ABOUT SKIP:
Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement. Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for over 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building a product that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead. We are a passionate team of engineers, designers, and innovators and are looking for foundational team members to help bring our vision to life.
Find out more at www.skipwithjoy.com
LOCATION: San Francisco Bay Area with significant international travel required (primarily Asia).
ABOUT THE ROLE: This is a unique opportunity to be the foundational Manufacturing and Supply Chain leader at Skip. As the first dedicated supply chain hire, you will build our entire function from the ground up. You will be responsible for developing the strategy, processes, and partnerships necessary to source components, manufacture, and deliver MO/GO, and future products, to customers. This is a highly strategic and hands-on role requiring close collaboration with engineering, product, and finance teams to ensure we can scale efficiently while meeting cost, quality, and delivery targets.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Manufacturing & Quality Oversight: Partner closely with Asian CMs to manage production planning, capacity alignment, and execution. Ensure adherence to stringent quality standards by implementing and overseeing QC processes, monitoring yields, analysing defect data, and driving timely corrective and preventive actions.
- Supplier Sourcing & Management (Asia Focus): Identify, evaluate, qualify, onboard, and strategically manage key suppliers and contract manufacturers (CMs), primarily located in Asia, for complex electromechanical components and assemblies (such as PCBA, battery packs, custom plastics, machined metal parts, sensors, motors). Build and maintain strong, collaborative, long-term partnerships focused on mutual success.
- NPI & Engineering Collaboration: Lead New Product Introduction (NPI). Work intimately with product and engineering team from the earliest design stages, providing critical input on design for manufacturability, component selection (considering cost, availability, and reliability), cost analysis, and overall manufacturing readiness.
Secondary Responsibilities as we grow:
- Procurement & Cost Management: Lead procurement activities from sourcing and RFQ through purchase order placement and supplier payment. Negotiate favourable contracts, pricing, payment terms, and lead times. Develop should-cost models and drive continuous cost reduction initiatives.
- Supply Chain Strategy & Process Development: Design, implement, document, and own the end-to-end supply chain strategy, processes, and systems from the ground up, ensuring scalability for future growth.
- Planning & Inventory Control: Develop and manage light weight demand forecasting models, supply planning processes, and Material Requirements Planning. Implement effective inventory management strategies to optimise stock levels across global nodes, minimise Excess & Obsolete inventory risk, and ensure consistent material availability.
- Logistics & Compliance: Manage international logistics, including selecting and managing freight forwarders, ensuring customs clearance, and maintaining import/export compliance. Continuously optimise logistics costs, lead times, and reliability.
- Systems & Reporting: Select, implement, and manage supply chain information systems. Define, track, and report on KPIs related to cost, delivery, quality, and inventory, providing regular performance updates and actionable analysis to the leadership team.
- Team Building (Future): Initially operate as a hands-on individual contributor, while laying the groundwork and defining the structure needed to scale the supply chain team effectively as the company grows.
Qualifications:
- Experience: 10+ years of hands-on experience in manufacturing or end-to-end supply chain management, with a demonstrable track record working with complex electromechanical or hardware products (e.g., consumer electronics, robotics, medical devices, IoT hardware).
- Technical Acumen: Understanding of manufacturing processes common in electromechanical products, such as Surface Mount Technology, injection molding, CNC machining, die-casting, final assembly, and testing protocols. Ability to interpret technical drawings and specifications.
- Asia Manufacturing Expertise: Proven, deep experience sourcing, qualifying, negotiating with, and managing the performance of suppliers and contract manufacturers based in Asia. Must understand the nuances of operating in this region.
- Startup/Growth Stage Experience: Success building supply chain processes, systems, and functions from the ground up within a fast-paced, ambiguous, and resource-constrained startup environment. Experience scaling operations through rapid growth phases.
- Systems Proficiency: Hands-on experience with light weight PLM systems; direct experience implementing systems as well as advanced proficiency in Excel / Google Sheets for data analysis, modelling, and planning.
- Core Skills: Exceptional negotiation, analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills. Proven project management capabilities. Excellent communication skill to effectively collaborate with engineering, finance, product teams, and external partners across different cultures.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management or a closely related field.
- Attributes: High degree of ownership, self-motivation, adaptability, attention to detail, and a bias for action. Ability to thrive under pressure and navigate ambiguity effectively. Sense of humour, tolerant of Aussie & Canadian spelling.
This is a full time position working at the Skip office in the San Francisco Bay Area, starting in July/Aug 2025.
Skip is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status. Any and all offers of employment extended by Skip are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.
Unfortunately Skip cannot sponsor visas at this time.
To apply, send via email a CV and cover letter to [email protected]
