Manager, Supply Chain, Vehicle Exteriors & Plastics

What to Expect

We are looking for an experienced, people-first Manager to lead the Vehicle Exteriors & Plastics Supply Chain team at Tesla. You will lead a team of supply chain professionals managing the sourcing, supplier relationships, and program execution for exterior and plastic commodities across Tesla's vehicle programs. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Plastics SCM, you will set strategic direction, develop talent, and own the cost, quality, supply assurance, and program launch performance of one of Tesla's most visible and high-spend commodity areas.

In this fast-paced, mission-driven environment, you will inspire and develop your team to deliver aggressive cost, quality, and program objectives while maintaining strong cross-functional partnerships with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and Program Management. You will represent the SCM organization in executive reviews, lead strategic supplier relationships, and drive the supply base strategy for the team. This is an opportunity to scale a high-performing team, develop the next generation of SCM leaders, and shape the future of Tesla's vehicle exteriors and plastics supply base - including the introduction of new composite content on upcoming programs.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Supply Chain Managers across multiple programs and product lines; set clear expectations, run high-signal 1:1s, give frequent feedback, and grow the next generation of SCM leaders. Build, hire, and retain a diverse, high-performing team; manage workload, capacity, and team-level career growth
• Set the strategic direction for vehicle exteriors and plastics sourcing - including supplier exploration, supplier consolidation, regional footprint, dual-sourcing, vertical integration, and capacity planning to support Tesla's long-term volume ramp
• Drive aggressive cost reduction and savings targets while protecting quality, supply assurance, and on-time program launches. Own executive-level supplier relationships - escalations, QBRs, joint development efforts, capacity commitments, and strategic partnerships
• Partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Program Management, and Logistics to align supply chain execution with the product roadmap
• Lead negotiation of complex commercial agreements (PPA, GTC, capacity, tooling) and resolve high-stakes supplier issues with the right balance of relationship and outcome. Proactively identify supply, quality, or capacity risks across the Vehicle Exteriors & Plastics commodity and lead the cross-functional response
• Run operational excellence initiatives across the team - workload assessment, tool adoption, process improvements, and cadence reviews
• Support the introduction of composite content on emerging programs, partnering with Engineering on supplier selection, qualification, and ramp planning. Represent SCM in cross-functional executive forums, program milestone reviews, and supplier strategy presentations to senior leadership

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of progressive experience in supply chain management, procurement, or commodity management, with at least 3 years directly managing people. Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams of 5+ direct reports in a high-growth, fast-changing, or transformation environment
• Strong industrial background in vehicle exteriors and plastics manufacturing - fascias, body panels, exterior trim, paint, injection molding, structural foam, blow molding, in-mold decoration, or related processes - with deep understanding of tooling, resin economics, secondary operations, and high-volume manufacturing
• Exceptional communication skills - able to influence executives, engineers, and suppliers with clarity, conviction, and data; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and negotiating across cultures and time zones. Track record of building strong, collaborative partnerships with cross-functional stakeholders including Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance
• Proven people leadership - hiring strong talent, developing high performers, managing underperformance constructively, and building an inclusive team culture
• Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements and managing supplier escalations to resolution. Strong business and financial acumen - comfortable with should-cost analysis, capex modeling, and total cost of ownership decisions
• Automotive or other high-volume manufacturing experience strongly preferred; exposure to composites (carbon fiber, fiberglass, SMC, or related) a plus but not required
• Willingness to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally to suppliers and manufacturing sites