Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist

Vast is seeking a Senior Procurement & Supply Chain Specialist to own demand planning, strategic sourcing, and procurement execution for all externally sourced components on a new constellation-ready spacecraft bus — a product line designed to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year.

You'll be the one-stop shop for the satellite bus supply chain — demand planning and buying in a single role. This program has over a dozen externally sourced component types across ADCS sensors, propulsion, comms, power, and mechanisms, all needing to be planned, sourced, procured, tracked, and delivered for a multi-satellite vehicle build. Several items have long lead times and require immediate action. You'll own the full lifecycle: demand planning from BOMs and engineering requirements, strategic sourcing and supplier selection, contract negotiation, delivery tracking, and material readiness — making sure the program is always clear-to-build.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. 

Responsibilities: 

• Own all COTS procurement campaigns end-to-end: demand planning, industry survey, RFQ/RFP, vendor evaluation and down-selection, contract negotiation, purchase order, delivery tracking, incoming inspection coordination
• Own demand and supply planning — translate BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement actions, manage lead times, and ensure material readiness for the vehicle build schedule
• Own multiple commodity categories — COTS spacecraft components, PCBs, PCBAs, raw materials and metals, machined parts, coatings, and test house services
• Procure COTS components across all subsystems — ADCS, comms, power, propulsion, and mechanisms — several with long lead times requiring immediate action
• Drive strategic sourcing — develop and optimize the supply base, negotiate pricing and terms, and build cost reduction strategies for multi-unit buys
• Manage vendor relationships — technical exchanges, schedule updates, delivery commitments, supplier performance tracking
• Own material readiness reporting — Clear-to-Build status, shortage reports, delivery risk tracking, and procurement status dashboards for program leadership
• Respond to engineering changes — update demand forecasts and supply plans when requirements evolve, and communicate impact to vendors and program leadership
• Coordinate incoming inspection and acceptance testing with receiving engineers
• Manage purchase orders, contracts, and vendor documentation
• Ensure export control / ITAR compliance for all procured items
• Track component obsolescence risks and manage part alternates where needed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related discipline
• 5+ years of procurement or supply chain experience in aerospace or defense
• Aerospace or defense procurement experience — you've bought flight-qualified hardware components
• Demand planning experience — translating BOMs and engineering requirements into procurement timelines and material readiness plans
• Managed long-lead-time procurements (6-12+ months) and know how to drive urgency with vendors
• Experience with RFQ/RFP processes, contract negotiation, vendor evaluation, and down-selection
• ITAR/EAR compliance knowledge for component procurement
• Strong tracking and communication skills — the program depends on you knowing exactly where every PO stands
• Comfortable working with engineers to translate technical requirements into procurement specs

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Able to obtain a security clearance
• Familiar with space-grade component vendors (star tracker, IMU, reaction wheel, thruster, solar array component suppliers)
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems for demand planning and purchase order management
• Multi-unit procurement experience (buying 10x+ of everything, not just one-off flight units)
• Cost reduction and value engineering experience — should-cost analysis, BOM cost breakdowns
• Component obsolescence management and part alternate qualification
• Experience building a procurement function — you'll be the first dedicated procurement hire and will scale the team as the program grows
• Incoming inspection and acceptance test coordination experience