Procurement Manager

Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis. 

Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment. 

We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members. 

We are looking for a Procurement Manager to lead procurement strategy, build out centralized procurement processes and systems, and own vendor relationships with Urban Sky’s key suppliers. In this role you will partner deeply with the critical suppliers whose materials, components, and capabilities directly impact our product quality, production timelines, and mission readiness, while designing the procurement processes and systems needed to scale the function. You will own the relationships with our most important vendors, drive supplier compliance, and establish the procurement infrastructure needed to support current and future purchasing needs. As a manager-level individual contributor, you will have significant autonomy and the ability to make a strong impact across departments, with the potential to build a team over time.

Strategic Sourcing, Processes & Systems

• →Lead sourcing efforts for Urban Sky’s production materials and components while partnering with other teams on broader procurement needs.
• →Identify, evaluate, and qualify new suppliers; develop and maintain a strategic sourcing roadmap aligned with production scaling plans and the R&D pipeline.
• →Lead the evaluation and implementation of systems to automate procurement processes. Build out scalable procurement processes that support operational and business objectives in a fast-growing setting.
• →Develop and document standard operating procedures for the procurement function, ensuring consistency, auditability, and ease of onboarding as the team grows. Help define purchasing policies, approval thresholds, and delegation-of-authority frameworks.

Vendor Relationship Management:

• →Serve as the primary relationship owner for Urban Sky’s key suppliers, acting as the strategic point of contact, conducting regular business reviews, and fostering long-term partnerships built on mutual accountability and continuous improvement.
• →Negotiate pricing, lead times, and contractual terms with key suppliers to optimize cost, quality, and delivery. Manage supplier contracts including NDAs, MSAs, quality agreements, and long-term supply agreements.
• →Proactively identify and resolve supply chain risks through close collaboration with vendor partners and development of alternative sourcing strategies.

Forecasting & Procurement Operations:

• →Partner with Sales, Manufacturing and Engineering to develop procurement plans that balance materials availability with cash flow management, ensuring production readiness without overcommitting working capital.
• →Forecast purchasing, align procurement with production schedules, and track key metrics including supplier scorecards, spend analysis, cost savings, and on-time delivery rates.
• →Establish the reporting cadence and dashboards needed to give leadership visibility into procurement performance, supplier health, and spend forecasting.

Compliance & Government Procurement:

• →Lay the groundwork for a FAR/DFARS-compliant procurement process, partnering with Finance to develop the policies, procedures, and documentation frameworks needed to support Urban Sky’s growing defense and government contract portfolio.
• →Create and maintain procurement documentation standards consistent with government audit requirements.
• →Work with the Quality team to drive supplier quality management in alignment with AS9100 requirements. Support management of the approved supplier list, including initial qualification, periodic audits, and ongoing performance monitoring.

• 7+ years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management, with at least 3 years in a senior individual contributor or manager-level capacity within aerospace, defense, or a related hardware-intensive industry.
• Demonstrated experience managing strategic vendor relationships, with a track record of building strong, trust-based supplier partnerships and achieving cost savings while maintaining quality.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating cross-functionally with partners across Finance, Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, and Engineering.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and procurement tools, including hands-on experience implementing, configuring, or significantly improving procure-to-pay workflows and demand forecasting capabilities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Experience at a small or emerging aerospace/defense hardware company, including building or significantly scaling procurement functions and processes.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 supplier quality requirements and FAR/DFARS procurement compliance, including experience implementing or managing compliant purchasing processes.
• Experience with CPSR preparation.
• Experience with ITAR/EAR export control considerations as they apply to supplier qualification and contracting.
• CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent professional certification.

• Must be US Citizen or Permanent Resident 
• Must be located near Denver, CO or willing to relocate to Denver, CO
  • Our office is at 4800 Race St. In Denver, CO and this role is on-site