Senior Sourcing Engineer, Optics and Infrared Materials

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril Imaging builds electro-optical and infrared sensor systems that go on Anduril platforms as well as our own stand-alone products. The hardware is precision optics, cooled infrared detectors, custom electronics, and tight-tolerance electromechanical assemblies. Several products are moving from development into rate production at the same time.

ABOUT THE JOB

Senior Sourcing Engineer owns the supply chain outcomes behind those products. The team is small and growing. You will own supplier relationships end to end, from identifying a source and negotiating the agreement to standing up capacity and holding it through a ramp.

This role requires deep understanding of areas in infrared optics and the materials behind them. Germanium crystal, boules, and blanks. Chalcogenide infrared glass. Lens and window fabrication, grinding, polishing, diamond turning, and centering as well as optical coatings. Lens cell assemblies and related optical assemblies. Detector and dewar assemblies, cold filters, and cryocoolers.

This commodity carries additional exposure. Germanium pricing and availability are driven by export policy and a thin upstream supply base, and the alternative material paths carry their own critical mineral dependencies. The work includes reaching past tier one into the feedstock layer, modeling material price scenarios, and structuring forward positions and consignment arrangements that secure supply rather than just placing orders.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own suppliers end to end. Identify and select sources, run requests for quote, drive input to make-buy decisions, and serve as the commercial and technical owner of the relationship. Supplier signals currently reach Anduril through several uncoordinated paths. You will be the conduit that keeps them consistent across programs.
• Negotiate the commercial structure. Draft and negotiate pricing, capacity commitments, lead times, payment, warranty, and service terms. Build toward long-term agreements where they secure capacity. Sequence leverage deliberately so commitments buy terms rather than just parts.
• Build the cost model, then use it. Develop should-cost and clean-sheet models, run cost-breakdown analysis on quotes, and drive total cost of ownership across the lifecycle. Reconcile bill of material cost against finance so product cost reflects what the parts actually cost.
• Secure capacity ahead of ramp. Map supply network lead time and flexibility, place coverage against demand well before it is needed, and resolve capacity gaps before they become schedule problems. Suppliers in this space book out far in advance. The job is to be early.
• Engage engineering before the design locks. Give design for manufacturability feedback, influence specifications using supply intelligence on availability, lead time, and lifecycle health, so design decisions account for supply reality instead of discovering it.
• De-risk the bill of material. Complete risk assessments, qualify alternates and second sources, drive commonality and supplier rationalization, and manage obsolescence before it gates a build.
• Escalate and clear blockers. Participate in program reviews and operational escalation forums. Triage supply disruptions, resolve shortages, and drive supplier issues to conclusion, including executive escalation when it is warranted.
• Carry compliance into the sourcing decision. Work country of origin, domestic content, defense acquisition regulation, export control, and rated order requirements into supplier selection and purchase order structure. The point is to engineer compliance into the design and supply decision rather than remediate it later.
• Complete supplier qualification. Own the capability and authorization portions of supplier evaluation and coordinate with the Supplier Quality Organization.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, supply chain, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience
• 8 or more years across sourcing engineering, commodity management, supplier development, supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or cost engineering
• Experience owning supplier relationships that included both technical assessment and commercial negotiation
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and CAD model and assemblies.
• Ability to travel a 10-25% of the time for vendor on-site visits
• Eligible to access export-controlled technical data under United States export control law
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. secret clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced technical degree
• Experience in infrared or electro-optical systems, precision optics, photonics, sensors, or other high-precision hardware
• Should-cost or clean-sheet cost modeling, design-to-cost, or value engineering work
• Experience taking a product from development into rate production, particularly in high-mix low-volume environments
• Experience negotiating long-term agreements, supply agreements, or capacity commitments
• Familiarity with defense acquisition regulation flowdowns, export control, rated orders, country of origin, or domestic content requirements
• Experience in a fast-moving company where the process was still being built