Senior Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Specialist

About the role

The Senior Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Specialist develops and executes sourcing strategies,negotiates supplier commercial terms, and manages strategic supplier relationships supporting LightForce's additive manufacturing operations.

Working with Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Quality, and Legal, this position drives cost optimization, supplier risk mitigation, contract coordination, and capital equipment procurement. Legal retains oversight of legal provisions and contract approvals. This is a senior individual contributor role focused on strategic sourcing, supplier relationships, commercial negotiations, and supplier performance.

Transactional purchasing and routine purchase order management remain with the Purchasing team. Legal retains responsibility for contract approvals, while Quality owns formal supplier quality- system audits and technical qualification decisions

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Management

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for materials, components, equipment, and services.
• Lead supplier identification, evaluation, selection, and commercial negotiations.
• Own key supplier relationships, including executive-level engagement and business reviews.
• Develop supplier partnerships and sourcing strategies that support cost competitiveness, operational
• flexibility, and long-term growth.
• Lead RFQs, supplier evaluations, and total-cost-of-ownership analyses.

Supplier Performance and Development

• Own supplier performance management, including delivery, quality, cost, capacity, and responsiveness.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for Purchasing, engaging supplier leadership to resolve significant issues.
• Lead supplier operational assessments and onsite visits to evaluate capabilities, capacity, and business continuity.
• Drive supplier improvement plans and hold suppliers accountable for performance commitments.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier audits, corrective actions, and qualification activities.

Commercial Negotiations and Contracts

• Lead complex negotiations covering pricing, payment terms, capacity, delivery, warranties, and
• performance commitments.
• Coordinate supplier agreements, including MSAs, SOWs, and supply contracts, in collaboration with Legal.
• Manage commercial contract performance, renewals, and amendments.
• Deliver measurable cost improvements through negotiations and strategic sourcing initiatives.

Capital Equipment Sourcing

• Lead commercial sourcing and negotiations for manufacturing capital equipment and specialized
• technologies.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance to evaluate proposals and total cost of
• ownership.
• Negotiate pricing, delivery, payment milestones, installation, warranty, and service terms.
• Support Engineering through equipment delivery and acceptance.

Supply Chain Strategy and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Evaluate supplier capabilities, financial stability, capacity, and supply chain considerations.
• Develop sourcing initiatives that support manufacturing scalability, supply continuity, and operational flexibility.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality on new supplier qualification and production readiness.
• Support new product introduction, manufacturing expansion, and procurement process improvements.
• Provide sourcing recommendations, supplier performance updates, and commercial escalation support to Supply Chain leadership.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing and supplier management within a technically complex manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing strategic supplier relationships, leading complex negotiations, and
• resolving supplier performance issues.
• Experience evaluating supplier manufacturing capabilities, conducting operational assessments, and driving supplier improvements.
• Strong commercial, analytical, negotiation, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Experience with supplier qualification, sourcing strategy, and supply chain risk management.
• Ability to work independently and engage effectively with supplier executives and senior management.
• Willingness to travel to supplier locations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in medical devices, additive manufacturing, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience sourcing specialized raw materials, precision components, and capital equipment.
• Familiarity with ISO 13485, supplier qualification processes, and regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting new product introduction and manufacturing scale-up.
• CPSM, CSCP, or similar certification.

Perks

• PTO/Paid Holidays
• Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• 401k Retirement plan
• Fringe benefits
• Paid parental leave
• Workplace perks such as food/coffee

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liabilities.