Overview In this role you manage QuEra's Optical and Laser vendor base, balancing technical specs with commercial constraints to support rapid development and production of state-of-the-art laser and optics systems. You collaborate with the Optical Systems Team and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure vendors meet stringent specifications, delivery, and quality requirements. You help drive supplier performance, RFI/RFP processes, and compliance across multi-region sourcing in a dynamic R&D-to-production environment. You will be the bridge between technical needs and procurement execution, enabling scalable, well-documented purchasing.
Responsibilities- Evaluate vendor competencies against R&D specifications and capacity
- Convert approved specs into quotable requests and compare quotations across cost, lead time, and warranty
- Assess vendor ability to deliver quality products at scale toward production
- Develop and maintain RFI/RFP/RFQ for new and existing vendors in a dynamic R&D context
- Maintain qualified supplier lists and track delivery and quality performance
- Coordinate high-dollar procurements as the intermediary for Optics and Laser Systems and G&A
- Ensure all technical and administrative details are complete before contracts and POs
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders on material delivery plans and enforce vendor accountability
- Coordinate factory acceptance, witness testing, pre-shipment docs, and incoming QA inspection
- Own vendor RMAs and warranty processes; document issues and drive corrective actions
- Manage logistics-related activities including custom packaging, customs, and export compliance
Key requirements- Degree in science or engineering or equivalent hands-on technical training in technical sales, optical engineering or optics quality management
- Two+ years hands-on experience with lasers or optical systems in lab/field/service/applications engineering/technical sales
- Two+ years in supplier-facing commercial work in a hardware environment
- Ability to read technical specifications and hold suppliers to them
- Experience with ERP or QMS systems
- Rigorous documentation habits (purchase records, serial numbers, configuration states)
- Experience with laser and optical specifications (power, wavelength, linewidth, polarization, fiber interfaces)
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Vendor management and negotiation
- Problem-solving under technical and commercial constraints
- Optical engineering fundamentals
- Laser specifications (power, wavelength, polarization, fiber interfaces)
- RFI/RFP/RFQ processes
