Commodity Manager - Liquid Nitrogen Cooling System

In the first 3 months you'll

• Learn VEIR’s LIN cooling system architecture, current supplier base, and known lead time/capacity constraints.
• Build relationships with key cooling system suppliers, including pump, skid, and vessel fabricators.
• Support ongoing supplier development activities aimed at reducing long lead times on critical components, working toward 4–5 commercially viable candidates per critical component.
• Partner with Engineering to support internal RFI development and preliminary RFQs against early (Ph2/Ph3) BOM, drawing, and specification releases.
• Partner with Procurement on AVL status and onboarding documentation for cooling system suppliers.
• Join Engineering and Quality on at least one supplier site visit or technical/quality capability audit to build first-hand supplier knowledge.

In the first 6 months you'll

• Own the sourcing strategy and supplier base for the LIN Cooling System commodity, including pumps, skids, vessels, and related cryogenic components.
• Own development of detailed production RFQs following design release, incorporating manufacturing requirements, critical-to-quality (CTQ) specs, and PPAP/qualification requirements, in partnership with Engineering.
• Support Engineering during sample builds and DFM iteration with candidate suppliers, ensuring feedback closes into the design ahead of design lock.
• Partner with Quality to support supplier PPAP submissions (Part Submission Warrant, dimensional reports, process capability, material certifications) as part of production qualification.
• Support process validation / run-at-rate studies to confirm supplier capacity and process capability against forecast.
• Drive multi-sourcing strategy and supplier capacity development to reduce long lead times on critical components, and support second-source qualification for the highest-risk items.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify fabricators or contract manufacturers to support cooling system components as VEIR scales.
• Lead negotiation of supplier agreements, pricing structures, and commercial terms in partnership with Procurement and Finance.
• Build supplier scorecards and support periodic business reviews as suppliers move into ramp.
• Partner with Logistics on packaging and shipping plans, including any special handling requirements for cooling system components.
• Build a multi-year sourcing roadmap for the LIN Cooling System commodity in support of VEIR’s scale-up plans.

To be successful in this role

You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in supply chain, commodity management, or strategic sourcing, ideally within a technical or cryogenics-adjacent environment.
• A technical engineering background; experience in cryogenics preferred.
• Experience setting up or managing fabricators or contract manufacturers preferred.
• Experience developing RFIs and RFQs in partnership with engineering teams, from prototype-level through production-intent sourcing.
• Familiarity with NPI stage-gate processes and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) is strongly preferred.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements and multi-sourcing strategies, particularly for long-lead-time components.
• Comfort conducting supplier site audits and working closely with Quality and Engineering to assess manufacturing capability.
• Experience in a hardware, hard tech, or manufacturing environment; startup or scale-up experience is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field preferred.
• Willingness to travel for supplier visits, audits, and qualification activities.

You Are

• Comfortable owning a technically complex commodity with long lead times and limited supplier options.
• A relationship builder who earns supplier trust while holding a firm line on cost, quality, and delivery.
• Structured and proactive — you build sourcing roadmaps rather than reacting to the next fire.
• A strong cross-functional collaborator across Product, Commercial, Engineering, and Finance.