We are building an AI-native manufacturing marketplace, transforming how the best companies get custom parts manufactured in the U.S. There aren’t many early stage companies where you’ll get work with industry titans like Apple, Anduril and NASA, solving their critical production challenges, but you will at Vendra. We accelerate lead times, de-risk supply chains, and on-shore production, especially across aerospace, defense, and other critical industries.

Our vision is to become the only resource a hardware company ever turns to when they need hardware manufactured. We’re backed by Y Combinator and top investors, and we’re building a team to ship fast and solve hard problems as we continue to scale fast.

Vendra is registered under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and supports U.S. government and defense programs. This role is restricted to U.S. Persons (22 CFR §120.62) located in the United States.

What we’re looking for

We’re expanding our operations team with a Supply Chain Manager to own the discovery, qualification, and onboarding of new CNC machine shops across the United States.

Vendra’s customer demand is growing - particularly in aerospace & defense - and we need to continuously expand and improve our network of high-quality U.S. manufacturers with available capacity. This is a high impact, “boots on the ground” role that directly influences Vendra’s ability to scale.

What you’ll do

1. Expand Vendra’s U.S. CNC Machining Supplier Network
   • Build a strong pipeline of qualified 3-, 4-, and 5-axis shops
   • Target suppliers aligned with aerospace, defense, and high-spec hardware requirements
   • Evaluate supplier capabilities, capacity, and specialization (materials, tolerances, part size, finishing, etc.)
   • Travel to visit key shops and build long-term relationships
2. Own Supplier Qualification & Onboarding
   • Evaluate suppler capability and quality through reviews and test parts
   • Assess quality systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, documentation controls, etc.)
   • Validate ability to meet traceability, documentation, and compliance requirements (ITAR/EAR, certs, FAIRs, etc.)
   • Ensure suppliers are fully production-ready before receiving high-value RFQs and orders
3. Build and Optimize Vendra’s Supplier Network
   • Understand real-time supplier capacity, technical strengths, and constraints across our network
   • Identify capability gaps (large-format machining, tight GD&T performance, specific materials or finishes, etc.)
   • Collect and analyze supplier performance metrics (on-time delivery, quality, quoting speed, communication, program complexity, etc.)
   • Feed structured performance data back into Vendra’s supplier matching system to improve how RFQs are routed and matched to the best-fit shop

What success looks like (in order of importance)

• Supplier quality and on-time delivery remain extremely high as we scale
• Vendra consistently has the capacity to support customer demand without bottlenecks
• New CNC shops are onboarded quickly and become reliable production partners
• We have strong geographic and capability coverage across the U.S.
• Our supplier base becomes a long-term strategic advantage

What the ideal candidate looks like

• 3-7 years of experience in supply chain, sourcing, manufacturing operations, or supplier management
• Experience working directly with CNC machine shops or precision manufacturers
• Strong understanding of machining processes, tolerances, materials, and finishes
• Comfortable reviewing technical drawings and assessing manufacturability
• Experience qualifying suppliers in regulated environments (aerospace/defense preferred)
• Willingness to travel to visit suppliers in person

Nice to have (not required)

• Experience working with aerospace, defense, robotics, or advanced hardware companies
• Familiarity with regulated manufacturing environments (ITAR/EAR, AS9100, traceability, FAI reports, etc.)
• Background in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, or industrial operations

Why should you join Vendra?

• You’ll be shaping the sales and customer trajectory to build a category-defining company in manufacturing
• You’ll work in an environment where your contributions will have immediate, tangible impact on revenue and success
• You will have tremendous growth opportunities because we want our early hires to lead future organizations

Frontend: React, TypeScript. Backend: Node.js, Python. ML and Agents: OpenAI, Claude, fine tuned models, custom LLM orchestration. Infra: AWS, Postgres, Redis, S3, Vercel, Docker. Data: Real time quote intelligence, supplier availability, historical manufacturing performance.