Job Description
Job Summary
The Strategic Sourcing Manager for Materials is responsible for securing a reliable, cost-competitive, and sustainable supply of critical materials. This role combines market intelligence, supplier relationship management, and cross-functional collaboration to support battery technology roadmaps and production scaling. The manager will develop and execute sourcing strategies, negotiate long-term supply agreements, qualify new suppliers, and drive cost and risk management initiatives. By monitoring global markets, tariffs, and regulations, they ensure supply chain resilience and alignment with sustainability goals. Ultimately, this position acts as the bridge between suppliers, R&D, and manufacturing, ensuring that key materials are available at the right cost, quality, and scale to meet the company’s growth objectives. This role may have additional scope of managing certain key strategic Capital Equipment suppliers in the wider Asia region.
Responsibilities
- Manage material commodity relationships and support design reviews, weekly demand, supply, capacity management at supplier partners.
- Work with Process Engineering, R&D, and Manufacturing teams to ensure supply assurance and all needed materials are ordered, inventoried, and managed to support required builds.
- Develop and execute global sourcing strategies for materials and optimize business processes for respective commodities.
- Negotiate and execute Master Supply Agreement terms and conditions as well as development contracts for tooling, prototype, pre-series and production materials.
- Perform Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) and negotiate long-term supply agreements (LTA), where applicable.
- Drive cost reduction initiatives through value engineering, alternative sourcing, and supply chain optimization.
- Provide analysis of existing requirements and pricing to ensure the most cost-effective options as utilized while maintaining quality and craftsmanship.
- Build and manage supplier relationships across the material supply chain ranging from raw materials to finished components.
- Hands on focus with requirement to self-drive resolution to identified deliverables, clear communication with peers and senior leadership.
- Develop strong stakeholder support and cooperation across all locations and functions.
- Provide comprehensive benchmarking of all competitive components and materials technology.
- Establish measurement tools/metrics to monitor and report to senior leadership the progress of team deliverables.
- Develop and implement cost analysis and cost benchmarking tools for responsible materials.
- Provide analysis of existing requirements and pricing to ensure the most cost-effective options as utilized while maintaining quality and craftsmanship.
- Perform make vs. buy analyses in support of processes for manufacturing of components and systems.
- Identify and negotiate commercial cost reduction opportunities.
- Monitor global market trends, tariffs, and regulatory impacts affecting critical minerals and electrode materials.
- Partner with R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing teams to qualify new suppliers and materials.
- Lead supplier performance management, including quality, cost, delivery, and sustainability (ESG / CO₂ footprint) metrics.
- Drive cost reduction initiatives through value engineering, alternative sourcing, and supply chain optimization.
- Develop strategies for supply diversification and resilience, reducing reliance on single sources or regions.
- Collaborate with finance and operations to forecast demand and align sourcing with production ramp-up plans.
- Represent the company in strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and investment discussions with upstream suppliers.
Requirements:
Experience in the Consumer Electronics or Automotive industry is required, with direct Battery Materials Purchasing experience preferred.
A background in Battery / Engineering / Finance is required, and customer / supplier-facing experience is preferred.
A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Supply Chain Management is preferred. MBA is considered an advantage.
A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience is required, with 5 or more years preferred.
Proficiency in English is required, while Mandarin and Korean are considered an added advantage.
The role is based in Penang, Malaysia, with up to 25% travel required.
Enovix is an equal opportunity employer