Inventory-Purchasing Specialist

LeoLabs is the world’s leading commercial provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) mapping and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) services. LeoLabs was founded in 2016 as a venture-funded spinout of Silicon Valley research pioneer, SRI International, by scientists and space industry veterans committed to securing Low Earth Orbit (LEO). LeoLabs is built on 30+ years of R&D in radar systems and satellite tracking algorithms. The team is rapidly expanding its global radar network and data services platform to help satellite operators deploy their services safely and to empower governmental space agencies with detailed visibility into the LEO ecosystem. As commercial space ventures and newly-formed space agencies from every corner of the globe compete for their place in the second space race, LeoLabs is here to address a new generation of risks and opportunities to preserve LEO for future generations.

LeoLabs is hiring an Inventory-Purchasing Specialist as part of our Radar team. In this role you will be responsible for overseeing all activities related to receiving, storing, monitoring & tracking the movement of LeoLabs electronics, inventory, equipment, & supplies. In support of the Radar Manufacturing and Purchasing teams, your contribution will directly help professionalize our radar manufacturing. You will maintain accurate reporting on inbound and outbound shipments, regularly maintain and organize inventory areas, lead cycle counts and reconciliation, kit light-manufacturing components for assembly, package and palletize outgoing materials, and provide support to our Logistics team. As part of your materials management, you will be expected to deliver components and pick up materials from contract manufacturers in the Bay Area, periodically. Additionally, you will assist with procurement, vendor management, sourcing, and inventory management for our radar systems deployment. You will issue and manage purchase orders for approved requisitions and contracts while updating team members consistently on status changes. Quotes from vendors need to be assessed for pricing, availability, and delivery schedule for compatibility with our needs. This role requires a keen attention to detail, ability to work independently, and a desire to design and implement new processes. A high proficiency with computer skills is mandatory to be successful in this role. Your role is an integral component of growing LeoLabs’ production capacity - as the ideal candidate will take ownership of end-to-end delivery on all aspects of our inventory supply chain.

Career growth opportunities include taking ownership of the evolving purchasing process, managing/onboarding new vendors, learning how the business works from an Accounting and Finance perspective and gaining exposure to teams that have a direct impact on radar deployments. Experience with NetSuite or an equivalent ERP system is a requirement as you will keep inventory levels accurate and investigate discrepancies regularly. The ideal candidate will have experience working in a fast-paced environment and be comfortable with competing priorities. Soft skills include effective communication with vendors and colleagues, adaptability to constant change, and good time management. Ideally, the candidate has a background in inventory management, purchasing, and order processing. Electronics or space industry knowledge is also ideal, but not required.

The Radar team is a dedicated and supportive group who are passionate about their work, and enthusiastically take on complex challenges. At LeoLabs, you will be part of the team that is building the navigation infrastructure for space. You will be responsible for meeting and accelerating time sensitive deployment schedules - working closely with the production, finance, operations, and engineering departments. You will join the Radar Group and report to the Purchasing Manager. This is a full time in-person position at our Headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Operations, or similar

• Proficiency with Excel

• Knowledge of NetSuite (or another ERP program)

• Minimum of 3 years in a supply chain role – preferably inventory management or purchasing

• Experience working with electronics Bill of Materials and engineering drawing packages

• Detail oriented and efficient with managing multiple projects

• Comfortable with ambiguity and ability to manage competing priorities

• Excellent organizational and time management skills

• Great written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to maintain a clean and safe workspace

• Desire to learn about components that make up our radar systems

• Ability to lift 60+ lbs

 

• Knowledge of commercial or industrial electronics

• Experience using Arena (or other PLM software)

• Experience working in a small team (startup environment)

• Experience with mechanical assembly or using hand tools

 

• Complete our onboarding program designed to get you up to speed on our business, vision and team

• Gain an understanding about how your role fits into LeoLabs broader organization

• Begin to receive and process inbound shipments

 

• Manage all inventory transactions within the system

• Streamline the product flow process – tracking and receiving inbound shipments, maintaining inventory levels in stock rooms, and ensuring accurate counts

• Issue RFQs, place purchase orders and be actively communicating with our vendors

• Have a detailed understanding of our build schedule and work towards meeting delivery deadlines

• Kit multi-component assemblies for production

 

• Have contributed to improving our inventory management process and be able to generate reports on inventory levels and manage discrepancies

• Manage multiple BOMs and provide support to the Engineers for their projects

• Own a subset of vendors to be the point of contact for and build rapport with them to establish long-term relationships

• Complete a cycle count independently and provide recommendations for areas of improvement and change

• Support Finance and Accounting team as needed

• Be fully versed in our ERP and PLM software and be able to maintain transactions, work orders, etc.

 

• Have positively impacted existing processes within our supply chain

• Have taken full ownership of inventory flow and eliminated discrepancies between all locations

• Be a critical source of support for other cross-functional teams

• Help drive growth for our team and implement best practices within our SOPs

 

Salary offers are based on a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skills, and location. The compensation range for this position $90,000 - 110,000