Strategic Sourcing Manager

Job description

HELP US TACKLE THE GROWING WILDFIRE CRISIS WITH THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN AI AND IOT WHO WE ARE The challenge: Every minute matters in wildfire response. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires—with longer fire seasons, drier fuels, and more extreme weather—new ignitions can spread rapidly, putting communities, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems at risk. Today, many wildfires are first reported by members of the public, meaning it can take valuable time to detect a fire, confirm its location and size, and mobilize responders. Fire agencies need faster, more reliable ways to detect, verify, and pinpoint new ignitions so they can respond quickly and prevent small fires from becoming catastrophic events. About Pano AI: Pano AI is the leader in AI-powered wildfire detection and intelligence, helping fire professionals detect, respond to, and contain wildfires faster and more safely. Our platform combines advanced hardware, software, artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and other data sources to provide real-time situational awareness and actionable intelligence. Using a network of ultra-high-definition, 360-degree cameras positioned across high vantage points, Pano AI delivers a real-time view of wildfire activity, enabling faster, more informed decision-making when every second counts. We are a team of more than 175 people working in a hybrid-remote environment across North America and Australia, with headquarters in San Francisco. Our customers include government agencies, utilities, insurers, and private landowners who rely on Pano AI to help protect people, property, and natural landscapes. Pano AI currently serves customers across the United States, Australia, and Canada, monitoring more than 50 million acres worldwide. Our values are part of everything we do at Pano AI. They guide how we work together, how we serve our customers, and how we approach our mission. Impact: As we scale our business, we grow our impact—enabling emergency managers to protect people, infrastructure, and the environment from devastating wildfires. Service: We serve those who serve, and the teammates beside us. Trust: We earn trust through integrity, accountability, and an obsession with quality so that our partners can rely on us. Excellence and Speed: We produce exceptional work quickly because our mission demands both precision and urgency. Innovation: We apply cutting-edge technology to what we build and how we work. Our work has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative AI Companies in 2023 https://www.fastcompany.com/90846670/most-innovative-companies-artificial-intelligence-2023 and one of the World's Most Innovative Companies in 2026 https://www.fastcompany.com/91502951/pano-ai-most-innovative-companies-2026, ranking #1 in Sustainability. We have also been named to TIME's https://www.linkedin.com/company/time/ list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025 https://time.com/collections/time100-companies-2025/7289577/pano-ai/ and recognized by MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/01/1104375/2024-climate-tech-companies-pano-ai-fire-detecting-ai/as one of the top climate technology companies to watch. Backed by $89 million in funding https://techcrunch-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/techcrunch.com/2023/07/10/pano-series-a-extension/amp/ from leading investors including Giant Ventures, Liberty Mutual Ventures, Tokio Marine Future Fund, Congruent Ventures, Initialized Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and T-Mobile Ventures, we're building technology that helps communities around the world become more resilient to wildfire. Learn more at www.pano.ai http://www.pano.ai. THE ROLE The Strategic Sourcing Manager is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, delivery, and supplier performance. This role partners cross-functionally with engineering, operations, quality, and finance to drive value across the supply base while ensuring alignment with business objectives. The ideal candidate brings deep category expertise, strong commercial acumen, and proven experience leading complex sourcing initiatives across a global supplier base. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Develop and implement strategic sourcing plans for assigned categories (e.g., direct materials, indirect spend, services) - Lead supplier selection, qualification, and onboarding processes - Drive cost reduction initiatives through negotiation, value engineering, and market analysis - Conduct RFx processes (RFI, RFP, RFQ) and evaluate supplier proposals - Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure performance, innovation, and risk mitigation - Monitor supplier performance using KPIs such as cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness - Partner with internal stakeholders (engineering, quality, operations) to align sourcing strategies with product and business needs - Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including capacity constraints, geopolitical risks, and single-source dependencies - Lead contract negotiations and ensure compliance with legal and company policies - Analyze market trends, cost drivers, and industry benchmarks to inform sourcing decisions - Support new product introduction (NPI) efforts with early supplier involvement - Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the supply base - Serve as a key advisor to leadership on supply market dynamics, risks and opportunities. - Mentor and develop sourcing team members; may directly manage a team WHAT YOU’LL BRING - Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field - 10-15 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management - Strong negotiation and contract management skills - Experience managing suppliers in a manufacturing or operations environment - Proven ability to analyze data and make data-driven decisions - Familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and sourcing tools - Strong project management and organizational skills - Experience with global sourcing and international suppliers Final compensation for regular full-time employees is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related qualifications, education, experience, skills, knowledge, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, regular full-time roles are eligible for equity. Benefits are tailored to local market standards and statutory requirements in the employee's country of employment, and may include health coverage, retirement or pension contributions, and paid time off. Specific benefit details will be shared during the interview process.