Sr. Manager Supply Chain - Rare Earth and Critical Materials Management

Job ID: 114347 
Location: Remote supporting our locations in FL, TX, and CA

Schedule: 9/80 with travel as needed

 

The Electro Optical Infrared Systems (EOIS) line of business within DRS has locations in Dallas and Austin, TX, Melbourne, FL, and Cypress, CA.  EOIS develops, manufactures, and supports infrared and electro-optical solutions for soldiers, ground vehicles and airborne platforms.  We offer an exciting and challenging work environment, a competitive salary and benefits package, and a business culture that rewards performance. 

 

 Employing the world’s brightest. Supporting the world’s bravest.

Job Summary

The Supply Chain Leader – Rare Earth and Critical Materials Mitigation is responsible for proactively identifying, assessing, and reducing supply chain risk for rare earth elements (REE) and other critical materials used across products and programs. This role leads mitigation strategy development and execution, drives cross-functional alignment, and ensures continuity of supply through alternate sourcing, supplier development, substitution roadmaps, and contractual and inventory strategies.

Job Responsibilities

Strategy, Risk Identification, and Mitigation Execution

•Develop and own the enterprise/program mitigation strategy for REE and other critical materials (e.g., gallium, germanium, graphite, tungsten, tantalum, cobalt, lithium, indium, magnesium, nickel, antimony, tin, titanium sponge, specialty alloys). •Build and maintain a critical material risk register with prioritization based on supply concentration, geopolitical exposure, single/sole source dependencies, lead times, demand volatility, and quality/qualification constraints. •Lead mitigation plans that may include: •qualifying alternate suppliers (domestic and allied sources as applicable) •qualifying alternate parts/material grades and authorized substitutes •redesign/substitution roadmaps with Engineering •supplier capacity expansion and long-term agreements •safety stock, strategic buys, and buffer inventory policies •recycling/reclamation and closed-loop sourcing options •Drive execution cadence (weekly/monthly) with measurable milestones, action owners, and program-level reporting.

Supplier and Market Management

•Map multi-tier supply chains to the smelter/refiner level where feasible; identify points of concentration and upstream bottlenecks. •Develop supplier engagement plans, including transparency requirements (origin, processing location, capacity, allocation rules, and recovery plans). •Conduct supplier risk assessments and support supplier development initiatives to improve resilience, capacity, and delivery performance. •Monitor market intelligence for pricing, export controls, sanctions, capacity announcements, disruptions, and competitor demand signals; translate insights into sourcing actions.

Cross-Functional Program Leadership

•Partner with Engineering, Program Management, Quality, Manufacturing, Compliance, and Contracts to implement risk reduction actions without compromising performance, certification, or schedule. •Lead material availability reviews for major bids/program baselines; ensure risks and costs are reflected in proposals, schedules, and material strategies. •Coordinate qualification and change-control activities (PPAP/FAI, source changes, material substitutions, waivers/deviations as needed). •Provide executive-ready summaries and decision briefings (risk posture, mitigation progress, funding needs, and residual risk).

Compliance, Traceability, and Governance

•Ensure alignment with applicable customer and regulatory requirements related to origin, traceability, specialty metals, conflict minerals, and controlled materials. •Establish governance for critical material sourcing decisions, including documentation, approvals, and audit-ready records. •Support internal and customer audits with evidence of supply chain due diligence and mitigation actions.

Financial and Operational Ownership

•Develop should-cost and total cost of ownership views for mitigation options (LTAs, strategic inventory, alternate sources, or redesign). •Quantify cost/schedule impacts of constraints and mitigation paths; support business cases and funding requests. •Define and track KPIs such as coverage, time-to-mitigate, sole-source count reduction, qualification cycle time, supplier on-time delivery, and inventory health.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

•Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience). •8+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, sourcing, materials management, or supplier management; experience in regulated manufactur