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Austin, Texas, United States
Onsite
Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.
Base is looking for a Global Supply Manager to build and own our raw and bulk materials category from the ground up. You’ll start with adhesives, thermal interface materials (TIM), potting compounds, chemicals, and paint across our Base Core BOM, and expand into the raw materials that will underpin Base’s broader battery and structural materials strategy: lithium, carbon/graphite, anode and cathode materials, electrical steel, aluminum, cold-rolled steel, and copper.
This is a build-from-scratch mandate, not a handoff. You’ll define how Base sources and manages raw materials before we’re locked into supplier relationships reactively, working closely with Base’s Metals and Cells category leads as raw materials strategy intersects both, and partnering with Manufacturing Engineering as Base’s sourcing needs evolve.
Own commercial sourcing for adhesives, TIM, potting compounds, chemicals, and paint across the Base Core BOM, from supplier selection through piece-price negotiation and production support.
Build Base’s sourcing strategy for upstream battery raw materials, including lithium, carbon/graphite, anode, and cathode materials, to support Base’s battery supply chain as it scales.
Build Base’s sourcing strategy for electrical steel and other foundational structural materials, including aluminum, cold-rolled steel, and copper.
Track commodity market dynamics, including pricing, supply risk, and geographic concentration, for each raw material category to inform make-vs-buy and hedging decisions.
Partner with Base’s Metals and Cells category owners and Manufacturing Engineering to align raw materials strategy across the broader supply chain.
Direct experience owning a raw or bulk materials category at an OEM or industrial manufacturer (lithium, graphite, steel, aluminum, or a comparable commodity), including supplier negotiation and market strategy.
Comfort building a sourcing strategy and supplier base from scratch, with no existing playbook or incumbent relationships to inherit.
Fluency in commodity market dynamics, including pricing mechanisms, hedging, and geographic supply concentration, and how they translate into commercial strategy.
Strong organizational skills to align raw materials strategy with adjacent categories and sourcing roadmaps that are still taking shape.
Base’s supply chain team owns every material and component that goes into building and deploying a home battery system at scale. As Base’s raw materials needs scale with it, the company needs expertise it doesn’t have today.
Right now, raw materials like TIM, potting, and chemicals are managed as a side note within other categories, and lithium, graphite, steel, and aluminum sourcing strategy doesn’t exist yet.
This role gets to build that function from the ground up, at a moment when Base’s raw materials needs are scaling quickly, so the sourcing strategy this person builds will directly shape how Base secures and manages those materials going forward.
Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.
First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.
Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.
Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.
Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.
Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.
Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in-person. It’s not a 9-to-5. We are all-in.
Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.
