Job Description
Overview
Lightship is the first American all-electric recreational vehicle manufacturer currently developing an aerodynamic, battery-powered trailer for the electric age. As the macro transition to an all-electric transportation ecosystem accelerates, Lightship is bringing the increased convenience and superior performance that electrification offers to a pastime enjoyed by over 11 million American families.
Honoring Diverse Perspectives
Lightship is committed to hiring and developing top talent from diverse backgrounds. We believe representing and supporting diverse groups is key to the success of our team members, customers, shareholders and the achievement of our mission and vision. We operate in a collaborative environment with a flat organizational structure and expect a high degree of integrity, autonomy and creativity from all members of the team.
About the Role
As Manager of Global Supply Chain at Lightship, you will lead and develop a team of supply chain professionals responsible for procurement, sourcing, supplier management, and logistics coordination across our vehicle programs. Reporting to the VP of Supply Chain, you will own strategic supplier relationships, drive sourcing decisions, and ensure Lightship has the right parts, at the right time, at the right cost — from early product development through serial production. This is a player-coach role: you will set direction and build scalable process while remaining hands-on in the complexity of an early-stage EV manufacturer scaling toward production. You will be a key voice at the leadership level, translating supply chain strategy into day-to-day execution and building a team capable of growing with the company.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership: Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Procurement Specialists and supply chain contributors; set clear goals and expectations, deliver regular feedback, and build a high-performing, accountable team culture
Strategic Sourcing: Own commodity strategy and sourcing decisions across assigned categories, including custom-engineered and long-lead components; lead supplier selection, RFQs, and competitive bidding processes
Supplier Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with a global supplier base; lead business reviews, drive performance accountability on quality, delivery, and cost, and manage escalations to resolution
Contract Negotiation: Lead negotiation of piece price agreements, tooling contracts, general terms and conditions, NDAs, and other commercial agreements; ensure Lightship’s commercial interests are protected
Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with Engineering, Program Management, and Finance to support new product introduction, design changes, cost targets, and phase gate milestones; serve as the supply chain voice in cross-functional program reviews
Cost Management: Identify and execute cost reduction opportunities; track and report supply chain spend against budget; own savings targets and present results to VP and executive leadership
Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks — single-source dependencies, geopolitical exposure, supplier financial health, tariff and trade impacts, and capacity constraints
Logistics Coordination: Oversee inbound freight and carrier relationships; ensure on-time delivery of materials to support production schedules; drive continuous improvement in freight cost and transit performance
Process & Systems: Build and enforce procurement process discipline across the team; ensure accurate and timely PO management, vendor master data, and inventory records in NetSuite ERP; drive adoption of tools and workflows that scale
Supplier Site Visits & Travel: Conduct regular supplier and partner site visits to assess capability, audit performance, and strengthen relationships; travel up to 25%
Minimum Qualifications
7+ years of supply chain or procurement experience, with at least 2 years in a people management role leading a team of 2 or more direct reports
Demonstrated experience managing procurement of custom-engineered or manufactured components in a production environment — not purely commodity or indirect purchasing
Proven track record of leading end-to-end supplier negotiations, including piece price, tooling, and commercial terms
Working knowledge of ERP systems — specifically managing purchase orders, receipts, vendor records, and inventory in a manufacturing context
Experience partnering directly with Engineering through product development and design change cycles, including BOM management and NPI activities
Strong communicator with the ability to influence cross-functionally, present to senior leadership, and represent supply chain in executive-level discussions
Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, resource-constrained startup environment where process must be built and not just followed
Preferred Qualifications
RV industry experience is a strong plus; automotive, aerospace, or adjacent custom manufacturing experience is helpful
Familiarity with the Elkhart/Detroit supplier ecosystem and established relationships in the region
Experience scaling a supply chain function from early-stage prototype through volume production
Proficiency with NetSuite ERP; comfort with Jira, Confluence, and Google Workspace
APICS CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent professional certification
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field
Equity
Lightship compensation consists of the yearly salary above plus equity, which gives you a stake in the company.
$110,000 - $140,000 a year
Onsite/Hybrid Work
Hybrid roles at Lightship require onsite work from our offices Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tuesdays and Fridays are optional work from home days, when your work will be executed more successfully from home. Speak to the hiring manager to learn more.
Employee Benefits & Philosophy - Applies to Full Time Employees only
- Healthcare, Dental, Vision
- 401k
- Flexible Paid Time Off - that we actually want you to use!
- 8 Company Holidays + the company observes a period of scheduled downtime during the end of the year for a week, allowing all employees to enjoy a break
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- $2,000 per year towards an RV trip of your own &/or professional development opportunities - we call this a LightTrip
Lightship offers all of its full time employees and their dependents full benefits including health, dental and vision insurance and covers 100% of the insurance premium. We are on a mission to create a more healthful all-electric experience for a pastime that millions of families enjoy and believe strongly that our team should not have to worry about quality healthcare for themselves or their loved ones along the way.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
