Senior NPI Buyer

We are looking for a New Product Introduction Program Buyer/Planner to support our hardware development programs through the product development lifecycle. In this role you will work across the Engineering PMO and Supply Chain departments to drive procurement execution material tracking and build readiness for rapid-iteration engineering builds. Depending on program needs you may support any combination of hardware domains — mechanical electrical electromechanical PCBAs or full subsystem assemblies.

This is a high-impact high-visibility role at the intersection of program management and supply chain. You will be the person who ensures that when engineers are ready to build the parts are there — and when they're not everyone knows why and what's being done about it. You'll gain deep exposure to hardware development cross-functional coordination and the full product lifecycle.

• Submit and track purchase requests. Follow orders through the Supply Chain team's procurement process to delivery and receiving.
• Execute risk-buy requests as necessary for long-lead or high-risk components.
• Maintain sourcing plans and collaborate on identification of alternate suppliers for critical components.
• Track supplier commits lead times and delivery schedules. Flag risks early.
• Monitor market conditions and supplier roadmaps for supply challenges.

• Own procurement data integrity and clear-to-build (CTB) analyses. Maintain live material availability against build schedules.
• Manage material requirement plans and inventory levels — minimize shortages and excess.
• Manage prototype/temporary inventory (lab stock dev kits staging areas).

• Track releases through PLM (ECOs revisions release gates). Keep procurement aligned to current revisions.
• Assess material impact of engineering changes and adjust procurement plan accordingly
• Manage component phase-in/phase-out and obsolescence.

• Track contract manufacturer commits capacity and constraints.
• When needed coordinate movement of raw materials or components between suppliers and manufacturers.
• Support BOM cost tracking and Design for Cost activities.

• Track and report KPIs: CTB days-on-hand inventory excess obsolescence delivery performance.
• Maintain procurement dashboards (open POs CTB by subsystem spend vs. budget).
• Drive process improvements in planning tools and supply chain workflows.

• Support the TPM with schedule tracking milestone reporting and program review prep as it relates to product development.
• Track and close out material planning-related action items from design reviews build meetings and supplier calls.
• Support programs from early prototype through production including transition to sustaining.
• Coordinate cross-functionally across Engineering Manufacturing Supply Chain Quality and Finance.

• Hardware Build Awareness — Understanding of how hardware components come together in prototype and NPI builds. Comfortable in a lab shop or manufacturing environment.
• Procurement & Supply Chain Fundamentals — Familiarity with purchase orders supplier management lead time tracking and basic sourcing concepts.
• Analytical & Detail-Oriented — Ability to maintain accurate trackers spot discrepancies in data and synthesize material status into clear summaries for leadership. Strong Excel/Sheets skills.
• Tool Proficiency — Comfort with or willingness to learn ERP/MRP systems PLM tools and project management platforms (Jira Asana). Knowledge of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software is a plus.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain
• 5+ years of experience in program management project coordination supply chain manufacturing or engineering operations.
• Preferred: Experience in robotics automotive aerospace consumer electronics or other hardware-intensive industries.
• Preferred: Exposure to NPI prototype builds or early-stage product development.

What We Do

Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion creativity and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products.

Why Work With Us

At Apptronik we don't see a future where man competes against machine. Instead we envision a harmonious world where man and machine coexist. Our mission statement "It is not Man vs. Machine but Man + Machine" encapsulates our belief that the synergy between humans and robots will pave the way for a brighter more advanced future.

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