About Sesame
Sesame believes in a future where computers are lifelike - with the ability to see, hear, and collaborate with us in ways that feel natural and human. With this vision, we're designing a new kind of computer, focused on making voice agents part of our daily lives. Our team brings together founders from Oculus and Ubiquity6, alongside proven leaders from Meta, Google, and Apple, with deep expertise spanning hardware and software. Join us in shaping a future where computers truly come alive.
About the Role
This role is responsible for leading the sourcing strategy and supplier management for custom silicon and ASIC programs critical to our product roadmap, as well as key off-the-shelf electrical components used across our hardware platforms. The position partners closely with engineering, operations, and program management teams to align supplier capabilities with product architecture, technical requirements, and program schedules. This individual will drive supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and long-term supply strategies to ensure secure capacity, competitive cost structures, and strong supplier performance. The role supports both new product introduction (NPI) builds and sustaining production, ensuring supply continuity, cost management, and risk mitigation across the product lifecycle.
Responsibilities:
Develop and execute sourcing strategies for custom silicon/ASIC programs and critical electrical components to support NPI builds and high-volume production.
Lead supplier identification, qualification, and selection for custom silicon (foundries, OSATs, and related partners) and key semiconductor component suppliers.
Drive commercial negotiations and contract development including pricing agreements, long-term supply agreements (LTAs), capacity reservations, and service level expectations.
Partner closely with engineering teams to align supplier capabilities with product architecture, design requirements, and technology roadmaps.
Support new product introduction (NPI) by ensuring supplier readiness, component availability, and supply risk mitigation across development builds through mass production.
Manage supplier performance and relationships, including cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness to ensure consistent supply and continuous improvement.
Lead supply risk management efforts by identifying potential supply constraints, developing mitigation strategies, and ensuring supply continuity for critical technologies.
Collaborate with operations and program management teams to align supply plans with build schedules, product ramps, and long-term demand forecasts.
Drive cost optimization initiatives through market analysis, should-cost modeling, volume negotiations, and supplier development.
Provide market intelligence and supply chain insights related to semiconductor supply trends, component availability, and supplier capabilities to inform sourcing and product decisions.
Required Qualifications:
7+ years of experience in supply chain, strategic sourcing, or commodity management within consumer electronics, hardware technology, or semiconductor industries.
Experience managing custom silicon or ASIC supply chains, including collaboration with silicon design teams and semiconductor manufacturing partners.
Strong knowledge of consumer electronics semiconductor components, such as memory, MCUs, PMICs, RF components, connectivity chipsets, and other electrical components.
Proven experience supporting new product introduction (NPI) and managing component readiness across EVT, DVT, and PVT through mass production
Experience working closely with engineering teams to align component sourcing strategies with product architecture, technical requirements, and design timelines.
Demonstrated ability to lead supplier negotiations and commercial agreements, including pricing structures, supply agreements, and capacity planning.
Experience managing supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness in high-volume hardware environments.
Strong ability to identify and mitigate supply chain risks, particularly for long-lead semiconductor components.
Experience coordinating with operations and program management teams to align component supply with product build schedules and production ramp plans.
Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence engineering, operations, and supplier stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications:
Strong understanding of the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, including wafer fabrication, assembly, packaging, and test flows.
Experience managing wafer starts, die allocation, or packaging/test capacity planning for custom silicon programs.
Familiarity with cost modeling and semiconductor pricing structures, including mask costs, wafer pricing, yield impacts, and long-term volume agreements.
Experience supporting hardware products that integrate multiple complex electrical subsystems, such as sensors, connectivity modules, and power systems,.
Experience operating in fast-paced hardware startup environments, where supply chains must support rapid design iteration, evolving product requirements, and compressed development timelines.
Sesame is committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. We welcome all qualified applicants, embracing diversity in race, gender, identity, orientation, ability, and more. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Contact careers@sesame.com for assistance.
Full-time Employee Benefits:
401 (k) max employer match: 3.5% of compensation
100% employer-paid health, vision, and dental benefits for you and your dependents
Unlimited PTO and sick time
Flexible spending account with employer matching up to $1,650/year (medical FSA)
Guardian Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Opportunity to share in the company's success with competitive stock options
Benefits do not apply to contingent/contract workers.
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