Lead Procurement In-House Engine development

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation.

Reports to: Head of Procurement

Role Overview

We are looking for a Lead In-house Development Procurement to lead procurement for TEC’s internally developed engines and assigned future programs. You will own procurement strategy and supplier delivery across Scirocco, Storm and the future-program perimeter. You will translate evolving engineering requirements into sourcing plans, robust contracts and supplier commitments that support development and testing milestones. You will build dedicated procurement capability for these programs while respecting TEC’s overall priority of delivering Nyx Earth.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier and Contract Management

• Define sourcing strategies for development hardware, components and specialist services within the assigned programs.

• Identify and develop suppliers capable of meeting demanding technical requirements and evolving development schedules.

• Lead major negotiations and ensure contracts address scope, technical annexes, delivery milestones, acceptance, intellectual property and change management.

• Monitor supplier performance and lead recovery plans for critical delivery or technical issues.

• Assess supply risks, including single-source dependencies, capacity constraints and long-lead items.

Development Procurement

• Own procurement activities from early supplier engagement and RFQs through contract execution and delivery.

• Work with Engineering and program teams to establish clear procurement packages and realistic sourcing schedules.

• Ensure technical requirements and changes flow into supplier contracts with appropriate cost and schedule visibility.

• Support prototype builds, test campaigns and successive hardware iterations.

• Coordinate test hardware and test-stand requirements with the indirect procurement and DMP teams, assigning clear ownership for each package.

• Ensure procurement activity follows company sourcing, approval and quality requirements.

Strategic Leadership

• Maintain an integrated procurement plan for Scirocco, Storm and assigned future programs.

• Allocate team capacity according to approved program milestones and company priorities.

• Develop supplier capability for progression from development hardware toward repeatable manufacture.

• Identify opportunities to reuse suppliers, contractual approaches and purchasing experience across programs.

• Resolve resource and supplier conflicts with the Nyx procurement lead, escalating decisions that could affect Nyx delivery.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead and develop the Principal Storm Procurement role and the procurement managers responsible for lunar lander and future-program activities.

• Delegate Storm procurement leadership to the Principal Storm Procurement, with the Storm Procurement Manager reporting through that role.

• Set clear accountability for supplier strategy, negotiations, execution and escalation.

• Work closely with Engineering, program leadership, Quality, Finance and the other procurement leads.

• Provide the Head of Procurement with a consolidated assessment of delivery risks, commercial exposure and required decisions.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Significant procurement experience supporting complex hardware development in aerospace, propulsion or a comparable engineering environment.

• Experience negotiating technically demanding development and manufacturing contracts.

• Demonstrated experience leading procurement teams and managing suppliers through changing requirements.

• Experience supporting prototype builds, testing or the transition from development into production.

Skills

• Strong technical understanding and the ability to challenge incomplete or ambiguous requirements constructively.

• Advanced negotiation and commercial risk management skills.

• Ability to manage technical annexes, contractual flow-down and change-control exposure.

• Sound judgment when balancing development speed, cost, quality and delivery.

• Ability to develop senior procurement professionals and delegate meaningful ownership.

• Clear, concise communication of risks, options and recommendations.

• Experience developing engines or propulsion systems for Spacecraft is a strong plus

Why Join Us

• Help deliver Nyx Earth and develop the capabilities behind TEC’s future vehicles and engines.

• Take ownership of a procurement function with a direct impact on company milestones.

• Lead and develop a team in a collaborative, international engineering environment.

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:  

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind 

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them  

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?  

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly. 
The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.  

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.
If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.