Procurement Director at Last Energy (Austin, TX)Procurement Director

Last Energy is seeking a Procurement Director to build and lead the procurement function supporting our transition from pilot deployment to fleet-scale manufacturing of the PWR-20. This role owns strategic sourcing and supplier management for long-lead, safety-related, and capital-intensive equipment and will build the team, systems, and supplier base needed to support a rapidly scaling, multi-jurisdiction manufacturing operation.

• Own strategic sourcing and supplier selection for long-lead components critical to the PWR-20 build, including pressure vessel forgings, steam generators, and instrumentation & controls
• Negotiate and manage supplier contracts, master supply agreements, pricing structures, and delivery commitments
• Build and lead Last Energy's procurement team and function, including policies, systems, and processes appropriate to a scaling manufacturer
• Partner with Engineering on make/buy decisions, supplier qualification, and technical requirements for critical components
• Manage supply chain risk across long lead times, capital-intensive equipment, and a multi-jurisdiction (U.S., U.K., Europe) supplier base
• Support vendor qualification and oversight aligned with nuclear supplier quality expectations
• Drive supplier performance management, cost-reduction initiatives, and continuity-of-supply planning
• Partner with Finance on capital equipment budgeting, forecasting, and purchase commitments
• Support import/export and trade compliance considerations for international procurement

• 8+ years of procurement or supply chain experience in capital-intensive, engineered-equipment industries (power generation, aerospace, or heavy industrial)
• Demonstrated experience procuring long-lead, safety-critical, or ASME-code components
• Track record building or scaling a procurement function and leading a team, ideally in an early-stage or rapidly growing environment
• Strong contract negotiation experience with capital equipment and long-term supply agreements
• Bachelor's degree required; engineering, supply chain, or business background preferred
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced startup scaling from pilot to fleet manufacturing
• Experience managing international suppliers is a plus