innovation by looking where others don’t.

This is not a maintenance role. This is a build-and-disrupt role.

Why This Role Matters: 

Build a non-traditional supply base

  • Identify, evaluate, and onboard innovative suppliers that meet performance, quality, and scalability requirements
  • Tap adjacent industries (automotive/EV, robotics, electronics, advanced manufacturing, industrial equipment, etc.) to unlock cost and innovation advantages
  • Create sourcing strategies balancing cost, performance, risk, and long-term continuity

Own strategic sourcing + cost leadership

  • Lead end-to-end sourcing for materials, fabricated parts, assemblies, and critical systems
  • Build should-cost models and drive cost-down without sacrificing safety or performance
  • Pursue dual-sourcing and vertical integration strategies where they make sense
  • Partner with Contracts to negotiate agreements built for startup speed and flexibility

Qualification + compliance, done right

  • Work with Engineering and Quality to qualify suppliers to aerospace-grade expectations
  • Support supplier readiness for certification environments (AS9100, NADCAP, FAA/EASA where applicable)
  • Build scalable onboarding, scorecards, and supplier performance monitoring

Cross-functional execution

  • Engage early with Design Engineering to influence design-for-supply-chain decisions
  • Support prototype builds, fast iteration cycles, and production ramp
  • Translate between technical teams and commercial strategy—calmly and clearly

Risk + agility

  • Surface and mitigate geopolitical, capacity, financial, and operational supplier risks
  • Build a resilient supply chain fit for a high-growth environment
  • Challenge legacy aerospace cost structures and lead time norms with data-backed alternatives

What success looks like in this role

  • A highly competitive cost structure
  • Shorter lead times through alternative/non-traditional sourcing strategies
  • Innovative materials/components identified and qualified
  • A diversified, resilient, scalable supplier base
  • Strong cross-functional trust with Engineering and Quality
  • Suppliers who evolve with Neon—not constrain us

What you’ll Bring:

  • Minimum of 8 years in sourcing, procurement, or supply chain
  • Experience sourcing materials/components in regulated or high-performance industries
  • Background in at least one: automotive/EV, robotics, advanced manufacturing, electronics, industrial equipment
  • Strong negotiation skills with measurable cost-reduction wins
  • Demonstrated ability to qualify new suppliers and build supply bases from scratch
  • Challenges “this is how aerospace does it.”
  • Sees opportunity where others see compliance barriers
  • Thinks in total cost, not legacy margins
  • Moves fast without compromising safety
  • Builds processes where none exist—and makes them stick
  • 100% Onsite position and reports to the VP of Supply Chain & Contracts
  • Travel: 20-30% (domestic and occasional international supplier visits)

Strongly preferred

  • Experience in a high-growth, innovative, or disruptive company environment
  • Familiarity with aerospace certification requirements and quality systems
  • Experience driving rapid NPI cycles and scaling production
  • Comfort operating in ambiguity with high accountability

Why Join Us:

  • Work alongside elite engineering talent and innovators from across aerospace and tech.
  • Be part of a team moving faster than the industry standard.
  • Shape solutions that are lower-cost, autonomous, and scalable — the future of aviation.
  • Competitive compensation, including equity participation, growth opportunities, and full heath benefits (health, vision, dental, 401K) designed to support you in and out of work.

This pay range is specific to the location where the role is posted. Final pay will depend on experience, skill level, and other job-related factors.

Location-Specific Pay Range

$150,000 - $175,000 USD

Neon Aero, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

All final candidates must successfully complete a background check and drug screening as a condition of employment.

At this time, Neon Aero and its divisions are not accepting unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies.

 

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