Global Supply Chain Manager, Mechanical

** Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) to meet customer and regulatory requirements** Who We Are We are pioneering modular motion technologies to power the next generation of innovation for Industrial, Aerospace and Defense. If you're excited about disrupting legacy industries, and passionate about building the financial infrastructure behind cutting-edge hardware, let's chat! We are at the forefront of innovation, crafting exclusive motion control components that propel the industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors into the future. A couple other things: We offer a lot of autonomy We like to run lean for impact We have great benefits We are well funded, and already generating revenue We're currently in Torrance, CA, but will be moving into a new facility in Hawthorne, CA in the summer! About the role: The Category Manager, Mechanical Equipment owns the mechanical supply base behind Salient Motion's actuator product lines. This role is responsible for sourcing precision mechanical components, including gears, housings, bearings, shafts, and related machined/formed parts, as well as the raw materials (aluminum, titanium, steel, specialty alloys) that feed both the supplier base and Salient Motion's internal machine shop. This is the strategic owner of supplier relationships that directly determine whether Salient Motion's actuators ship on time, at the right cost and within spec, and requires U.S. Person status due to the export-controlled nature of the components and programs involved. What you'll do: Own commodity strategy and supplier selection for precision mechanical components: gears, housings, bearings, shafts, and related machined/formed parts. Lead sourcing for new programs from RFQ through award, negotiating cost, lead time, and capacity commitments. Own procurement for New Product Introduction (NPI): lead early supplier involvement, drive right-first-time supplier selection, and manage components through initial production before handover to operational buyers. Qualify and develop precision machining, forging, and casting suppliers; lead supplier audits and capability assessments. Partner with design and manufacturing engineering on material selection to balance cost, performance, and manufacturability. Develop should-cost and price targets for mechanical commodities and own NPI cost-out commitments, using teardown and cost-modeling to drive supplier negotiations. Manage supplier corrective action for dimensional, material, or process quality escapes. Negotiate long-term agreements and POs with key machine shops, component providers, and distributors. Ensure supplier compliance with AS9100, ITAR/EAR, and material traceability/certification requirements (special process approvals). Support make/buy decisions and capacity planning in coordination with Salient Motion's internal CNC machine shop. What you need: 5+ or more years of…