Sourcing Engineer - Plastics & Rubber

Strategic Sourcing And Supply Chain Management

You'll be working with the Strategic Sourcing & SCM team.

This team runs on supplier negotiations, spend analysis and coffee (with suppliers of course). The team has an infectious passion for building deep and engaging relationships with our supplier partners and developing capabilities to manufacture innovative products and components.

Our philosophy: Break. Believe. Build.

Break stuff. Break assumptions. Break the thumb rule. Believe in the team. Believe in the process. Believe through failures. Build fast. Build passionately. Build to simplify.

Responsibilities

• Supplier Identification & Evaluation
• Research and qualify suppliers specializing in plastics, elastomers, rubber compounds, and molded components.
• Conduct technical and commercial assessments, including factory audits and capability reviews.
• Cost Analysis & Negotiation
• Perform cost breakdown analysis for injection molding, extrusion and compounding processes.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and tooling costs with suppliers to achieve target cost objectives.
• Commodity Strategy Development
• Develop and implement sourcing strategies aligned with company goals for plastics and rubber categories.
• Monitor market trends, resin price fluctuations, and regulatory changes affecting material availability or cost.
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Work closely with design, NPD, quality, and manufacturing teams to influence material selection and supplier decisions.
• Support engineering change management and ensure timely supplier readiness for new product introductions.
• Quality & Compliance Assurance
• Ensure suppliers meet quality standards (e.g., ISO, IATF) and comply with environmental regulations.
• Address non-conformances and lead root cause analysis and corrective actions with suppliers.
• Risk Management & Sustainability
• Identify supply risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Promote sustainable sourcing practices.
• Documentation & Process Management
• Manage RFQs, NDAs, supplier onboarding, and contract execution.
• Maintain accurate records of supplier performance, cost tracking, and sourcing decisions.
• Specialized Knowledge Areas
• Injection molding, compression molding, extrusion, and rubber vulcanization processes.
• Material families like PP, ABS, PC, EPDM, NBR, and silicone rubber.
• Tooling and mold cost estimation, cycle time optimization, and DFM (Design for Manufacturability).

The ideal candidate requires

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Structured problem-solving, detail orientation, and customer-first attitude
• Ability to handle data in a structured manner

What matters

• Empathy toward all customers
• Holding context as your guiding force
• Approach towards problem-solving
• A positive attitude
• Resilient attitude to bounce back after failure

About Us

Exponent simplifies energy for EVs.

Co-founded by Arun Vinayak (Ather Energy's Founding Partner & Former Chief Product Officer) and Sanjay Byalal (Former hardware strategic sourcing and cell strategy lead, Ather and Former Supply Chain Lead, HUL), Exponent focuses on solving two sides of the energy problem by building the e^pump (charging station) and e^pack (battery pack) which together unlock 15-min rapid charging.

The 200+ strong team has tons of EV experience and is in the process of hiring more professionals to build & scale Exponent as one of the best EV Energy Companies out of India.