Procurement Lead

Company Overview

Nikel Precision is a comprehensive engineering and manufacturing center that produces mission critical components for the Aerospace, Defense & Medical markets. We are committed to delivering high-quality, reliable solutions that meet the demanding needs of our clients in these specialized industries.

Summary: The Procurement Lead is responsible for the timely, cost-effective, and compliant procurement of raw materials, subcontracted services, and consumable tooling within a high-precision CNC aerospace manufacturing environment. The role manages approximately $5M in raw material spend, influences an additional $2M in subcontracting, and will help stabilize roughly $1.5M in tooling and consumables that are not under contract. This position requires a data-driven purchasing professional with strong aerospace experience, sound judgment, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, growth-focused environment.

Responsibilities:

Procurement Execution and Order Management:

• Issue purchase orders for raw materials, tooling, consumables, and related items.
• Ensure all specifications, revisions, certifications, and quality requirements flow down accurately.
• Maintain ERP item master data, lead times, safety stock, and purchasing
• parameters.
• Track supplier deliveries and resolve delays or supply risks proactively.

Supplier Management and Strategy:

• Manage relationships with approximately 40 core suppliers across metals, plastics, tooling, coatings, heat treat, and machining subcontractors.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, cost improvement, and long-term supply agreements.
• Evaluate supplier performance using data (OTD, quality, cost, responsiveness).
• Support or lead pricing and contract negotiations.

Aerospace Compliance and Quality Requirements:

• Follow ECN and revision control requirements precisely.
• Ensure supplier readiness and documentation for PPAP, FAI, source inspection, and Process of Record (POR).
• Maintain full traceability and proper handling of material certifications and documentation.
• Escalate and coordinate supplier deviations or change requests with Engineering and Quality.

Data-Driven Decision Making:

• Analyze spend, usage, and forecasting data to optimize purchasing strategies.
• Build and maintain reports for consumption trends, supplier metrics, and pricing.
• Conduct cost analysis and support sourcing decisions with objective data.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with Planning, Engineering, Operations, and Quality to support production requirements.
• Support new product introduction with supplier qualification and material readiness. * Participate in root-cause and corrective-action activities related to supplier issues.
• Communicate material risks, delays, and recovery plans across the organization.

Continuous Improvement and Process Development:

• Develop purchasing workflows, standard work, and documentation.
• Drive improvements in ERP data accuracy, purchasing processes, and supplier scorecards.
• Support the creation of a scalable supply chain structure aligned with the company’s growth.

Qualifications:

• 5-10 years of purchasing experience in CNC machining, aerospace, defense, or regulated manufacturing.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, specifications, and technical revisions.
• Strong familiarity with PPAP, FAI, POR, ECN, and documentation requirements
• . Strong negotiations background and experience with long-term supply agreements.
• High proficiency with ERP systems and Excel/data analysis
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to operate with urgency, accuracy, and attention to detail.

Ideal Candidate Attributes:

• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance daily purchasing execution and long-term planning.
• Steady under pressure and effective in a fast-moving, growth-oriented environment. * Highly organized, detail-driven, and process oriented.
• Comfortable using data to make decisions and challenge assumptions.
• Team-oriented, positive, and able to contribute to a fun but high-performance culture.

What Success Looks Like:

• Long-term agreements in place with core suppliers.
• Improved supplier delivery, quality, and cost performance.
• Predictable material availability supporting production and revenue targets.
• Well-documented, compliant purchasing processes aligned with aerospace requirements.
• Data-driven purchasing that improves cost stability and supply assurance.
• A strong and scalable supply chain foundation supporting continued company growth.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person