📄Procurement & Contracts Manager

Position Overview

As our first Procurement & Contracts Manager, your primary mission is to protect TZLA from supply chain collapse and legal exposure. You will be the architect of our supply resilience, transitioning us from reactive crisis management to a defensible, scalable operation. This is a foundational role: you will build the systems, partnerships, and strategies from the ground up to ensure we have the right parts, from the right vendors, at the right time, while safeguarding the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Supply Chain Risk Mitigation (60%)

• Qualify alternate suppliers and implement dual-sourcing for single-source components to de-risk our production line.

• Execute emergency procurement and expedited logistics to resolve critical supply shortages that threaten production timelines.

• Own the supplier risk register, maintaining contingency plans for all critical components.

• Restructure vendor and PMA agreements to minimize legal and regulatory liability.

• Process & System Creation (40%)

• Build the Foundation: Establish and own the centralized vendor database, contract repository, and procurement SOPs from scratch.

• Deliver Data Insights: Launch spend analytics and inventory reporting (ABC classification, reorder points) to drive decision-making with the Operations and Finance teams.

• Manage Relationships: Define performance metrics (SLAs, KPIs) for strategic vendors and conduct quarterly business reviews to ensure quality and reliability.

• Plan for Scale: Design the future organizational structure for the supply chain team and the tools they will need.

Who You Are (Qualifications)

• Required Skills & Mindset:

• A proven "builder" who thrives in ambiguity and can create structure where none exists.

• 5+ years in procurement or supply chain, with experience in manufacturing or hardware.

• Expertise in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation (drafting and redlining), and supplier risk management.

• Analytical and hands-on, with a bias for action and a track record of reliable crisis management.

• Excellent communicator, able to work with executives, vendors, and workshop technicians.

• Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Familiarity with PMA or alternative legal structures.

• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

• Experience with safety-critical or electrical component sourcing.

Our Stack

You'll be building our processes using: Notion (SOPs, databases), InFlow (inventory/POs), Telegram (comms), and AI tools (MyAskAI, Castmagic) for knowledge management.

Why TZLA?

This isn't just a job; it's a mission-critical role in a pioneering company. You will have the autonomy to build a vital function from the ground up, with a direct and visible impact on our survival and growth. We offer a unique culture, incredible learning opportunities, and the chance to work with groundbreaking technology.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a cover letter that addresses:

1. A complex sourcing or supply crisis you led and how you resolved it.

2. Your experience standing up a process or system where little existed before.

Include "PROCURE2025" in your application.