Global Supply Manager

About the role

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine, and essential goods.

Responsibilities

• Own one or more critical commodity/category portfolios (examples: avionics/electronics assemblies, motors/actuators, battery packs, composite airframe structures, or machined flight-critical components) end-to-end: sourcing strategy, supplier selection, contract terms, qualification, ramp to volume, and long-term supplier development.
• Set and deliver measurable targets within your portfolio: first-year goals for cost reduction (%), supplier on-time delivery (OTD) improvement points, quality reduction targets (PPM), qualification cycle-time, and ramp throughput milestones.
• Own missed-target escalation and recovery plans.
• Lead competitive source selection and negotiations for multi-year, multi-million-dollar supply agreements, including pricing, capacity commitments, lead-time guarantees, penalties, and IP/technical data rights where applicable.
• Manage supplier qualification and performance: drive PPAP/qualification plans, scorecards, QBRs, corrective action plans, and on-site audits to hold suppliers to AS9100/ISO9001 quality and traceability expectations when required.
• Integrate with Engineering, Supplier Industrialization, Manufacturing Operations, Materials Planning, and Program Management to translate design and production requirements into supplier deliverables, readiness gates, and acceptance criteria; be the primary commercial and operational owner during design-to-production transitions.
• Architect and execute risk mitigation strategies (dual sourcing, inventory buffers, localization, vertical integration assessments) and manage supply disruption responses, including cross-functional incident leadership and supplier recovery execution.
• Drive supplier cost-down and value-engineering initiatives with quantifiable savings and tactical roadmaps tied to production volume forecasts and BOM changes.
• Own supplier disputes, claims, and contractual compliance; negotiate settlements and corrective remedies to protect Zipline’s operational continuity.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on sourcing, commodity management, or supplier leadership experience supporting high-reliability hardware production (aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, or medtech).
• Senior candidates with deeper scale should map experience to specific commodities named above.
• Proven track record negotiating and managing multi-million-dollar supplier contracts and delivering quantifiable outcomes (e.g., % cost savings, OTD improvement, PPM reduction, ramp throughput achieved).
• Provide concrete examples in your application.
• Deep technical familiarity with at least one critical commodity area (electronics assemblies, motors/actuators, batteries, composites, precision machining) and the associated supplier ecosystem and qualification practices.
• Experience driving supplier qualification and industrialization into volume production under aggressive schedules; comfortable managing frequent engineering changes and rework cycles.
• Strong analytical skills: should-cost modeling, total-cost-of-ownership, spend segmentation, and supplier risk scoring. Able to produce supplier business cases and defend sourcing decisions to executives.
• Familiarity with supplier quality systems and regulatory/traceability requirements (AS9100/ISO9001, lot traceability, FAI) where applicable.
• Must be based in or willing to be full-time onsite at Zipline HQ in South San Francisco; travel 20–30% on supplier/site visits and occasional international trips required.
• Operates with high ownership: makes decisions with incomplete data, escalates early, and drives supplier accountability through on-site engagement and contractual levers.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or Business.
• Prior experience supporting flight-critical systems or battery supply chains at scale.
• History of executing localization or vertical integration programs and managing complex global supplier portfolios.

Skills

• Hands-on sourcing, commodity management, or supplier leadership experience supporting high-reliability hardware production (aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, or medtech).
• Track record negotiating and managing multi-million-dollar supplier contracts and delivering quantifiable outcomes.
• Technical familiarity with at least one critical commodity area (electronics assemblies, motors/actuators, batteries, composites, precision machining).
• Experience driving supplier qualification and industrialization into volume production under aggressive schedules.
• Strong analytical skills: should-cost modeling, total-cost-of-ownership, spend segmentation, and supplier risk scoring.
• Familiarity with supplier quality systems and regulatory/traceability requirements (AS9100/ISO9001, lot traceability, FAI).
• Ability to make decisions with incomplete data, escalate early, and drive supplier accountability through on-site engagement and contractual levers.

Benefits

• Equal opportunity employer.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Flexible work arrangements.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Work-life balance.

Pay

Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Schedule

In-person role based at Zipline HQ in South San Francisco with regular on-site supplier engagements and 20–30% travel to supplier sites across North America, Asia, and Europe.