Supply Chain Deputy

Supply Chain Deputy 

The Supply Chain Deputy provides strategic and operational support for all supply chain functions in a mid-sized, AS9100-certified aerospace manufacturing and R&D organization. This role is responsible for procurement, production planning, inventory control, logistics, and supplier quality, ensuring alignment with company growth objectives, customer requirements, and regulatory standards. As a key member of the leadership team, this role balances hands-on execution with strategic direction—building scalable processes, strengthening supplier partnerships, and supporting both production and new product development in a high-mix, low-volume environment. 

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  Reporting to the Supply Chain Manager, this position will be responsible for the helping with the performance of the ESAERO purchasing process and team. 

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  Designs and implement procurement strategies across all commodities to meet the needs of a growing project and manufacturing business in the aerospace and defense marketplace. 

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  Maintain key performance Indicators (KPI’s) to drive superior supplier performance with an emphasis on high quality parts and services delivered on time. 

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  Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key Suppliers in accordance with ESAero’s strategy to support project and manufacturing requirements. 

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  Extend the capabilities of the ESAERO supply base to enable effective make/buy decisions, identification of tooling choices and the use of alternative materials, evaluation of available manufacturing methods, and the selection of high-quality subcontractors. 

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  Ensure the application of the highest ethical standards in all procurement transactions. 

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  Lead major subcontracting efforts to include wire harnesses, consigned inventory, turnkey pcba’s, and composite fabrication. 

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  Develop secondary sources for any sole source components and services to support production and project team future growth. 

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  Ensure DFARS regulations, DPAS ratings and specific government and/or Customer contract requirements are followed by procurement and flowed down to all relevant sub-contractors and suppliers. 

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  Maintain and refine an “approved supplier” methodology in accordance with AS9100/ISO9001 requirements. 

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  Work with QA and Engineering to identify and approve new suppliers to meet business needs 

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  Monitor supplier performance and work with QA to refine this process and use the data to drive procurement choices, corrective actions, and supplier performance improvements. 

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  Facilitate the inclusion of approved Suppliers to the integrated product teams throughout the product development process. 

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  Help in positioning ESAERO to be able to leverage outside resources, especially in the areas of printed circuit assembly, wire harnesses and composite fabrication. 

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  Establish and maintain a supplier base to support new products from prototype to ramped production with consistently high-quality components and services. 

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  Identify and approve outside resources for key engineering services to meet overflow requirements and enable intelligent make/buy decisions. 

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  Work with finance/accounting to ensure timely collection and recording of purchasing commitments and invoices. 

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  Generates and maintains processes that enable accurate physical and NetSuite inventory 

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  Generates and maintains processes that enable our inventory systems to scale efficiently and accurately manage >$100M of inventory 

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  Works closely with finance and projects to rectify inventory errors 

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  Works with projects to ensure good inventory practices are being followed, trains these practices 

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  Supports project inventory disposition and closeout 

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  Identifies and implements opportunities to reduce non-value-added time associated with inventory management and movement 

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  Develops processes around consistent use and naming of inventory Locations and Bins 

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  Supports process development around inventory tagging/marking such as labels, barcodes, etc. that better enable high-volume production 

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  Owns inventory cycle counts and corrects root causes of inventory errors 

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  Regularly performs internal audits of inventory processes (FAR requirement) 

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  Helps projects navigate and follow FAR and DFARS-required inventory practices from procurement to consumption or disposition 

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  Works with QA and project teams to develop processes that better enable traceability of material from receipt to consumption 

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  Lead a small team to clean-up existing inventory in our facilities 

• 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain. 

• Proficiency with computerized MRP/ERP systems is required 

• Ability to identify and maintain key performance measurements for procurement. 

• Ability to help negotiate subcontract terms and conditions and pricing for materials and services 

• Responsible for maintaining positive relationships with qualified Suppliers 

• Ability to lead recurring cost estimation efforts for new product idea 

• Ability to review cost/quantity choices and make cost effective decisions 

• Knowledge of contract manufacturing practices. 

• Ability to find and establish viable relationships with offshore Suppliers 

• Ability to motivate and mentor a skilled procurement team 

• Familiarity with commercial electronics building practices and components  

• Hands-on experience with subcontracting and outsourcing printed circuit board assembly and cable/ harnesses is a must 

• Bachelor’s degree is required.  Formal purchasing certification is required.  Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) or Institute for Supplier Management (ISM) training and/or certification is desirable. 

• Understanding of inventory control methods and production control techniques 

• Prior government contracting experience is required. 

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc (ESAero) is a leader in aerospace engineering, product development, and manufacturing, dedicated to delivering high-quality, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to the industry. We specialize in cutting-edge system design, rapid product development, precision manufacturing, comprehensive testing, and technology demonstrations to support the evolving needs of the aerospace community. Committed to excellence, on-time delivery, and continuous growth, we invest in infrastructure to expand our manufacturing and aftermarket capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of engineering services. 

**This position is fully on-site at ESAero in San Luis Obispo, CA** 

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ESAero is an equal opportunity employer.  
E-Verify participation required for employment.

All ESAero positions require US citizenship or US resident status.       
Must be able to pass background check and drug test.       
Hiring Range: $141,000 - $180,000 Salary/Exempt