Procurement Prototyping Specialist

Procurement Prototyping Specialist
Department: Manufacturing Operations – Prototyping Program Management
Job Type: Contractor – Indefinite/ benefited w/ Health, Dental, Vision, 401k
Location: Foster City, CA
Job Description: The Procurement Prototyping Specialist will support the prototyping team by swiftly obtaining external quotes and maintaining relationships with various manufacturing supp
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liers. This crucial role collaborates closely with fabrication, CNC, and additive prototyping teams to manage vendor setup, quoting, negotiations, and purchase request coordination. Additionally, the specialist will perform vendor and system audits to ensure supplier security and compliance.
Core Role & Reporting
• Embedded daily with the Prototyping team (Manufacturing Operations – Prototyping Program Management)
• Partly reports into the broader Procurement organization
• Acts as a key “cog in the machine”: bridges engineering/prototyping needs with external suppliers for rapid turnaround
Primary Focus & Materials
• Sourcing and coordinating low-volume prototypes (typically 1–100 parts): custom parts (machined, fabricated, 3D printed), assemblies, and raw materials.
• Supports rapid prototyping needs across ~3000 Zoox employees
Key Responsibilities
• Engage vendors quickly to obtain quotes on parts to be manufactured
• Discuss drawing requirements, tolerances, and GD&T with vendors and requesting engineers to optimize pricing, manufacturability, and delivery
• Present manufacturing options back to engineers (e.g., in daily standups) for feedback and decisions
• Handle full tactical procurement flow: purchase order coordination, expediting deliveries, tracking supplier adherence to schedules, troubleshooting payment delays, coordinating receipt of parts
• Strategic elements: supplier selection, onboarding, contract setup, building/maintaining a network of partners to enable scaling
• Perform vendor/system audits to ensure compliance and supply security
Qualifications:
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a similar role.
• Ability to read and understand engineering drawings.
• Highly organized with excellent communication skills.
• Strong team player.
• Experience working with and purchasing from vendors.
• Initiative to improve processes.
• Proficient in using various computer business applications (Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, etc.).
Bonus Qualifications (nice to haves but not necessary):
• Familiarity with JIRA, Confluence, Smartsheet.
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, or other purchasing applications.
• PMP or other project management coursework.
• Hands-on manufacturing experience (Sheet Metal forming, welding, machining, additive manufacturing, carbon manufacturing).
• Understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
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