Director

Nauto Palo Alto, California
director supply supply chain procurement management logistics operations materials lead engineering driver lifecycle procedures
February 11, 2023
Nauto
Palo Alto, California
OTHER
At Nauto you can make an impact at a high-impact company. We believe technology can help prevent collisions and save lives with predictive-AI that detects driver state and vehicle surroundings in real-time. More than 90% of car crashes can be attributed to human error. Nauto technology is designed to predict risk and alerts the driver with advance warning to help prevent collisions, improve driver safety, and save lives.


Our customers and prospects include many of the largest commercial fleets in the world along with vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), insurance providers, and autonomous vehicle companies. The company is backed by Greylock Partners, BMW iVentures, General Motors Ventures, Toyota AI Ventures, and SoftBank, and is well-positioned for continued growth.


Reporting to the Vice President, Operations, the Director, Supply Chain and Procurement leads the procurement, supply chain, and logistics activities to support the full lifecycle of Nauto products and services. Defines and executes supply chain strategies and plans to deliver materials and services necessary for Nauto product development and operations activities. Develops procurement and supply chain management policies and procedures, drives cost reduction and request for proposal (RFP)/bidding processes, employing best practices from across relevant industries. Ensures compliance to all applicable federal and state procurement regulations.





Primary Responsibilities:



  • Manage the world-wide procurement, supply chain, and logistics of direct and indirect materials and services, including (1) direct: contract manufacturing, chips, electronic components, freight, and logistics and (2) indirect: IT, software, personnel benefits, etc.

  • Direct the activities of the functions involved in the planning, purchasing, warehousing, and control of materials from the receipt of forecasting replenishment needs to the delivery of the finished product into finished goods inventory to the delivery of products to customers

  • Lead the development, implementation, and controls for procurement and supply chain management policies and procedures, budgets, and expenditures

  • Lead the development, implementation, and continual review of the strategic supply chain plan, in coordination with cross-functional stakeholders; develop risk-based plans, which consider supplier maturity, capacity or availability delays, dependencies on sole-source relationships, etc.

  • Evaluate and select sources for products and services based on price, quality, lifecycle, multi-sourcing options, dependability, availability, and other relevant factors

  • In conjunction with cross-functional stakeholders, develop statements of work (SOWs) and specifications; generate requests for proposal / quotes (RFPs/RFQs); identify, evaluate, and select suitable vendors/suppliers; negotiate and place contracts; and manage ongoing contracts, including conducting audits and ensuring compliance to Nauto policies and procedures and applicable federal and state regulations

  • Lead the terms and price negotiation and administration of contracts with vendors/suppliers in coordination with other departments

  • Coordinate with Nauto Legal on legal policies, on development and review of complex contracts, implementation and enforcement of Nauto preferred terms, and on litigation matters

  • Manage relationships with key/critical suppliers (product roadmaps, business reviews, scorecards) and together with IT, manage cost reduction and spending on major software and cloud platforms

  • Develop metrics and key performance indicators to monitor and optimize procurement and supply chain activities, including managing inventory levels to minimize working capital while meeting customer demand

  • Conduct monitoring and analysis of market prices, quality, and availability of all sourced items to keep management aware of trends in the market and to adjust strategic plans as needed

  • Monitor and evaluate tools and systems (e.g., ERP, MRP, etc.) used to execute procurement and supply chain activities and recommend changes to improve

  • Manage subordinate personnel who conduct procurement, supply chain, and logistics activities




Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:



  • A well-rounded leader with significant supply chain and procurement experience for automotive, industrial, and consumer electronic products; contract manufacturing; IT/software; and professional services

  • Proven and demonstrated experience in providing supply chain leadership across the full lifecycle of products from concept inception to production and sustainment

  • Strong understanding of procurement and supply chain practices for new product development, including Design for Excellence (DFX), Six Sigma concepts, value engineering, and product life cycle management

  • Entrepreneurial, flexible, open to new ideas, collaborative in nature with full buy-in to the Nauto mission

  • Experience hiring and developing talent

  • Proven leader with superior advisory, relationship, and stakeholder management skills fit to handle a start-up environment; demonstrated ability to earn the trust of team members and management

  • A natural bias for action, comfortable delivering on commitments and holding him/herself and team accountable; a respectful individual that embraces challenges with an unwavering focus on driving results and meeting milestones

  • Team player with excellent verbal, written communication/presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate across all levels of organization and lead cross-functional collaboration




Qualifications:



  • Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, business, supply chain, or similar background with at least 10 years’ experience; MBA with management consulting / supply chain development experience for new, product-focused companies a plus

  • 5 years supervisory/management experience

  • Proven track record of supplier development, including contract generation, negotiation, and management

  • Experience sourcing products (from raw materials to finish goods) and professional services against specifications from domestic and international vendors

  • Track record of achieving cost reductions through negotiation, value engineering, and competitive sourcing

  • Fluency in both English and Chinese (Mandarin) a plus

  • Knowledge of ERP, MRP, and other supply chain and procurement systems and tools; experience with Oracle NetSuite a plus

  • APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), and/or Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) a plus

  • Six sigma certification and supplier quality engineering experience a plus

  • Knowledge and experience with the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model a plus

  • Sales and operations planning experience a plus

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