Biggest Challenges Faced By A Global Procurement Manager At Commonwealth Fusion Systems And SpaceX
Nihitha's biggest challenge as a Global Procurement Manager at Commonwealth Fusion Systems & SpaceX is "learning a lot of the engineering terminology" and understanding the technical aspects of projects like the SPARC tokamak, given their non-engineering background. This requires actively seeking clarification and pushing past discomfort to integrate effectively within highly technical organizations, a pattern consistently observed throughout their career progression.
Overcoming Challenges, Technical Proficiency, Communication, Continuous Learning, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nihitha Kishore
Global Procurement Manager
Commonwealth Fusion Systems & SpaceX
Rutgers University
UCLA-Anderson MBA
Industrial, Supply Chain Management
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Learning technical aspects of engineering is a continuous process and requires actively seeking clarification.
2. Overcoming the intimidation of asking questions in technical settings is crucial for professional growth.
3. Experience in highly technical organizations like SpaceX and Commonwealth Fusion Systems provides valuable learning opportunities, even with a non-engineering background.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge for me personally is really learning a lot of the engineering terminology and understanding how to read drawings. I also needed to learn the technical side of things.
It's a very technical organization. I worked on a device called the Toca Mac, which is the main source of energy we're working to build for clean energy for the world. Many of the technical terms aren't easy for me to grasp because my background isn't in engineering.
So, not being afraid to ask questions during meetings is something I'm trying to get better at. I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone so I can learn. I would say that's the most challenging and intimidating part for me.
Even before I was at Commonwealth Fusion, SpaceX was very technical too, but I eventually got it. There's always something to learn, and that's the same with Caterpillar. I've stayed in highly engineered organizations. Asking a lot of questions is definitely important.