Hardware Strategic Sourcing Manager, Optics
AI research and deployment company building and deploying frontier AI products, including ChatGPT, Codex, and its API platform.
Projects
About OpenAI
OpenAI’s mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. It consists of the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group, a public benefit corporation governed by the Foundation.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will own sourcing strategy and supplier partnerships for fiber and optical interconnect components. You will identify, qualify and manage suppliers, lead RFIs, RFPs and RFQs, negotiate agreements, build cost models, drive cost reduction, secure capacity, develop multi-source strategies and work with engineering, finance, legal and operations teams. You will report to the Head of Partnerships & Strategic Sourcing.
Requirements
- Ten or more years in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management or supply-chain leadership in optical communications, fiber optics, interconnects, semiconductors or hardware manufacturing
- Experience sourcing fiber-optic components and optical cable assemblies
- Familiarity with the fiber and optical interconnect supply chain
- Experience evaluating suppliers against technical requirements
- Track record leading competitive sourcing and negotiating complex agreements
- Expertise in should-cost modeling and total cost of ownership
- Experience securing supplier capacity across multi-tier global supply chains
- Technical credibility with optical, electrical and manufacturing engineers
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute sourcing strategy for fiber and optical interconnect components
- Identify, evaluate, qualify and manage suppliers
- Lead RFIs, RFPs and RFQs and recommend sourcing decisions
- Evaluate supplier capabilities with engineering teams
- Negotiate supplier agreements on pricing, capacity, quality, IP and supply commitments
- Build cost models and pricing frameworks
- Drive cost reduction through should-cost analysis, benchmarking and value engineering
- Support supplier qualification, pilot builds and ramp to volume
- Develop multi-source and supply-continuity strategies
- Secure supplier capacity ahead of demand
- Manage supplier relationships through business reviews and scorecards
- Develop repeatable processes and reporting for category strategy and supply risk
Benefits
- Equity
- Medical, dental and vision insurance with HSA employer contributions
- Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA and commuter pre-tax accounts
- 401(k) with employer match
- Paid parental leave, medical and caregiver leave
- Flexible PTO
- 13+ paid company holidays and company office closures
- Mental health and wellness support
- Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
- Annual learning and development stipend
- Daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits
- Relocation support
- Charitable donation matching and wellness stipends