Director of Global Supply Chain Integration, Middle East

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking an experienced Director of Global Supply Chain Integration in the Middle East to fill a unique hybrid role that sits between supply chain and growth. The individual in this role will support the company directly in building supplier relationships in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and the broader Middle East region, and also act as a strategic advisor to the company growth teams and industry partners as we seek to bring the company products into the region by developing critical partnerships. This isn't a traditional supply chain role. You'll operate at the intersection of growth, strategic sourcing, and supply chain risk management—shaping deals before they're signed and building the infrastructure that enables rapid scaling in one of the world's most complex regulatory environments.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The company’s Middle East team delivers platforms, systems, and integrated effects from across the company’s portfolio to regional customers. The Middle East team delivers the company’s core products, adapting and applying the products to serve a variety of defense and commercial customers in the Middle East market. As this team rapidly expands, this role requires an applicant willing to take on diverse responsibilities.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Drive Strategic Growth & Partnership Development:

• Fuel the company’s Middle East expansion by directly supporting growth and corporate development teams as we forge relationships with industry leaders across the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
• Shape pre-contract strategy by driving scope definition, proposal development, and term sheet generation during pre-commit phases of international captures.
• Be the supply chain voice in critical go/no-go decisions, bringing market intelligence and risk assessment to leadership discussions.
• Monitor and analyze the region's industrial ecosystem dynamics, emerging manufacturing technologies, and regulatory developments to identify partnership opportunities.

Build & Optimize Middle East Supply Networks:

• Develop regional supply base by proactively identifying and qualifying suppliers across diverse commodity categories that support multiple product domains.
• Lead end-to-end supplier engagement including selection, qualification, and onboarding for the company’s partners in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar—assessing technical capability, capacity, quality systems, and financial stability.
• Master multi-tier visibility by understanding and mitigating supply chain risks and constraints across tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers (state-backed defense conglomerates, family-owned industrial groups, and independent suppliers).
• Drive localization initiatives that strengthen competitive positioning and align with national in-country value and industrial participation requirements across the Gulf.

Provide Expert Advisory & Support:

• Guide regional industry partners by providing strategic advisory support to their supply chain teams as they identify and develop regional suppliers.
• Support comprehensive sourcing strategies for partners executing on the company programs, ensuring alignment with technical requirements and security considerations.
• Navigate regulatory complexity by ensuring flawless compliance with host-nation regulations (UAE strategic goods import/export control law, Tawazun Economic Program and MOIAT ICV requirements, Qatar's Tawteen program, Kuwait's offset regime, technology transfer restrictions, and U.S. export controls).
• Partner with business line teams to assess existing sourcing strategies and develop comprehensive approaches aligned with the company’s product roadmap and cost targets.

Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement:

• Serve as primary liaison between the company’s engineering, operations, program teams, and Middle East manufacturing partners—bridging cultural and organizational boundaries.
• Partner closely with Product Sourcing Engineers and Global Sourcing Managers to deliver integrated solutions.
• Manage supplier performance including escalation protocols, corrective action oversight, and strategic capacity planning to support rapid scaling and new product introductions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing or procurement focused on contract manufacturing, preferably within defense, aerospace, or advanced technology industries.
• Professional fluency in English (written and verbal), professional working proficiency in Arabic strongly preferred.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, with willingness to travel regionally and internationally (approximately 30–40%) to support supplier engagement, audits, and program requirements.
• Ability to work across international time zones with U.S. partners.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated success negotiating and managing complex manufacturing agreements with Middle East suppliers, with deep understanding of GCC business culture, negotiation practices, and relationship-building expectations.
• Regulatory expertise in the GCC compliance landscape (UAE strategic goods control law, Tawazun Council acquisition and industrial participation policy, host-nation export controls, dual-use technology regulations).
• Broad commodity knowledge spanning electronics, precision manufacturing, materials, optics, sensors, and other defense-relevant categories.
• Demonstrated success managing complex supplier relationships and negotiating agreements with companies in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, including expertise in total cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and make-vs-buy assessments, combined with proficiency in ERP systems and sourcing tools.
• Past experience in the UAE Armed Forces or another GCC military highly desirable.
• Track record of building supplier networks and partnerships in the Middle East.
• NPI strategic sourcing experience in fast-paced environments.
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes (e.g., electronics, machining).
• Strong financial acumen, including TCO and cost reduction.
• Past experience supporting growth teams or corporate development functions will be highly valued.
• Proven ability to navigate cross-cultural communication and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers; and are considered part of the company's total compensation package. Additionally, the company offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At the company, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

The company is committed to maintaining the integrity of our talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate the company representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information. To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

• No Financial Requests: The company will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from the company: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @thecompany.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for a role with the company, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [email protected].
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @thecompany.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from the company, please report it immediately to [email protected]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

By submitting your application, you consent to the company using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.