NPI Prototype Procurement Manager

This is a fully remote job.

About the role

The organization operates within the hardware and industrial product development sector, focusing on new product introduction. It addresses the challenge of managing fast-turn prototype sourcing while ensuring that decisions made during early development do not compromise production quality, cost, or supplier suitability. The organization aims to close the gap between prototype sourcing and production readiness by improving cost visibility and supplier qualification during the early stages of product development.

The NPI Prototype Procurement Manager role is responsible for overseeing fast-turn prototype sourcing to support new product development. This position ensures that parts sourced quickly for prototypes are evaluated for their suitability in production, preventing costly defaults. The role acts as a critical link between engineering, prototype contract manufacturers, and production sourcing teams, enabling timely, cost-effective transitions from prototype to production parts.

Responsibilities

• Manage rapid RFQs and place orders for strategic, long-lead, or production-bound parts during prototype builds.
• Collaborate with engineering through design reviews and build planning to understand design changes and stabilization.
• Maintain supplier relationships with quick-turn prototype shops separate from production suppliers.
• Track prototype CM-sourced parts, including supplier, cost, and readiness for production transition.
• Identify parts needing transition to qualified production suppliers early to avoid costly changes.
• Provide clear handoff documentation and context to the production sourcing team.
• Oversee should-cost tracking on new parts as designs stabilize, flagging cost overruns promptly.
• Assess prototype CM markups to determine cost-effectiveness and identify opportunities for direct sourcing.
• Collaborate with production sourcing, materials teams, and engineering to coordinate handoffs, build timing, and design-for-sourcing.

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years of procurement or sourcing experience supporting new product development in hardware or industrial sectors.
• Experience with fast-turn sourcing environments such as rapid prototyping shops, quick-turn machining, or low-volume electronics.
• Ability to work alongside contract manufacturers'' sourcing teams without direct factory floor ownership.
• Skilled in evaluating prototype-sourced parts and suppliers for production suitability.
• Capable of operating independently and establishing processes in early-stage environments.