Manager, Direct Materials
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.What we do- Aspen is a technology leader in sustainability and electrification solutions. The Company's aerogel technology enables its customers and partners to achieve their own objectives around the global megatrends of resource efficiency, e-mobility, and clean energy. Aspen's PyroThin® products enable solutions to thermal runaway challenges within the electric vehicle ("EV") market. The Company's Cryogel® and Pyrogel® products are valued by the world's largest energy infrastructure companies. Aspen's strategy is to partner with world-class industry leaders to leverage its Aerogel Technology Platform® into additional high-value markets. Aspen is headquartered in Northborough, Mass. What we value- At Aspen, our values reflect who we are and how we work both with each other and our customers, suppliers, and communities. They shape our interactions, guide our decisions, and inspire us to bring our best. Whether collaborating internally or externally, our values drive us to make a meaningful impact within Aspen and in all our relationships. Aspen’s CORE Values We Do the Right Thing We are Problem Solvers We are Allies We Drive Forward What you will do- We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Direct Materials Manager to lead direct materials category management for manufacturing operations in the United States and Mexico, working with a global supply base. This role owns supply security, cost and supplier performance for the direct materials portfolio. The Direct Materials Manager is a player-coach: personally leading critical categories (batting, silanes, wet and dry chemicals, and industrial gases) while leading and developing a team of Global Category Leaders. The successful candidate will co-develop and execute multi-year category strategies and deliver the annual direct materials cost-out plan, supplier risk mitigation and capacity commitments, ensuring continuity of supply for automotive and industrial customer programs. This is a people leadership role that also includes category management of critical top spend categories. The Direct Materials Manager is accountable for direct materials results (cost-out delivery, supply continuity and supplier performance), makes decisions within delegated authority and escalates only on defined thresholds. How will you do it- Lead direct materials category management for the US and Mexico: co-develop the 3–5 year category strategies with the Director of Global Sourcing and own their execution through category priorities and annual plans. Personally own category plans, commercial negotiations and supplier relationships for batting, silanes, wet and dry chemicals, and industrial gases. Own suppliers commercially for direct materials categories regardless of supplier location (contracts, pricing, performance and cost-out), partnering with the Global Sourcing Leader, Asia on supplier identification, development, audits and on-the-ground follow-up for Asia-based suppliers. Secure supply for critical and capacity-constrained materials: lock annual volume commitments, negotiate long-term agreements, and qualify additional sources to reduce single-source exposure. Build and maintain a supplier risk register covering capacity, financial, geopolitical and country-of-origin risks, including customer sourcing restrictions that apply across all supply tiers; develop and execute mitigation plans. Own delivery of the direct materials cost-out portfolio and build the pipeline of new opportunities: set project plans and milestones, coordinate cross-functional actions and secure Finance validation of savings achieved through negotiation, dual sourcing, material substitution, should-cost analysis and value engineering. Lead supplier performance management for the direct materials supply base, including scorecards, corrective actions and quarterly business reviews, with the Director of Global Sourcing joining reviews with strategic suppliers. Lead supplier changes and new source q…