Sr. Manager, Purchasing & Strategic Sourcing

About Harmonic DriveHarmonic Drive LLC designs and manufactures precision motion control components — strain wave gearing, actuators, and servo systems — that power robotics, aerospace, semiconductor, and medical automation applications around the world. Our products show up in some of the most demanding, precision-critical machines built today, and our team takes that responsibility seriously.About the RoleWe’re looking for a strategic, hands-on procurement leader to own purchasing across our entire business — both the production materials that keep our manufacturing floor running and the non-production spend (facilities, equipment, professional services, and more) that has never had a dedicated procurement owner before. This is a true player-coach role: you’ll spend most of your time leading strategy, negotiations, and a small team of buyers, while staying close enough to the details to jump in on critical sourcing yourself when it matters. If you like building something — not just maintaining what’s already there — this is a rare chance to shape a function from the ground up at a company whose parts end up in aircraft, robots, and life-saving medical equipment.What You’ll DoLead sourcing strategy and supplier negotiations across both production materials and non-production categories (facilities, capital equipment, professional services, and more).Build Harmonic Drive’s first formal non-production purchasing program — vendor lists, spend visibility, and controls where none exist today.Lead, coach, and develop a team of buyers/planners, while personally leading the most complex or critical negotiations yourself.Own key supplier relationships, performance, and risk — including sourcing metals, castings, machined components, and electro-mechanical parts.Negotiate and manage supplier contracts and agreements — terms and conditions, long-term supply agreements, NDAs, and more — and make sure customer requirements flow through cleanly into our supplier agreements.Create and negotiate safety stock agreements with our customers to help protect on-time delivery.Drive supplier-side resolution of excess and obsolete inventory, partnering with Finance on reserves and write-offs.Serve as the key procurement contact for quality auditors (AS9100/ISO 9001, with working DFARS awareness) on supplier records and process compliance.Bring modern sourcing practices — spend analytics (e.g., Power BI), supplier scorecards, and AI-assisted procurement tools — into a company ready to modernize its purchasing function.Travel domestically and internationally to visit suppliers, audit performance, and negotiate in person.What You Bring10+ years of progressive purchasing/strategic sourcing experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally spanning both production and non-production procurement.5+ years leading, coaching, and developing buyers or sourcing professionals.Hands-on experience sourcing metals, castings, machined components, electro-mechanical parts, and outside processing services (e.g., heat treat, anodizing, passivation) — required.Solid working knowledge of supplier contracts — comfortable negotiating and managing routine agreements and knowing when to bring in Legal.Working knowledge of an ERP system (Dynamics 365 F&O, Dynamics AX, SAP, Oracle, or similar); Dynamics 365 F&O experience a plus.CPSM, CPIM, or CPM preferred — or willingness to obtain, with our support and sponsorship.A strategic mindset paired with a willingness to roll up your sleeves — you’ll operate at roughly an 80% strategic / 20% tactical balance.What Success Looks LikeBringing previously unmanaged non-production spend under formal purchasing control and visibility.Building real risk visibility across key suppliers — before problems hit, not after.Driving fast, effective resolution when supplier quality issues arise.Delivering measurable, credible cost savings — and being clear about what’s real savings versus cost avoidance.Getting supplier agreements properly in place and current — with customer requirements flowing through accurately.Why Harmonic DriveA rare opportunity to build a procurement function — not just inherit one.Significant room to grow — this role is built to expand in scope and seniority as you build out the function and prove out its impact.Direct visibility with senior operations leadership; this role reports to the VP of Operations.Work on components that go into precision robotics, aerospace, and medical technology.