Supply Chain & Sourcing Manager
At Mentee Robotics, we are redefining humanoid automation with an AI-first approach - combining perception, reasoning, and dexterous manipulation into fully autonomous systems that continuously learn and adapt.
We are now expanding with a new robotics Engineering center in China, working hand-in-hand with our engineering teams in headquarters. Its mission: to rapidly develop our next-generation full-size humanoid and bring it to life - a walking, working platform that becomes the foundation of our next generation of products. This is a small, senior, hands-on team where speed of iteration is the core value.
We are looking for a Supply Chain & Sourcing Manager to be the commercial engine of our lab. You will source motors, gears, bearings, PCBs, sensors, and machined parts from China's robotics supply ecosystem at prototype speed - days, not months - while building the supplier relationships that will carry us toward production.
Who you are?
- Technical sourcing expert with an engineering background and extensive experience in supplier development and procurement.
- Pragmatic and fast - you know when a Taobao part is good enough and when it is not
- Quality-minded: you catch supplier problems before they reach the robot
Responsibilities:
- Own supplier identification, evaluation, and management for all robot components: motors, reducers, bearings, encoders, PCBs, harnesses, machined and printed parts
- Run fast-turn procurement for the lab, including expedited fabrication of custom mechanical and electronic parts
- Establish quality oversight: incoming inspection criteria, supplier audits, and corrective-action loops
- Manage production planning and coordination with manufacturing partners for small-batch builds
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, and IP/NDA terms with suppliers
- Track BOM cost and availability; flag supply risks to the program early
- Support logistics and export processes for global shipments
Requirements:
- 8+ years in sourcing/supply chain for robotics, automation, drones, automotive, or consumer electronics in China
- Working knowledge of mechanical and electronic components - able to read drawings and specs and talk credibly with engineers and suppliers
- Demonstrated experience with fast prototype procurement, not only mass-production sourcing
- Strong negotiation skills and supplier network in motors, gears, and PCB/PCBA
- Fluent English and fluent Mandarin
Advantages:
- Existing relationships with actuator-chain suppliers (e.g., Shuanghuan, Kinco, harmonic/planetary gear makers)
- Experience supporting an R&D site of a foreign company
- Familiarity with export compliance for robotics hardware
