NPI Sourcing Manager
Key Skills
Job Description
Bridge design and scale. Sourcing key radar hardware – from prototypes to volume production.
As our NPI Sourcing Manager, you lead the strategic sourcing and outsourcing of critical hardware that powers our radars. You work side-by-side with R&D, Production, Quality, and Sales – bringing suppliers into the early design stages to ensure manufacturability and cost efficiency. Reporting to the Head of Procurement, your work guarantees that complex radar hardware moves seamlessly from early prototype to full commercial scale.
What you'll do
Early supplier integration and DFM: Involve key suppliers early in the NPI process. Enforce Design for Manufacturability, Design for Cost, and Design for Supply Chain.
Strategic category and project sourcing: Supervise strategic acquisition and outsourcing projects aligned with our product portfolio. Manage both tactical and strategic hardware categories to meet business targets.
Supplier evaluation and negotiation: Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with global suppliers for specialized radar components. Source microelectronics, RF electronics, custom enclosures, and computing modules.
Cost analysis and risk mitigation: Lead "should-cost" analyses and secure tooling assets. Establish dual-sourcing and mitigation strategies for critical single-source radar hardware.
Commercial contracting and lifecycle management: Guide sourcing through stage-gate phases from EVT and DVT to volume production. Formulate commercial agreements, NDAs, and Master Supply Agreements covering pricing, lead times, and quality.
Quality alignment and continuous improvement: Partner with Quality, Manufacturing, and Logistics on First Article Inspections and ERP data integration. Challenge suppliers constructively to boost our overall supply chain efficiency KPIs.
What you bring
BA, MSc, or HBO in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
3+ years of purchasing and strategic sourcing experience in high-tech manufacturing
Proven track record negotiating complex commercial agreements while maintaining strong supplier relationships
Solid understanding of industrial sourcing processes and stage-gate development lifecycles
Fluent English, both spoken and written (basic Dutch is a plus)[cite: 1, 2]
Analytical thinker who adapts easily to a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Structured, accurate, and comfortable maintaining overview across multiple priority projects
Proactive team player with strong cross-cultural communication skills
Willing to travel internationally up to 20% of the time
N.B. Don't worry if you don't tick every box. Our mission is a journey, and there's plenty to learn along the way. If most of this fits, we'd love to hear from you.
A Certificate of Conduct (VOG) and a background check are part of our screening process. We appreciate your understanding.
What we offer
Working for a Great Place to Work® certified company;
Comprehensive pension plan;
Commuting allowance;
30 days of paid holiday leave (with the possibility to buy 3 additional days);
Opportunities to develop your skills even further through training and certifications;
High quality laptop/desktop, monitor, headphones, and any other equipment necessary for your role;
An international team of 30+ nationalities, full of high performance colleagues you can exchange experiences with and learn from. As well as having a lot of fun in our social events and Friday drinks!
Robin Radar is a technology leader in tracking and classifying small objects. Our radars and software help prevent bird strikes in aviation, reduce the impact of wind farms on wildlife, and protect critical infrastructure from drone threats. Our work shows up at airports, wind farms, military sites and nature reserves around the world.
We're one of the top 10 fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands, with a crew of bright minds across 30+ nationalities. Growth doesn't mean we lose the plot – eyes on the skies, feet on the ground. Our values keep us grounded: WE TRUST. WE OWN IT. WE AIM HIGH.
Want to work on next-level radar tech, solve real problems, and never have to pretend your job has meaning?
You'll fit right in – we're saving you a seat.
Core Responsibilities
The NPI Sourcing Manager leads the strategic sourcing and outsourcing of critical radar hardware from prototype to volume production. They collaborate with R&D, production, and quality teams to ensure manufacturability, cost efficiency, and effective supplier integration.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field and possess at least 3 years of experience in high-tech strategic sourcing. Strong negotiation skills, familiarity with stage-gate development lifecycles, and fluency in English are required.
Benefits
- Great Place to Work certified company
- Comprehensive pension plan
- Commuting allowance
- 30 days of paid holiday leave
- Training and certifications
- High quality equipment
- Social events and Friday drinks
About Robin Radar
Industry: Defense and Space Manufacturing
Company size: 51-200 employees
We’re Robin Radar Systems, and we have you covered. Robin is a Netherlands-based technology leader in bird and drone radar. Our mission is to provide actionable information that increases safety, for humans and wildlife alike. Our systems are built for accuracy, delivering 360° coverage and early warnings. They empower teams in aviation, ecology, defence and security with reliable updates and alerts of potential hazards. We do that by combining cutting-edge hardware with smart software. Our technologies may be ahead of the pack, but our people make us great. Looking for an innovative adventure that spans the globe? Join ours! https://www.robinradar.com/careers Bird Strike Prevention in Aviation Our bird radar systems monitor and store bird movements around the clock. With MAX, you get 3D, 360° awareness, 365 days a year. As well as bringing awareness to a whole new level, our radars provide key insights, like data trends and activity hotspots, to assess and strengthen strategies and KPIs. Bird Monitoring at Wind Farms Increasingly, permits to build wind farms are given under the pre-condition that bird movements are continuously monitored before, during and after construction. Our 3D avian radars simultaneously detect and log thousands of birds and bats, providing extensive reporting for your wind farm’s smooth development and operation. MAX can even detect the beginning of mass migrations and, if needed, trigger the temporary shutdown of single or groups of turbines. Protect wildlife, minimise downtime. Drone Detection in Critical Environments Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or ‘drones’ bring new opportunities, but also severe safety and security threats. We believe advanced detection is your first line of defence, so our systems are deployable, integrate seamlessly, and provide 360° coverage, even on the move. Our purpose-built drone detection radar, IRIS, can detect, track, and automatically distinguish birds from drones.