The Strategic Sourcing Manager – Indirect Materials (Engineering) will lead category strategy and execution for high-impact engineering-related spend, including
engineering lab equipment, Engineering PCBA builds and prototypes, engineering services, software licensing, intellectual property (IP), EDA tools, and capital equipment
. This role owns end-to-end sourcing, supplier relationship management, commercial negotiations, and contracting to deliver measurable outcomes in
cost, quality, delivery, risk, and innovation
. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced engineering environment and partners effectively across engineering, finance, legal, quality, and operations to enable product development and business growth.
You’ll join a global Engineering Sourcing organization supporting advanced product development and engineering operations. The team partners closely with R&D and engineering functions to enable innovation while delivering best-in-class commercial outcomes and supplier ecosystems.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Sourcing Leadership
Develop and execute
multi-year category strategies
aligned to engineering roadmaps, product development milestones, and budget targets.
Lead end-to-end sourcing activities across:
Engineering lab equipment
(test/measurement, validation, lab infrastructure)
Engineering PCBA builds
(prototype, NPI, quick-turn builds, debug re-spins)
Engineering services
(ASIC/FPGA design, validation, firmware/software, system design)
Software licensing / EDA
(tools, platforms, compute, and license models)
Intellectual property
(controller/PHY/NPU/SerDes IP, verification IP, licensing)
Capital equipment
(engineering/test capex and lab expansion requirements)
Drive disciplined
RFx
(RFI/RFQ/RFP) execution, competitive bidding, supplier selection, and award recommendations.
Supplier Relationship Management & Performance
Identify, qualify, and develop suppliers to meet business needs for
cost, quality, delivery, and technology capability
.
Establish governance cadence and accountability through
SPR/QBR/HBR
, including performance scorecards and corrective actions.
Lead supplier development initiatives to improve:
Lead time and delivery reliability
Quality and yield/defect reduction (as applicable to builds/services)
Responsiveness and engineering change agility
Commercial Negotiation & Contracting Management
Lead commercial negotiations for complex engineering categories, including:
Pricing models, volume breaks, and rate cards
NRE structures
(milestone-based payments, acceptance criteria)
Software/EDA licensing constructs
(subscription, term, tokens, usage-based, enterprise)
IP licensing structures
(upfront, milestone, royalty, maintenance/support)
Partner with Legal to draft/review and close contracts, including:
NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, Statements of Work, change orders
License agreements, support agreements, SLAs
Ensure contracts include appropriate
deliverables, acceptance criteria, audit/usage rights (as applicable), confidentiality, IP ownership, indemnity, and termination protections
.
Partner with legal to ensure
IP protection and compliance
Cost Optimization & Financial Analysis
Deliver annual cost reduction and cost avoidance targets
Conduct:
Cost modeling and benchmarking
Market and supplier analysis
Business case development for sourcing decisions
Track and report savings, spending, and budget adherence
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with:
Engineering (design, validation, architecture)
Legal (contracts, IP, compliance)
Finance (budgeting, ROI analysis)
Quality & operations teams
Align sourcing decisions with program timelines and technical requirements
Risk Management, Compliance & Supply Continuity
Identify and mitigate supplier and category risks, including:
Single-source dependencies and technology lock-in
Capacity constraints and long lead-time equipment
Contract compliance, license compliance, and entitlement usage
Support compliance with internal policies and external requirements (as relevant), such as:
Supplier onboarding, security, and confidentiality controls
Regulatory / trade considerations for cross-border procurement (when applicable)
Reporting, Analytics & Executive Communication
Maintain and communicate key performance indicators:
Spend, savings, supplier performance, contract coverage, cycle times, open POs
Prepare executive-ready materials summarizing:
Opportunities, decisions, risks, negotiation status, and recommended actions
Core Competencies
Strategic thinking + execution rigor
(category strategy to measurable outcomes)
Commercial excellence
(negotiation, contracting, risk/terms management)
Stakeholder influence
(engineering partnership, executive communication)
Supplier management
(governance, performance improvement, escalation)
Data-driven decision-making
(analytics, TCO, benchmarking)
Adaptability
in fast-moving engineering priorities and ambiguous environments
Key Deliverables / Success Metrics
Achieve annual
savings and cost avoidance
targets with auditable tracking.
Improve supplier performance:
OTD, quality, responsiveness, innovation contributions
.
Increase contract coverage and compliance for engineering categories.
Reduce sourcing cycle times while improving stakeholder satisfaction.
Strengthen supply continuity and reduce category risk exposure.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred).
5+ years
of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement, with demonstrated ownership of complex indirect categories.
Proven experience sourcing one or more of the following:
Engineering services / design services
Software licensing and/or EDA tools
IP licensing and/or NRE-driven engineering deliverables
Lab equipment, prototypes, and/or capex procurement
Strong negotiation track record with measurable commercial outcomes.
Strong analytical skills with ability to build business cases and communicate trade-offs clearly.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in semiconductor, electronics, systems engineering, or high-tech product development environments.
Familiarity with:
Engineering prototype build flows (PCBA NPI, quick-turn, debug cycles)
EDA licensing frameworks and entitlement management
IP licensing constructs (upfront/milestone/royalty)
Experience working with global stakeholders and suppliers across time zones.
Proficiency in sourcing tools/ERP and analytics platforms (e.g., SAP/Oracle/Ariba/Coupa; Power BI/Tableau).
Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.
Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at
jobs.accommodations@sandisk.com
to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.
