---
title: 'Buyer - Directs (Contract) at Humanoid'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-directs-contract-humanoid-us-boston-9wx22jc3d372'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-03'
---

# Buyer - Directs (Contract) at Humanoid

- **Company:** [Humanoid](https://feeny.ai/companies/humanoid)
- **Location:** US Boston, MA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-03
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid/ad93cc97-6286-4358-9513-11d651541f43

## Job description

Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 Alpha - our rapidly developed humanoid platform now running in real industrial pilots - and we’re growing the team to take it even further.

## ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a Buyer - Directs for an operational procurement role focused on P2P execution, supplier communication, and tactical sourcing support across Humanoid’s direct material commodity. The role supports the SCM Lead, you will partner with teams in London, Boston, and Vancouver in delivering continuity of supply, cost performance, and operational excellence across Mechanical, Electronics, Electromechanical, Cables & Harnessing, and Software commodities

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Conduct market research to identify cost‑saving opportunities and understand price trends and supply risks.
- Support sourcing initiatives, including RFx processes, negotiations, and contract execution.
- Drive cost, lead‑time, and efficiency improvements with measurable KPIs.
- Capture business requirements and translate them into clear commercial packages.
- Negotiate optimal commercial terms (pricing, payment terms, lead times, Ts & Cs).
- Conduct price analysis and cost‑breakdown validation to ensure fair and equitable pricing.
- Process requisitions and purchase orders in line with procurement policies.
- Maintain accurate PO and supplier data within SAP and associated systems.
- Resolve supplier performance issues, discrepancies and understand the escalation process
- Communicate to internal stakeholders as appropriate.
- Minimize risk to continuity of supply by carrying out supplier risk assessments for the portfolio’s suppliers and implementing corrective actions as required.
- Support continuous improvement of procurement processes, documentation, and tools.
- Deliver KPI’s relating to cost, cash, quality, service and continuity of supply for the commodity proposals.
- Run MRP (SAP) and ensure timely availability of direct goods and services.
- Experience of implementing Supplier Relationship Management techniques / tools with suppliers (RMMs, Score Cards, Monthly Performance Reviews (MPRs), Communications Plans, Risk Management, DnB report, Sanctions list etc.)
- Support Production, Engineering, Quality, and Planning teams to meet manufacturing needs.
- Directly support the SCM Lead in the regional area

This role supports the Commodity teams in sourcing activities but does not own commodity strategy or supplier selection decisions

## WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

- 3+ years of direct procurement experience, ideally in manufacturing, robotics, technology, aerospace/defense or automotive.
- Proven experience working within scaling direct procurement functions.
- Degree in Business, Law, Engineering, or related field.
- APICS/ASCM CPIM or ISM-CPSM certification desirable.
- Strong understanding of contract law, commercial terms, and negotiation frameworks.
- Awareness of export controls (including EAR) relevant to robotics and technology.

Technical Skills

- Proficient in Google Workspace, Slack, and database management.
- Experience with MRP/ERP systems; SAP essential.
- Good analytical, numerical, and planning capabilities
- A good understanding of the Legal Aspects associated with contracting within the Robotics industry
- Procure-2-Pay and tactical procurement experience (Essential) across the following direct commodities pillars
- Mechanical Systems
- Electronics & Electrical
- Electromechanical Systems
- Cables & Harnessing
- Software & Digital Licensing (P2P support)

Behavioral Skills

- Good negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder‑management skills.
- Ability to work cross‑functionally in a fast‑paced, engineering‑driven environment.
- Highly organized, adaptable, and able to manage shifting priorities.
- Professional, motivated, and able to operate autonomously.

## WHAT WE OFFER

- Competitive hourly rate, based on experience
- Office perks: free breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and regular team events
- Collaboration with top-tier engineers, researchers, and product experts in robotics
- Startup culture prioritizing speed, transparency, and minimal bureaucracy

## About Humanoid

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Humanoid builds commercially scalable, safe, and reliable humanoid robots designed to automate labor-intensive industrial tasks across warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and retail.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: London, United Kingdom (HQ) with offices in Cambridge, MA, USA; Burnaby, BC, Canada; and additional presence in Germany, Georgia, and the UAE.
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Artem Sokolov (CEO & Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics Engineering, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2B / Enterprise — industrial sectors including retail, e-commerce, third-party logistics (3PL), manufacturing, and automotive.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Empowering humanity by building the most reliable, safe, and helpful humanoid robots.” The company aims to free people from repetitive, dangerous, and tedious work, allowing them to engage in more creative and meaningful activities.

## Products & Services
- **HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled**: A robust industrial-grade wheeled humanoid robot designed for material handling, pick-and-place, and visual inspection in warehouses and factories. Prioritizes reliability, low total cost of ownership (TCO), and minimal maintenance.
- **HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal**: A bipedal humanoid robot for more complex environments requiring advanced locomotion, navigation of confined spaces, and higher dexterity. Features human-level manipulation speeds and walking speeds up to 1.5 m/s.
- **KinetIQ**: An AI framework for orchestrating fleets of humanoid robots across both wheeled and bipedal platforms, enabling centralized control and task optimization.
- **Modular Garments**: Exchangeable protective “garments” that allow HMND 01 robots to adapt to different use cases and environments, minimizing contamination and collision damage while enabling functional customization.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$50 million** (Seed round closed October 2025, with 1 lead investor).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Strategic partners include leading global companies in AI, cloud computing, and research. Specific partner names are not publicly listed on the website, but the company highlights collaboration with commercial partners to scale deployment.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew **139.2% YoY** to ~182 employees (as of mid-2026), with 65 active job postings.
  - Opened offices in London, Boston, and Vancouver within its first year.
  - Team includes talent recruited from major robotics and AI firms: Sanctuary AI, Boston Dynamics, Dyson, Arrival, Ocado Technology, 1X, Wayve, Apptronik, and Brain Corp.
  - Focus on initial target sectors representing a combined $12 trillion in annual payroll and 250 million workers.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Human-centric design**: The world is already designed for humans, so humanoids can seamlessly integrate into existing environments without costly redesign.
- **Modularity**: HMND 01’s hardware/software modularity enables multi-task performance and easy repurposing, reducing the need for specialized robots.
- **Reliability & low TCO**: Prioritizing hardware and software stability over raw performance to deliver industrial-grade robustness suitable for mass commercialization.
- **KinetIQ fleet orchestration AI**: Proprietary framework for managing mixed fleets of wheeled and bipedal robots, differentiating from competitors focused on single-form-factor robots.
- **Experienced leadership**: CEO Artem Sokolov previously scaled a family manufacturing business into a billion-dollar enterprise (EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021). The CTO, Jarad Cannon, has extensive experience translating research into deployment-ready robotics systems.

## Strategic Focus
- **Near-term (2027)**: Deploy robots for physical tasks in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and retail — tackling repetitive, dangerous, and tedious manual work.
- **Medium-term (2029)**: Expand into the service sector, targeting the 70-80% of the global economy that will be services, with a focus on assisting an aging population (1.4B people over 60).
- **Long-term (2031+)**: Enter households as assistants and companions, potentially revolutionizing everyday life across 3.5 billion homes.
- **Core strategy**: Partner with leading global companies in AI, cloud, and research for technology development, and with commercial partners for scaled deployment. The company believes the humanoid TAM will reach $38 billion by 2035 and $1 trillion by 2050.

## Why Work Here
- **High-growth environment**: Company grew headcount by 139% in a single year, indicating rapid scaling and opportunity for career advancement. 65+ open roles suggest strong hiring momentum.
- **Talent from top robotics firms**: Team includes alumni from Boston Dynamics, Sanctuary AI, Dyson, Ocado Technology, Arrival, Wayve, and others — offering a deep learning and collaboration environment.
- **Technical focus**: Engineering and technical roles represent 38% of the workforce, with senior-level hires at 23% of the team. The company emphasizes hardware, AI, machine learning, and control systems.
- **Mission-driven**: Clear purpose to automate undesirable, unsafe, and repetitive work — appealing to candidates who want to make a tangible societal impact.
- **Global presence**: Offices in London (HQ), Cambridge (USA), and Burnaby (Canada), plus operations in 16 countries — offering potential for international mobility and remote collaboration.
- **Innovation culture**: Described as a place where engineers and researchers “move from demo to deployment” and “not just in the lab.” The CTO emphasizes building systems that perform in the real world from day one.
- **Office/Hybrid policy**: Not explicitly stated, but the company has physical offices in three countries and a distributed team across 16 nations — likely supports hybrid/remote with in-office collaboration for engineering roles.

## Sources
1. [thehumanoid.ai](https://thehumanoid.ai/)
2. [thehumanoid.ai/about-us/](https://thehumanoid.ai/about-us/)
3. [thehumanoid.ai/team/](https://thehumanoid.ai/team/)
4. [thehumanoid.ai/careers/](https://thehumanoid.ai/careers/)
5. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanoidai)
6. [Jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/humanoid)

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