Senior Sourcing Specialist – Germany Operations & Manufacturing

The role

This person will support sourcing and procurement activities for the Aachen manufacturing and operations site. They will manage supplier relationships, execute commercial negotiations, and procure equipment, materials, and services for manufacturing, engineering, and facilities.

What you will do

• Support sourcing and procurement activities for the Aachen manufacturing and operations site.
• Source and purchase production capital equipment, manufacturing consumables, laboratory equipment, facilities equipment, MRO supplies, IT equipment, and corporate services.
• Execute RFQs, supplier evaluations, bid analyses, and commercial negotiations.
• Support supplier selection, contract administration, and purchasing activities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with suppliers, contractors, service providers, logistics providers, and equipment vendors.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Engineering teams to procure production equipment, test systems, tooling, and technical services.
• Support Facilities teams with site expansions, facility upgrades, and equipment installations.
• Assist with materials planning, inventory monitoring, and supplier delivery coordination.
• Support logistics coordination including inbound shipments, freight management, and import/export activities.
• Manage purchase requisitions, purchase orders, delivery tracking, and invoice resolution.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, Engineering, Logistics, or a related field.
• 5–8+ years of experience in sourcing, procurement, purchasing operations, supply chain, manufacturing support, or related functions.
• Experience sourcing capital equipment, manufacturing consumables, production materials, MRO supplies, laboratory equipment, or technical products and services.
• Experience negotiating pricing with suppliers and supporting commercial agreements.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, production, engineering, optical communications, laboratory, or industrial operations.
• Familiarity with ERP and procurement systems such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or similar platforms.
• Working knowledge of materials planning, inventory management, and logistics processes.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Fluency in both English and German (written and spoken).
• Experience working with suppliers and service providers throughout Germany and Europe.

Nice to have

• Experience supporting optical communications technologies, electronics, advanced manufacturing, laboratory, or engineering organizations.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations, research laboratories, product development environments, or other technical operating environments.
• Experience sourcing specialized manufacturing equipment, production tooling, laboratory equipment, automation systems, cleanroom equipment, or precision manufacturing technologies.
• Familiarity with technical equipment, precision instrumentation, manufacturing systems, testing equipment, or related industrial technologies.
• Knowledge of European supplier markets, logistics networks, and sourcing practices.
• Experience supporting capital equipment installations, production line expansion projects, facility upgrades, or manufacturing infrastructure initiatives.
• Familiarity with import/export regulations, freight management, and international logistics.
• Experience working within a global, high-growth technology company.
• CPSM, CSCP, CPIM, or similar professional certifications

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Equity
• Benefits

About the company

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) is a pioneering fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Silicon Valley. The company provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions.