Director of Supply Chain

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

In this role, you will lead Karman’s enterprise-wide supply chain function, shaping long-term strategy, strengthening supplier partnerships, and driving execution excellence across sourcing, demand planning, supplier management, receiving, and inspection. You will ensure a resilient, cost-effective, high-performance supply chain that supports production, delivery commitments, and strategic growth while partnering closely with operations, materials management, quality, finance, and program management.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes a comprehensive supply chain strategy aligned with business objectives, operational requirements, and long-term growth.
• Leads initiatives to strengthen sourcing resilience, reduce supply-chain risk, and improve cost structure.
• Oversees long-range demand planning and forecasting to support production needs and customer commitments.
• Builds and manages supplier relationships and negotiates commercial terms, master agreements, and long-term partnerships.
• Establishes supplier performance metrics and leads quarterly business reviews.
• Owns strategic sourcing across major commodity categories to drive cost reduction, quality improvement, and delivery reliability.
• Partners with materials management to ensure seamless workflows across inventory control, warehousing, planning, and scheduling.
• Collaborates with operations leadership to align supply chain execution with production requirements, capacity constraints, and scheduling assumptions.
• Ensures receiving and inspection processes support quality standards and efficient throughput.
• Implements performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting for supply chain health, supplier performance, forecast accuracy, and cost savings.
• Drives continuous improvement across sourcing, planning, and supplier management, aligning processes with quality management system (QMS) requirements.
• Partners with finance, quality, engineering, program management, and operations to enable cross-functional execution and support organizational transformation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations, engineering, or a related field.
• Ten or more years of progressive supply chain leadership experience in aerospace, defense, or complex manufacturing environments.
• Proven success in sourcing, supplier management, materials planning, and multi-site coordination.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, drive change, and deliver measurable improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, engineering, or other regulated environments.

This position requires U.S. person status under U.S. export control laws, including U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company‑paid life and AD\&D insurance
• Short‑ and long‑term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.