Head of Sensors & Radar Strategic Supply Chain

ABOUT THE JOB

The Head of Optical & Radar Strategic Supply Chain is a Director leadership role responsible for architecting and executing the sourcing strategy across all optical & radar commodities. This includes EO/IR sensor systems, focal plane arrays (FPAs/detectors), precision optics and diamond-turned lenses, optical coatings, LiDAR, laser designators/transceivers, RF/microwave assemblies, Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules, AESA radar subsystems, MMICs (GaN/GaAs), specialized radomes, and battery packs.

This role is critical to securing the advanced technologies and components that power our mission-critical hardware. you will navigate complex geopolitical landscapes, tightly regulated defense supply channels, and constrained global commodity markets. You will lead a high-performing team to build a resilient, scalable, and high-velocity supply chain capable of moving rapidly from New Product Introduction (NPI) to high-volume production. Partnering closely with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Executive Leadership, you will secure supply continuity against global market volatility, drive cost and technology roadmaps, and negotiate key commercial partnerships with global component manufacturers, distributors, and contract manufacturers.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Enterprise Supply Chain Vision & Strategy: Define and execute multi-year global sourcing strategies across complex sensor domains, including Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA), millimeter-wave radar, SWIR/MWIR/LWIR cooled and uncooled optical engines, precision optomechanics, and beam-steering systems.
• Team Leadership & Scale: Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of commodity managers, strategic sourcing leads, and technical sourcing engineers across multiple global sites.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Drive deep sub-tier visibility beyond Tier 1. Manage investments in supplier-owned tooling, cleanroom allocations, precision optical fabrication machinery (MRF, diamond turning), and specialized RF/optical test fixtures (anechoic chambers, collimators, interferometers).
• Cross-Functional Engineering Alignment: Partner directly with Optical Engineers, RF/Antenna Designers, and Sensor Architecture teams during early-stage R&D/NPI to qualify state-of-the-art detector technology, influence "Design for Manufacturing & Test" (DFM/DFT), and establish yield-improvement roadmaps.
• Commercial & Strategic Negotiations: Lead high-stakes negotiations for master service agreements (MSAs), development agreements, long-term supply agreements (LTSAs), and complex statement of works (SOWs)—optimizing pricing structures, IP protection, warranty, payment terms, and lead-time commitments.
• Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify single-source dependencies, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and capacity constraints. Drive proactive risk mitigation plans, dual-sourcing strategies, and strategic buffer inventory models.
• Cost Architecture & TCO Modeling: Champion robust "should-cost" modeling, teardown analyses, and TCO evaluations to optimize value from concept through end-of-life.
• Executive Communication: Conduct regular operational and strategic reviews with C-suite and executive leadership, serving as the primary executive escalation point for all critical supply chain matters.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in optical & radar strategic sourcing, global commodity management, or supply chain leadership within complex hardware manufacturing environments.
• 5+ years of proven experience building, managing, and scaling high-performing procurement or supply chain teams.
• Demonstrated expertise negotiating enterprise-level agreements and managing electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) architectures, radar/RF sub-tier manufacturing (T/R modules, phased arrays), or precision optics fabrication.
• Proven track record of managing supplier lifecycles and negotiating complex multi-million-dollar commercial agreements.
• Deep understanding of New Product Introduction (NPI) workflows and scaling from prototype to high-rate production.
• Ability to travel up to 25%-50% domestically and internationally as needed.
• Ability to relocate, if not already local to be onsite in Costa Mesa.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, optical engineering, or physics
• Previous experience in defense, aerospace, automotive, high tech, or related industry
• Well-versed in TCO and should costing analysis to ensure data-driven analytics tied to component and supplier selection, in a product-based ecosystem
• Strategic thinker, experienced putting together commodities strategy/roadmap with key engineering stakeholders
• Proven leadership in driving and influencing other teams to a common goal. You know how to effectively communicate and collaborate cross functionally and with all levels within an organization
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security clearance