About the Role
We are looking for an agile, commercially sharp, and technically aligned R&D; & NPI Procurement Lead to bridge the gap between initial design concepts and mass production.
In this role, you will own the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for prototype components and early-stage R&D; requirements. Your primary mandate will be dual-focused: maximizing speed-to-market for new designs while maintaining rigorous commercial discipline, vendor scalability, and cost optimization before designs transition to volume manufacturing.
Key Responsibilities
Rapid Sourcing Execution: Own end-to-end procurement for all R&D; and prototype components, focusing relentlessly on reducing lead times and accelerating speed-to-market for creative designs.
Commercial Guardrails & Cost Visibility: Enforce strict corporate procurement policies across early-stage purchases, bringing complete cost visibility to prevent premium pricing and unoptimized commercial terms.
Vendor Consolidation & Scalability: Rationalize the R&D; supplier base by utilizing pre-approved vendors, curbing vendor proliferation,
and vetting all new suppliers for mass-production scalability from day one.
Design-Phase Cost Management: Actively intervene during early design cycles to provide detailed cost analysis, target-cost modeling, and negotiation leverage—effectively mitigating inflated tooling and mould costs.
Technical-Commercial Alignment: Partner with Component Engineering to review part standardization, evaluate component obsolescence risk, and validate alternative sourcing options before committing commercially.
Logistics & Compliance: Oversee inward and outward logistics for prototype materials, enforce Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) discipline, and integrate R&D; purchasing into central supply chain workflows.
NPI-to-Production Handover Governance: Eliminate post-development friction by delivering clean sourcing data, structured contracts, and finalized commercial terms for a seamless transition into volu