Staff Global Supply Manager, Exterior Lighting

The Role

We are seeking a Staff Global Supply Manager to lead the commercial strategy and supplier execution for exterior lighting systems. This is a high-visibility individual contributor role with broad ownership across sourcing, negotiation, supplier management, product development, launch, and ongoing cost performance. The successful candidate will bring significant automotive lighting purchasing experience, operate with a high degree of autonomy, and work as an embedded commercial partner to a fast-moving engineering team. A technical background in lighting systems, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, optics, or manufacturing is highly desirable.

You Will

• Own the global sourcing and commercial strategy for exterior lighting components and systems, including headlamps, rear combination lamps, center high-mounted stop lamps, auxiliary lamps, and related electronics, modules, tooling, and engineering services.
• Act as the lead commercial interface between suppliers and cross-functional partners in Engineering, Supplier Quality, Finance, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Program Management.
• Embed with the engineering team to influence supplier selection, design-to-cost decisions, technical trade-offs, sourcing timing, and program execution from concept through launch and series production.
• Develop sourcing strategies, lead RFQ activities, analyze complex supplier quotations, build fact-based cost models, and present clear sourcing and negotiation recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering piece price, tooling, engineering and development costs, capital investment, intellectual property, warranty, capacity, productivity, and contractual terms.
• Apply lighting-specific market knowledge and should-cost analysis to identify cost drivers and challenge supplier assumptions related to optics, electronics, LEDs, PCBs, thermal management, housings, lenses, coatings, assembly, testing, and tooling.
• Identify, evaluate, and develop a competitive global supply base capable of meeting demanding requirements for technology, quality, cost, capacity, timing, and launch readiness.
• Own supplier relationships and commercial performance, including executive engagement, escalation management, recovery plans, claims resolution, engineering changes, and continuous cost improvement.
• Drive prototype and production part availability, tooling readiness, capacity confirmation, and commercial closure in support of development builds and production launch milestones.
• Anticipate commercial and supply risks, develop mitigation plans, and independently resolve ambiguous or time-critical issues while maintaining alignment with internal stakeholders.
• Create concise, decision-oriented updates for leadership and represent Supply Chain in high-visibility program, technical, and business reviews.
• Travel approximately 15-25% to support supplier assessments, negotiations, program reviews, and launch activities.

You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field. A technical degree or equivalent technical experience is strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in automotive purchasing, supply chain, commercial management, or a closely related field, with significant direct responsibility for buying automotive exterior lighting components or systems.
• Demonstrated success leading complex RFQs, supplier selections, negotiations, contracts, and commercial decisions for automotive lighting programs.
• Strong understanding of the automotive lighting supplier landscape, cost structure, development process, tooling, validation, industrialization, and launch requirements.
• Working knowledge of relevant lighting technologies and manufacturing processes, such as LED systems, electronics and controls, optical systems, injection molding, metallization, coating, lens and housing tooling, thermal management, assembly, and end-of-line testing.
• Ability to understand technical drawings, specifications, change content, test requirements, and engineering trade-offs, and translate them into commercial implications and executable supplier actions.
• Advanced analytical capability, including quotation analysis, should-cost modeling, total-cost evaluation, scenario analysis, and executive-level recommendation development.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, prioritize across competing demands, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and drive closure in a dynamic environment.
• Exceptional negotiation, influence, communication, and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to engage suppliers, technical teams, and senior leaders.
• Automotive product launch experience and a record of resolving supplier, timing, capacity, quality, or commercial issues without losing program momentum.
• Proficiency with Excel and PowerPoint; experience with ERP and sourcing systems such as SAP or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree or professional experience in electrical, mechanical, optical, manufacturing, or automotive engineering.
• Experience with advanced lighting technologies, integrated electronics, software-enabled lighting features, or lighting control modules.
• Experience sourcing globally and managing suppliers across multiple regions and cultures.
• Experience in a high-growth, start-up, EV, or similarly fast-paced product-development environment.