Role: Supplier Manager - Seat Assembly

Location: IBC Knowledge Park, Bengaluru

Reporting to: Supplier Management Lead - Polymers

Team Name: Supply Chain

About the Team and the Role:

The Supply Chain team at Ather is responsible for designing and executing strategic sourcing frameworks, managing supply chain risks, and ensuring robust mitigation strategies are in place for short- and long-term plans.

This role is for a Supplier Manager - Seat Assembly who will lead the strategic sourcing, supplier development, and capacity security for Seat Assembly, ensuring that every component meets rigorous standards of cost, quality, and delivery.

Responsibilities:

- Sourcing Strategy & Execution: Design, execute, and monitor short- and long-term sourcing strategies for Seat Assembly, conducting supplier identification, selection, qualification, audits, and contracting up to process validation.

- Supplier Development & Selection: Identify current potential suppliers based on engineering drawings, technology trends, shifts, and competition risks, and actively participate in technical reviews with manufacturing engineering.

- Cost & Financial Optimization: Partner with engineering and finance to analyze should-cost reports, identify cost-reduction levers, and establish Part Cost, NRE cost, and Lead Time structures to meet program budget and timeline targets.

- Contract & SLA Management: Execute supplier contracts and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to secure firm commitments on cost, quality, and delivery while managing risks.

- Capacity Planning & Fulfillment: Align with organizational forecasts and business plans to secure production capacities across supplier lines, communicate monthly MRPs, and track sub-supplier capacities to ensure a smooth supply chain.

- Performance & Quality Governance: Plan and execute periodic audits, supplier scorecards,



and establish cadence with engineering and MQA teams to evaluate performance, drive continuous improvement, and ensure timely material disposition of non-conformance parts.

- Change & Risk Management: Manage the seamless implementation of engineering changes (ECNs), obsolete inventory management, and price revisions at the supplier end, while tracking raw material and commodity price fluctuations to assess impact on product pricing.

- Operational Alignment: Monitor timely payments to supplier partners as per agreed credit terms and ensure adherence to established procurement processes and timelines.

Experience and Qualifications:

- B.E/M.E in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

- 8–12 years of hands-on experience in strategic sourcing, supplier development, and material handling on Seat Assembly within the automotive or electric vehicle sector.

Must have Competencies:

- Supplier Development & Sourcing: Expertise in supplier development for Seat Assembly within the automotive segment, with strong knowledge of 4S strategies (Scouting, Selecting, Securing, and Supplier Relation Management).

- Manufacturing Process Expertise: In-depth technical knowledge of manufacturing processes specifically for Seat Assembly, including PU molding, seat assembly, and stitching.

- Costing & Sourcing Analytics: Mastery of supplier landscape understanding, value chain mapping, Zero-based costing, and spend analysis for commercial negotiations.

- Commercial & Contract Negotiation:



Advanced capability in managing Service Level Agreements (SLAs), contract analysis, commercial terms, and negotiations with suppliers.

Good to have Competencies:

- Quality Standards & Core Tools: Comprehensive understanding of AIAG manuals (APQP, PPAP, FMEA) and quality certifications such as IATF16949 and ISO9001.

- Product Lifecycle Integration: Hands-on experience in the Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC) and technical problem-solving.

- Market & Price Intelligence: Proficiency in tracking commodity and raw material price fluctuations and assessing their impact on landing cost structures.

- Change Management & Operations: Technical understanding of implementing engineering change management (ECM/ECNs) and obsolete inventory management at the supplier end.

Want to know more?

At Ather, we’ve built India’s first intelligent scooter, from scratch. Based on the philosophy of clean design and smart technology, we are transforming the urban commute experience. We are expanding in India, and in the coming years, we look forward to scaling up and launching more products globally.

Today, our product offerings include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, and Rizta. Beyond the product, we are also setting up an extensive charging network and re-imagining end-to-end ownership experience. To know more, check out our Careers site and our Substack.

Careers site | Substack

Be You, With Us

The Ather story doesn't write itself - our people do. We believe everyone is equal, but not the same. Diversity is our strength, and building an inclusive and equitable workplace begins with acknowledging and embracing our differences. We are an equal opportunity employer, and our team reflects a wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives - all united by a shared passion to shape the Ather journey.

📌 Supplier Manager - Rubber , Decals & Seats (Bengaluru)
🏢 the Team and the Role
📍 Bengaluru