--- title: 'Director of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing at Universal Audio' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-procurement-and-strategic-sourcing-universal-audio-domestic-vdjgrdzn4158' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # Director of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing at Universal Audio - **Company:** Universal Audio - **Location:** Domestic, United States / Scotts Valley, CA - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-09-09 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/universalaudio/jobs/4732555005 ## Job description Department: Supply Chain & Operations Reports to: Vice President of Operations Location: Scotts Valley, CA or Remote (United States) The Director of Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is a leadership role responsible for shaping and executing Universal Audio’s global sourcing strategy, supplier ecosystem, and material availability. This position transitions tactical material management into a strategic sourcing engine, optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO), supplier performance, and supply chain resilience to support growth goals. You will lead supplier negotiations, new product introduction, procurement integration, inventory policy optimization, and cross-functional S&OP alignment with Engineering, Finance, and Operations. We are open to candidates in the United States.  Candidates located in commutable distance to our HQ, Scotts Valley, CA are a plus. ## Responsibilities Strategic Sourcing & Category Management - Develop and execute multi-year sourcing strategies across direct electronics, electro-mechanical components, and key Contract Manufacturers (CMs/JCMs). - Direct cost-reduction initiatives through volume leverage, dual-sourcing roadmaps, yield optimization, and should-cost modeling. - Lead contract negotiation and lifecycle management for master service agreements (MSAs), pricing, capacity reservations, and lead-time SLAs. - Conduct supplier risk assessments, capacity modeling, and contingency planning to ensure business continuity. Supply Planning & Inventory Strategy - Partner with Sales, Finance, and Operations on S&OP to translate long-range demand forecasts into execution-ready supply plans. - Establish inventory policies across the global warehouse and CM network, balancing inventory turns, buffer stock, and material availability. - Oversee material flows throughout the product lifecycle, managing Engineering Change Orders (ECO) and End-of-Life (EOL) excess & obsolescence (E&O) risk. Cross-Functional Collaboration & New Product Introduction (NPI) Support - Collaborate with R&D and Engineering during NPI to drive Design for Manufacturability/Cost (DFM/DFC), supplier selection, and early ramp availability. - Align procurement, production, and warehouse teams to standardize material handling, receiving, and inventory control protocols. - Define and measure supplier scorecard KPIs (On-Time In-Full, Quality/Yield, Cost Variance, and Lead Time compliance). Leadership & Organizational Development - Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing sourcing, procurement, and materials planning team. - Drive process maturation, leveraging ERP/MRP tools (NetSuite) to automate replenishment, purchase order workflows, and exception reporting. ## Qualifications - Leadership: 4+ years in a senior management or director-level role leading strategic sourcing and material planning teams. - Technical Expertise: Advanced proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP) and PLM software (e.g., Arena). - Skills: Strong contract law knowledge, advanced financial/analytical modeling skills, and demonstrated success managing Contract Manufacturers (CMs/ODMs) globally. Education/Experience - 10+ years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, and supply chain management experience within high-tech hardware, audio electronics, or consumer electronics manufacturing. - Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or equivalent; MBA or APICS/CPIM certification preferred. UA Salary Range of Pay:  $150,000 - $170,000/year Base salary pay will be based on the cost of labor for the city/state in which the new hire resides, at the time of hire. UA offers competitive benefits:  Profit sharing, Medical/Dental/Vision, 401K Safe Harbor Contribution, Stock Options, Flexible time-off (PTO/Sick Leave/Company Holiday Time-off), etc. UA Mission:  We exist to thrill and inspire music makers everywhere with timeless sound and impeccable craftsmanship, freeing the songs inside and allowing you to sound like the records you love. UA Vision:  In the future, music makers around the world will trust Universal Audio as a friend and creative partner, inspiring them to craft amazing records as naturally as playing their first instrument or singing their favorite song. The best home, project, and professional studios will feature most of the UA equipment from floor to ceiling — ranging from audio interfaces and guitar gear to microphones and software — all of it working together to deliver unrivaled sonics and operational symphony. Our customers will eagerly await each new UA product like a hit record or blockbuster movie, trusting that it may spark them to create the best music of their lives. In doing so, UA will become revered worldwide as the way that music is made. Universal Audio is an equal employment opportunity employer. Our policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. UA also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on these protected categories. ## About Universal Audio ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Universal Audio designs and manufactures professional audio interfaces, analog hardware, and DSP-powered UAD plug-in software for music recording and production. - **Entity Type**: Private - **Headquarters**: Scotts Valley, California, USA - **Founded**: 1958 (as a studio equipment brand; re-founded in its modern form by Bill Putnam Jr. in the late 1990s) - **Founders**: Bill Putnam (original founder of the brand); Bill Putnam Jr. (modern era) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Professional Audio Equipment & Software (Music Technology) - **Target customers**: Musicians, recording engineers, producers, sound designers, and audio post-production professionals (B2C and B2B) - **Mission statement**: "To thrill and inspire music makers everywhere with timeless sound, allowing you to free the songs inside you and sound like the records you love." ## Products & Services - **UAD Audio Interfaces**: Hardware devices (e.g., Apollo, Volt series) that combine high-quality analog conversion with real-time UAD DSP processing for low-latency recording. - **UAD Plug-Ins**: A vast library of software emulations of classic analog hardware (compressors, EQs, reverbs, preamps) that run on UAD DSP hardware or natively. - **Analog Hardware**: Reissues and modern versions of classic analog studio gear (e.g., 1176 compressors, LA-2A, Teletronix) built under license from original brands. - **UAD Spark**: A subscription service offering native (hardware-free) access to a selection of UAD plug-ins. - **LUNA Recording System**: A free, deep-integration DAW (digital audio workstation) designed specifically for Apollo interfaces, offering tape-style recording and summing. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed (private company). - **Key Metric**: Estimated annual revenue in the hundreds of millions; widely considered the market leader in high-end audio interfaces and DSP plug-in ecosystems for project and professional studios. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly disclosed; company is independently owned. - **Growth Signals**: Strong brand loyalty with a passionate customer base; continuous product line expansion (Volt interfaces, UAD Spark subscription); ongoing hiring across engineering, product, and sales roles. ## Competitive Advantages - **Brand Legacy & Trust**: Over 60 years of heritage in audio recording, with a reputation for craftsmanship and authentic analog emulation. - **Ecosystem Lock-In**: Deep integration between Apollo hardware, UAD plug-ins, and LUNA DAW creates a sticky, high-performance workflow for users. - **DSP Technology**: Proprietary real-time DSP processing in hardware interfaces enables near-zero latency monitoring with plug-ins, a key differentiator. - **Authentic Analog Emulation**: Licenses and meticulously recreates iconic vintage gear (e.g., Neve, API, SSL) that professionals trust. ## Strategic Focus - **Hybrid Hardware/Software**: Continuing to bridge analog authenticity with modern digital convenience (e.g., native plug-ins, subscription models). - **Expanding Accessibility**: Growing the user base beyond high-end professionals with more affordable hardware (Volt series) and software subscriptions (UAD Spark). - **Deepening the Ecosystem**: Enhancing the LUNA DAW and integrating it more tightly with Apollo hardware to offer a complete recording solution. - **Talent Acquisition**: Actively hiring software, hardware, and algorithm engineers to maintain technical leadership. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Emphasizes creativity, kindness, learning, and craftsmanship. Described as a place where "super quality" people work and contribute to a "special" mission. - **Remote/Hybrid**: Offers remote positions (domestic USA and Europe) as well as on-site roles at the Scotts Valley, California headquarters. - **Benefits**: Includes healthcare benefits, 401(k) plan, flexible paid time off, bonus incentives, learning & development opportunities, and a focus on music & wellness. - **Engineering Focus**: Actively seeking Senior Software Engineers, Principal Hardware Engineers, Principal Algorithm Engineers, and Quality Engineering Managers — a strong signal of deep technical investment. - **Diversity & Inclusion**: Committed to equal employment opportunity and creating an inclusive environment for all applicants and employees. ## Sources 1. [uaudio.com](https://www.uaudio.com/pages/careers) 2. [uaudio.com](https://www.uaudio.com/pages/about) 3. [uaudio.com](https://www.uaudio.com/) 4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/universalaudio) 5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/universalaudio?gh_src=be2e56a55us) ## Other roles at Universal Audio - [Executive Administrative Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-administrative-assistant-universal-audio-scotts-valley-pyx6fz1f5n9x) — Scotts Valley, CA - [Senior Software Product Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-product-marketing-manager-universal-audio-domestic-45bdc7ct3xed) — Domestic, United States / Scotts Valley, CA - [Senior Product Manager - Audio Interface Hardware & Software](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-manager-audio-interface-hardware-software-universal-audio-6k1k2gpzb6cs) — Domestic, United States / Scotts Valley, CA - [Manager, Business Systems (Finance)](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-business-systems-finance-universal-audio-scotts-valley-8c9n1anta8b6) — Scotts Valley, CA