Supply Chain & Procurement Manager
Job Description Job Description The Role We are hiring a Supply Chain & Procurement Manager to own purchasing, materials planning, inbound logistics, and supplier execution — from demand signal through production availability. You will personally drive supplier follow-up, purchase order execution, shortage resolution, inventory planning, and import logistics. You are not managing a team of buyers — you are the buyer, planner, and logistics coordinator, with direct authority over vendor relationships, PO commitments, and inventory targets. This role has high visibility and direct impact on customer delivery, production throughput, and working capital. You will work closely with production, engineering, quality, and leadership on a daily basis. This is an on-site salary position. Communication with overseas suppliers will require working for 1-2 hours in the evenings, which can be done from home. What You Will Own · Demand Planning & Materials Requirements — Build and maintain rolling demand forecasts by SKU/product family. Translate sales forecasts, open customer orders, and production schedules into materials requirements and replenishment plans. Manage reorder points, safety stock targets, and MOQ constraints across 700 active SKUs. · Supplier Management & Sourcing — Own all vendor relationships, primarily with manufacturers in China. This requires communication at night-time which can be from home. Negotiate pricing, lead times, MOQs, and quality terms. Drive supplier on-time delivery performance. Qualify new suppliers and maintain backup sources for critical components. Manage supplier communication across time zones, including early morning or evening calls as needed. · Purchase Order Execution — Issue and track all purchase orders in our ERP system Acumatica. Manage order confirmations, proactively expedite at-risk shipments, and resolve discrepancies on quantity, pricing, and delivery dates. Maintain clean PO data in ERP at all times. · International Logistics & Trade Compliance — Coordinate with forwarders and brokers. Manage customs clearance, HTS classification, duty payments, and trade compliance documentation. Oversee bonded inventory moves, Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB) programs, and duty drawback filings. Track tariff exposure including IEEPA and Section 301 duties. · Inventory Management & ERP Data Integrity — Maintain accurate inventory levels in Acumatica across multiple warehouse locations. Monitor days of supply, excess and obsolete exposure, and slow-moving inventory. Run cycle counts and reconcile physical vs. system discrepancies. Ensure ERP is the single source of truth for all inventory and procurement data. · Production Coordination — Partner with the production team on material availability, kit readiness, shortage resolution, and schedule alignment. Ensure materials are staged and available before production commitments. · Supplier Quality Interface — Work with quality on incoming inspection results, supplier corrective actions (SCAR), and material disposition through MRB/DMR processes. Hold suppliers accountable to quality commitments. · Cost Management — Track landed costs by SKU. Identify cost reduction opportunities through supplier negotiation, freight optimization, order consolidation, and alternative sourcing. Support make-vs-buy analysis. How Success Is Measured · Material availability for production and customer orders · ERP data accuracy: lead times, vendor assignments, open PO status, costs · Reduction in stockouts and shortages · Supplier on-time delivery and order confirmation reliability · Landed cost visibility and cost reduction progress In the First 90 Days, You Will · Learn our product families, key suppliers, demand patterns, and current pain points · Build a reliable view of open POs, inbound shipments, shortages, and inventory risk · Clean up critical ERP planning inputs: lead times, MOQs, vendor assignments, and reorder points · Establish a weekly planning cadence between sales, production, and purchasing · Identify the highest-risk supply constraints and implement mitigation plans · Take full ownership of supplier follow-up and PO execution Required Qualifications · 3-5 years of hands-on experience in supply chain, procurement, or materials management in a manufacturing environment — optics, electro-mechanical assemblies, precision components, or electronics strongly preferred. · Direct experience managing Chinese suppliers, including direct communication across time zones, negotiation in Chinese manufacturing context, and practical understanding of production lead times, tooling, and quality practices at Chinese factories. · Ownership-level fluency of purchasing, inventory, and order management in an ERP system. You should be comfortable living in ERP and spreadsheets daily — not delegating data entry. · Working knowledge of international logistics and customs, including import documentation, HTS classification, duty calculation, freight coordination, and customs broker management. · Strong analytical and forecasting skills — comfortable working with demand data, lead time variability, safety stock models, and inventory analysis. · Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, industrial engineering, business, or a related field. Equivalent experience will be considered. Preferred Qualifications · Mandarin Chinese language ability (speaking and reading) — this significantly improves supplier communication effectiveness and is strongly preferred. · Supply chain certification — APICS CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD. We use these frameworks operationally, not decoratively. · Experience with Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ), bonded warehousing, Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB), or duty drawback programs. · Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) or demonstrated experience applying Lean/Six Sigma to supply chain processes. · Familiarity with ISO 9001 quality management systems and working within a QMS-controlled procurement environment. · Experience with EAR/ITAR export controls or trade compliance in a manufacturing context. · Background in optical components, imaging systems, or precision mechanical parts sourcing. · Acumatica ERP experience. The Ideal Candidate · Operates with urgency and strong personal ownership — does not wait to be told · Follows up relentlessly with suppliers and freight partners until commitments are locked · Is comfortable working deep in ERP data and spreadsheets every day · Catches inventory and data problems before they become production shortages · Communicates clearly and directly with production, engineering, quality, and leadership · Makes practical tradeoffs between service level, inventory investment, and cash · Thrives in a small-company environment where ownership means doing the work, not directing it What We Offer · A high-impact role at a growing optics company where supply chain is a strategic function · Direct collaboration with engineering, production, and company leadership · Full ownership and authority over the procurement and materials planning function · Exposure to a technically demanding product set at the intersection of optics, imaging, and precision mechanics · San Diego location in the Kearny Mesa industrial corridor Company Description Commonlands is at the forefront of the camera hardware and lens/optics industry. We are the first highly automated lens manufacturer outside of Asia. Our products are the eyes that enable the world of artificial intelligence. We have hundreds of customers in robotics, surveillance, smart retail, defense, and factory automation. Company Description Commonlands is at the forefront of the camera hardware and lens/optics industry. We are the first highly automated lens manufacturer outside of Asia. Our products are the eyes that enable the world of artificial intelligence. We have hundreds of customers in robotics, surveillance, smart retail, defense, and factory automation.
