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The Strategic Sourcing Manager, New Product Introduction (NPI), is responsible for leading sourcing and supplier engagement activities throughout the product development lifecycle. This role partners closely with Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to develop sourcing strategies, identify and qualify suppliers, manage supplier risk, and ensure successful product launches that meet cost, quality, schedule, and performance objectives.

The individual will drive supplier selection, commercial negotiations, should-cost analysis, design-for-supply-chain initiatives, and supplier readiness activities to support new product commercialization and long-term business growth.

Key Responsibilities

New Product Introduction (NPI) Leadership

• Lead sourcing activities from concept through product launch and production ramp.
• Participate in product development teams to ensure supply chain requirements are incorporated early in the design process.
• Develop sourcing strategies aligned with NPI timelines, product roadmaps, and business objectives.
• Drive supplier involvement in Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Cost (DFC), and Design for Supply Chain initiatives.
• Ensure supplier readiness and capacity to support product launch requirements.

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Selection

• Identify, assess, and select suppliers for new products, technologies, and components.
• Conduct RFQs, RFPs, supplier evaluations, and sourcing events.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, tooling, volume commitments, lead times, quality requirements, and contractual terms.
• Develop sourcing recommendations based on total cost of ownership, technical capability, quality performance, scalability, and risk.
• Establish dual-source and risk mitigation strategies where appropriate.

Cost Management

• Support product cost targets and profitability objectives.
• Perform cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and benchmarking activities.
• Collaborate with Engineering and suppliers to identify value engineering and cost reduction opportunities.
• Track and report NPI sourcing savings and cost avoidance initiatives.
• Manage tooling investments and capital requirements associated with new products.

Supplier Development & Qualification

• Partner with Supplier Quality and Engineering teams to qualify new suppliers and components.
• Lead supplier capability assessments, audits, and production readiness reviews.
• Monitor supplier APQP, PPAP, qualification, and validation activities.
• Ensure suppliers meet quality, delivery, compliance, and performance requirements.
• Support supplier corrective action and continuous improvement initiatives.

Project & Program Management

• Manage sourcing deliverables within product development stage-gate processes.
• Maintain project timelines, risk registers, sourcing milestones, and action plans.
• Drive cross-functional alignment on sourcing decisions and supplier strategies.
• Escalate supply, quality, capacity, or schedule risks that may impact product launch timelines.
• Support launch readiness reviews and production ramp activities.

Supply Chain Risk Management

• Assess potential supply chain risks related to supplier capacity, geographic exposure, sole-source dependencies, and material availability.
• Develop contingency plans for critical components and suppliers.
• Monitor market conditions affecting commodities, lead times, and supplier performance.
• Support business continuity and supply resiliency planning.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Build strategic relationships with key suppliers and technology partners.
• Facilitate supplier business reviews and executive-level engagements.
• Leverage supplier innovation to improve product performance, cost, and manufacturability.
• Promote collaboration between suppliers and internal engineering teams.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or equivalent experience in lieu of degree.

Experience

• 3-5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, or supplier management.
• Minimum 1 year supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), new product development, or product commercialization programs.
• Experience leading supplier selection and commercial negotiations.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and product development environments.
• Experience in electronics, industrial equipment, automotive, aerospace, or technology industries preferred.

Technical Skills

• Strategic sourcing and category management.
• Supplier qualification and development.
• Cost analysis and should-cost modeling.
• Contract negotiation and supplier agreements.
• APQP, PPAP, and supplier quality methodologies.
• Project management and cross-functional leadership.
• ERP and procurement systems experience (SAP, Oracle, JDE, etc.).
• Advanced Excel, analytics, and data-driven decision making.

Competencies

• Strong business and commercial acumen.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Strategic thinking and risk assessment capabilities.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Effective communication and executive presentation abilities.
• Results-oriented with a focus on execution and accountability.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, dynamic development environments.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A highly collaborative sourcing professional with a strong technical aptitude who can effectively partner with Engineering and Operations teams to bring new products to market. This individual combines procurement expertise with project management discipline and supplier development experience to ensure successful, cost-effective, and scalable product launches.