---
title: 'Supply Chain Manager at wardstone.space'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-manager-wardstone-space-el-segundo-mvxgw8kaqgbk'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-25'
---

# Supply Chain Manager at wardstone.space

- **Company:** wardstone.space
- **Location:** El Segundo, CA
- **Compensation:** $100k–$140k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-25
- **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/wardstone-space/am9icG9zdDoffjR04qJ2iiJcBouhrR4N

## Job description

## Overview

You will build Wardstone’s supply chain, from sourcing prototype parts today to supporting production of Hailstorm, our first interceptor, tomorrow. You’ll find and qualify suppliers, secure long-lead and hard-to-source components, negotiate terms, and make sure our supply chain meets defense requirements. You’ll report to the Head of Business Operations and work closely with every engineering lead and the Technical Program Manager.

Interceptors depend on specialized parts, including energetic materials, high-performance alloys and composites, precision electronics, and sensors, many with long lead times and few suppliers. Your work will decide how fast we can build and how many we can make.

## What You’ll Do

Build the supplier base

- Find, evaluate, and qualify suppliers for machined parts, composites, electronics, sensors, energetic materials, and motor components.
- Build relationships with key suppliers and negotiate pricing, lead times, and terms.
- Set up backup suppliers for critical and single-source parts. Manage long-lead and critical parts
- Work with engineering leads to identify long-lead and hard-to-source parts early, and secure them ahead of need.
- Track supply risks, such as shortages, single sources, and supplier problems, and maintain plans to address them.
- Support make-vs-buy decisions with cost, lead-time, and supplier data. Plan for production
- Build sourcing plans and cost models for scaling from prototypes to low-rate production.
- Work with engineering on design choices that lower cost and improve supply availability. Ensure compliance and quality
- Make sure purchasing meets government contract requirements, including FAR/DFARS flowdowns, specialty metals, counterfeit-parts prevention, and ITAR.
- Work with engineering to set supplier quality requirements, inspection, and documentation. Build systems and processes
- Set up purchasing, inventory, and supplier management processes and tools that scale with the company.

Required Qualifications

- B.S. in supply chain management, engineering, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of supply chain, procurement, or sourcing experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware.
- Experience sourcing custom and technical parts, such as machined parts, electronics, or composites.
- Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS requirements and ITAR.
- Strong negotiation skills and experience managing supplier relationships.
- Comfortable working closely with engineers and understanding technical requirements.
- Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

## Nice to Have

- Experience with missile, rocket, or munitions supply chains, including energetic materials.
- Experience scaling hardware from prototype to production.
- Experience with supplier quality systems (e.g., AS9100).
- Experience setting up ERP or purchasing systems.
- Experience managing a small team.
- Prior early-stage startup experience.

## About wardstone.space

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Wardstone builds a modular, low-cost interceptor platform for air and missile defense, designed to counter threats from Group 4 UAS to medium-range ballistic missiles.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage; raised $5M)
- **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Sebastian Fischer (CEO) and Tobias Fischer

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Missile Defense, Space-Based Interceptors
- **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense (Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, Air Force Research Labs), allied nations
- **Mission or purpose**: To out-produce, out-innovate, and out-perform adversaries by building a modular interceptor platform that can be mass-produced, rapidly adapted, and fielded at the pace of evolving threats.

## Products & Services
- **Hailstorm (Ground-Based Interceptor)**: A right-sized, modular surface-based interceptor demonstrated in the Mojave (Mach 2.5, 40,000 ft). Uses a large particle cloud (1 km diameter) to kinetically neutralize hypersonic and ballistic missiles, reducing cost and sensing requirements.
- **Space-Based Interceptor Constellation**: Satellites equipped with kinetic interceptors designed to counter hypersonic and ballistic missiles from orbit. Part of the “Golden Dome” concept.
- **Modular Platform Architecture**: Interchangeable components allow mission-specific configuration, rapid upgrades, and parallel production across multiple suppliers.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $5M seed round (raised from Nova Threshold, Liquid 2 Ventures, Bow Capital, B5 Capital, Allegis Capital)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Y Combinator (fall 2025 cohort), relationships with AFWERX, Space Systems Command, Air Force Research Labs, Navy Joint Special Operations Command
- **Growth Signals**: Accepted into Y Combinator; first prototype (Hailstorm-Ground) successfully flown; letters of support for a $3M SBIR grant; inbound requests for additional use cases; hiring multiple engineering roles.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Modularity**: Standardized, interchangeable components decouple production from single bottlenecks, enabling surge manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
- **Cost advantage**: Interceptors are designed to be “right-sized” to the threat, drastically reducing per-unit cost compared to traditional “exquisite” interceptors (e.g., THAAD, GMD).
- **Unique kill mechanism**: Large particle cloud increases probability of intercept without requiring precise hit-to-kill, reducing sensor and actuator costs.
- **Incremental path**: Starting with ground-based interceptors before scaling to space-based systems, allowing technology maturation and customer validation.

## Strategic Focus
- Near-term: Deliver ground-based interceptors to fill the “missing middle” threat band (Group 4 UAS to MRBMs) and secure SBIR/IRAD contracts.
- Medium-term: Deploy space-based interceptors as part of the U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defense architecture.
- Continuous improvement: Open architecture to integrate new technologies without redesigning the entire platform.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Direct impact on national security and countering hypersonic threats.
- **Early-stage startup**: Opportunity to shape the company’s technology and culture from the ground up.
- **Engineering focus**: Roles span mechanical, electrical, avionics, propulsion, GNC, simulation, and sensing.
- **Compensation & equity**: Competitive salaries ($100k–$160k for engineers) plus equity grants.
- **Location**: El Segundo, CA — a growing aerospace startup hub near LA Air Force Base and Space Force facilities.
- **Work environment**: Likely on-site/hybrid (El Segundo office); YC alumni culture with fast iteration and hands-on testing (e.g., Mojave flight tests).

## Sources
1. [wardstone.space](https://wardstone.space/)
2. [wardstone.space/careers](https://wardstone.space/careers)
3. [wardstone.space/ourstory](https://wardstone.space/ourstory)
4. [spacenews.com](https://spacenews.com/startup-bets-on-new-approach-to-space-based-missile-defense/)
5. [ycombinator.com](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/wardstone)

## Other roles at wardstone.space

- [Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-recruiter-wardstone-space-el-segundo-weysaczpdk42) — El Segundo, CA
- [Avionics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-hjfd9cjytfsy) — El Segundo, CA
- [MBA Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/mba-intern-wardstone-space-el-segundo-wk15p8cdft3h) — El Segundo, CA
- [Head of Manufacturing](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-manufacturing-wardstone-space-el-segundo-gwv1rsn8dzc6) — El Segundo, CA
- [Operations and Logistics Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-and-logistics-associate-wardstone-space-el-segundo-cmpqg5jyxv5j) — El Segundo, CA
- [Mechanical Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-technician-wardstone-space-el-segundo-z5daq08jrxsw) — El Segundo, CA
- [Avionics Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-technician-wardstone-space-el-segundo-vcwqpsgege8z) — El Segundo, CA
- [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-wardstone-space-el-segundo-qada746w7n4e) — El Segundo, CA
- [Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-52f0qfp1273z) — El Segundo, CA
- [Senior Aerodynamics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-aerodynamics-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-7ra1j3qjsywx) — El Segundo, CA