Base Power · Austin
Hardware & ElectricalSupply ChainFullTimeposted 7w ago
Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.
Base is looking for a Global Supply Manager to own our commercial relationships with the contract manufacturers who build electromechanical top-level assemblies. You own total delivered cost of the finished unit: labor, value-add, configuration control, and ramp readiness, across every CM in the network.
Nearly every other commodity GSM at Base, Plastics, Harnesses, Cells, Board Electricals, Metals, and PCBA, feeds into the assemblies you're accountable for. That makes this a coordination-heavy seat: you're the one holding total unit cost, on-time CM delivery, and a multi-source assembly network to the same standard as Base scales from 1 GW to 3 GW.
Own the commercial relationship with every contract manufacturer assembling Base products: master services agreements, statements of work, labor and value-add negotiation, NRE terms, capacity commits, and quality escalations
Build and own the should-cost model for every assembly, decomposing station cycle time, direct labor, indirect burden, overhead, and margin, then use it to roll up total delivered cost across the full BOM and drive year-over-year cost reduction at the unit level
Lead RFx from scoping through award for new CM qualification and existing CM re-negotiation
Own configuration control and engineering change management commercially, negotiating ECO cost recovery, tooling amortization, and NRE terms that protect Base as the product evolves
Manage supplier readiness through ramp: lead times, CM footprint, and capacity, so the network scales with Base rather than becoming the constraint
Partner with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Technical Program Management on BF2 to decide what Base builds in-house versus what stays at the CM, and build the commercial framework for both
Bring clear recommendations on CM awards, contract structures, cost reviews, and supply continuity to engineering, manufacturing, and executive stakeholders
Background sourcing and managing top-level assemblies through contract manufacturers, fluent in labor cost structures, value-add negotiation, and total delivered cost roll-up across a multi-commodity BOM
5+ years in a similar sourcing role
Track record of first-principles negotiation with CMs on labor rates, value-add, NRE, and configuration change cost recovery
Sharp with Excel and financial modeling
Organized, with real project management instincts
Clear, direct communicator, written and verbal
Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities
Willing to travel domestically and internationally, roughly 30% of the time
Experience with EMS or CM relationships in EV, energy storage, consumer electronics, or industrial hardware
Track record of resolving CM escalations at the executive level
Experience with MRP/ERP systems (Odoo, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite)
Ability to learn quickly and prioritize appropriately to meet customer and company needs
Experience with MRP/ERP systems (Odoo, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite)
Our supply chain team is responsible for sourcing components, managing manufacturing operations, and building the vendor relationships needed to produce and deliver the lowest-cost, highest-quality home battery systems at scale. That means optimizing landed costs through global sourcing, ramping domestic manufacturing, and developing supplier partnerships that hold up under pressure.
The work has direct impact - homeowners across the country rely on Base for whole-home backup and below-market electricity rates, while our aggregated storage supports grid stability at a moment when demand is accelerating from AI infrastructure, electrification, and extreme weather. We're building the supply foundation to keep pace, manufacturing in-house and expanding nationally at speeds and costs incumbents can't match.
Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.
First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.
Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.
Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.
Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.
Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.
Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in-person. It’s not a 9-to-5. We are all-in.
Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.