Purpose
Reporting to the NPI Sourcing Director, the Sr. Principal Sourcing role is responsible for developing, managing, and implementing sourcing strategies and best practices that support New Product Introductions (NPI) from concept through commercial launch. This role places a strong emphasis on Design for Excellence (DFx), Early Supplier Involvement (ESI), prototype-to-production sourcing strategies, and new supplier discovery and qualification.
This role requires the ability to work cross‑functionally with R&D and NPI team members across multiple complex programs simultaneously. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, influencing, and collaboration skills while partnering with R&D, Project Management, Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Global Commodity Management, Quality, and Corporate Leadership to ensure successful product launches.
Additionally, this role will:
* Drive early sourcing engagement in product development cycles
* Develop and execute supplier selection and qualification strategies
* Identify and mitigate supply chain risks during product development
* Support cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and value engineering initiatives
* Ensure alignment between product design, supply chain capabilities, and manufacturing strategies
* Lead supplier negotiations related to prototypes, ramp, and production volumes
* Support global NPI programs across multiple regions and business units
Responsibilities
Lead sourcing strategy development for New Product Introduction (NPI) programs from concept through production launch, drive early supplier engagement (ESI), partner with R&D and Engineering teams to implement DFx principles, provide prototype‑to‑production sourcing strategies, identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers, conduct supplier discovery, due diligence, and risk assessments, lead commercial negotiations for prototype, pilot, and production volumes, collaborate with Global Commodity Management to ensure alignment with sourcing strategies, support cost modeling and value engineering, drive supply chain readiness, collaborate with Quality and Supplier Quality Engineering for supplier qualification, PPAP, and validation activities, mitigate supply chain risks, support global NPI programs, ensure sourcing deliverables align with PDP milestones, drive continuous improvement of NPI sourcing processes, provide executive‑level updates, and mentor sourcing team members.
* Lead sourcing strategy development for New Product Introduction (NPI) programs from concept through production launch
* Drive early supplier involvement (ESI) to influence design, cost, manufacturability, and supply chain risk mitigation
* Partner with R&D and Engineering teams to implement Design for Excellence (DFx) principles, including Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Cost (DFC), and Design for Supply Chain (DFSC)
* Develop and execute prototype-to-production sourcing strategies, including supplier selection, qualification, and ramp planning
* Identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers to support technology, cost, capacity, and geographic diversification requirements
* Conduct supplier discovery, due diligence, and risk assessments for new and sole-sourced components and technologies
* Lead commercial negotiations for prototype, pilot, and production volumes, including pricing structures, capacity commitments, and lead times
* Partner with Global Commodity Management to ensure alignment with long-term sourcing strategies and preferred supplier frameworks
* Support cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and value engineering initiatives to meet product cost targets
* Drive supply chain readiness reviews and ensure supplier capability aligns with product launch timelines
* Collaborate with Quality and Supplier Quality Engineering to support supplier qualification, PPAP, and validation activities
* Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including sole-source dependencies, long lead-time components, and capacity constraints
* Support global NPI programs across multiple regions, including coordination with international manufacturing sites and suppliers
* Ensure sourcing deliverables are aligned with Product Development Process (PDP) milestones and gate requirements
* Drive continuous improvement of NPI sourcing processes, tools, and best practices
* Provide executive-level updates on sourcing risks, cost status, and supplier readiness for key NPI programs
* Mentor and provide guidance to sourcing team members supporting NPI programs
Preferred Qualifications
* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field
* 10+ years of strategic sourcing experience, with a focus on NPI, R&D, or complex manufacturing environments
* Demonstrated success managing global sourcing and supplier development initiatives
* Experience implementing DFx principles, early supplier involvement, and prototype-to-production sourcing strategies
* Strong knowledge of supplier qualification, risk assessment, and regulatory/compliance requirements for global supply chains
* Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams in a matrixed environment
* Strong negotiation skills with experience in both prototype and production volume contracts
* Experience with cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and value engineering
* Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
* Experience supporting supply chains across multiple geographies, including APAC, EMEA, and Americas
* Proficient with Product Development Processes (PDP) and NPI stage‑gate methodology
* Strong SAP background
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