Strategic Supplier Manager

Description

meoSphere is the next generation of SES’s Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, network, and service. It is designed to offer highly available, global, secure connectivity services for commercial customers, governments, and other enterprises and ensuring reliable high-speed broadband access to underserved regions.

SES is seeking an experienced individual for the role of Manager, meoSphere Strategic Supplier Management. Key roles include day-to-day tracking and managing relationships for delivery of key aspects of the meoSphere system including satellite bus platform, payload, ground systems, launch services, test components, and facilities. Reporting to the Director, Strategic Supplier Management this individual will manage external and internal suppliers and be responsible for driving success through innovative, modern execution approaches inspired by the ‘new space’ ecosystem, rather than traditional aerospace playbooks.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the delivery of equipment and services from strategic suppliers to the meoSphere program using agile and new-space approaches to supplier management.
• Work cross-functionally with all meoSphere program leads to trace technical and programmatic requirements, specifications, statements of work, and key objectives for strategic suppliers of space, ground, launch, test, and facilities components of the program.
• Help define agile supply chain processes that dramatically shorten the cycle from need identification to delivery.
• Work with teams in developing Request for Information/Request for Procurement (RFI/RFP), or similar, processes and documents that optimize the speed and quality of delivery of strategic program components.
• Work in lockstep with the meoSphere Technical Program Management lead, and Finance to assess and track risk, align funding and resource requirements, and ensure strategic program objectives are met by internal and external suppliers.
• Work directly with systems engineering, payload, assembly integration and test, and manufacturing teams to keep the satellite and constellation integrated and functioning as a cohesive system.
• Help develop and drive horizontal supplier coordination activities across the P&I organization – Government, IRIS2, GEO, and Product Development programs, in particular – to leverage existing supplier contract vehicles or development programs where applicable to reduce program cost, accelerate schedule, or meet enterprise product and service objectives.
• Establish good working relationships and processes with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of procured components, early identification of potential issues, and mitigation strategies that can maintain or accelerate program schedules.
• Support meoSphere internal and external reporting activities, including monthly business reviews (MBRs), strategy sessions, and business and senior leadership team briefings.

Technical Experience

• Basic technical knowledge of the elements of end-to-end satellite communications and related terrestrial networking.
• Interest in managing subsystem procurement and integration of complex programs.
• Willingness to work within systems engineering processes and coordination with business and finance considerations in system implementation.
• Excellent personal skills, ability to participate in meetings including communication with senior management.
• Interest in satellite payload integration, interface definition, spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing processes.
• Ability to draft and edit technical documentation.
• Desire to manage complex system interfaces and solution delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer sciences, aerospace engineering, or related experience.
• 10+ years of experience in satellite communications, program or project management, and supplier management.
• Proven ability to manage subsystem procurement and suppliers to delivery on-time and according to cost and technical specifications.
• Ability to define and build an agile engineering organization that works cross-functionally in a matrixed structure.
• Solid understanding of systems engineering processes and coordination with program, business, and finance considerations in system implementation.
• Excellent personal skills, ability to lead meetings, communication with management.
• Fluency in English; other languages are considered an asset.