Job Description
Who We Are Sauron protects your family and home, bringing the innovations of autonomous robots and self-driving cars to residential security. Our team is led by veteran operators and engineers, alumni of Sonos, Paypal, Tesla, Apple, and Google. Sauron has raised an $27M seed round led by A* and Atomic with participation from other leading venture capital firms. The Role We’re hiring a Head of Supply Chain to own and build our entire supply chain function, with a primary focus on developing and managing deep relationships with contract manufacturers (CMs), suppliers, and strategic partners. This is a zero-to-one leadership role. You will define how we source, build, and scale physical products—balancing speed, cost, quality, and resilience. This role reports directly to the CEO. What You’ll Do Contract Manufacturer Strategy & Relationships Identify, evaluate, and onboard contract manufacturers across regions (U.S., Mexico, Asia, etc.) Build and maintain executive-level relationships with CM partners Negotiate MSAs, pricing, capacity allocation, and long-term agreements Act as the primary point of accountability for CM performance (quality, delivery, cost) Supply Chain Architecture Design and implement end-to-end supply chain strategy (sourcing → production → fulfillment) Develop multi-sourcing strategies to reduce risk and increase flexibility Build systems for demand planning, forecasting, and inventory management Scaling Production Partner with engineering and operations to transition from prototype to mass production Drive DFM (Design for Manufacturing) and DFX improvements with suppliers Ensure rapid iteration cycles while maintaining production stability Supplier Network Development Source and qualify critical component suppliers Build strategic supplier partnerships for key technologies and components Monitor supplier health, geopolitical risk, and long-term viability Cost & Performance Optimization Own COGS cost targets and continuous cost reduction efforts Implement KPIs and dashboards for supply chain performance Drive operational excellence across vendors and internal teams Cross-Functional Leadership Work closely with hardware, firmware, and product teams Partner with finance on budgeting, forecasting, and unit economics Build and lead the supply chain team over time What We’re Looking For 8–15+ years of experience in supply chain, manufacturing, or operations within the consumer electronics space (with a mix of operational scale and early stage startup experience) Deep experience working with top tier contract manufacturers Proven track record scaling hardware products from NPI to volume production Strong negotiation experience with suppliers and manufacturing partners Experience operating in fast-paced, high-growth environments (startup or high-growth business unit) You likely have: Built or significantly scaled a supply chain function from scratch Managed global supplier networks and manufacturing footprints Strong intuition for balancing speed vs. cost vs. quality Comfort operating with ambiguity and high ownership Bonus Points Experience with robotics and camera systems, AI hardware, or complex electromechanical systems Background in both domestic and international manufacturing ecosystems Experience navigating tariffs, trade regulations, and geopolitical constraints Prior experience hiring and leading high-performing supply chain teams What Success Looks Like Reliable, scalable manufacturing pipeline with strong CM partnerships Clear visibility into cost, timelines, and risks across the supply chain Ability to rapidly iterate hardware without breaking production Supply chain becomes a strategic advantage, not a bottleneck We Value The Power of "We": “Align, then Accelerate” We celebrate as a team and troubleshoot as a team. The goal is the mission, not the credit. High Challenge, Low Ego: "Respect the person, debate the idea." Be ruthless with problems, but kind to people. Raise the bar, lower the shield Speak up: "Silence is a setback." Your perspective is a requirement, not a suggestion. Speak the hard truths early so we can fix them fast.