Career Path of a Global Procurement Manager at Commonwealth Fusion Systems and SpaceX
Nihitha Kishore's career path showcases a deliberate progression from a supply chain management and marketing sciences degree at Rutgers University, through rotational programs at Caterpillar where "each rotation was a year," gaining experience in lean methodologies and global procurement, to senior buyer roles at SpaceX and Commonwealth Fusion Systems. This journey reflects a strong passion for global procurement, honed by strategic roles involving "contract negotiations," "cost reduction initiatives," and category strategy development, ultimately leading to Nihitha's current position in a fusion energy company.
Global Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Negotiation, Process Improvement, Leadership
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. Nihitha's career progression highlights a strategic approach to gaining experience in procurement. Starting with internships at Unilever and a rotational program at Caterpillar, she built a strong foundation in supply chain management and process improvement, progressing to increasingly strategic roles in global procurement at Caterpillar and then SpaceX.
2. Her experience showcases the value of rotational programs and diverse roles in building expertise. Her work at Caterpillar involved lean methodologies, cost negotiations, and global category strategy development, demonstrating a well-rounded skillset.
3. Nihitha's passion for procurement and her ability to transition between different industries (consumer goods, heavy machinery, aerospace, and now fusion energy) highlight the transferability of supply chain skills and the diverse career opportunities available in this field. Her path demonstrates the possibilities of combining technical expertise with a strategic mindset for career advancement.
Transcript
Please introduce yourself: your name, your role, and your company. Then, walk us through your career path.
Start with your experiences in college, any internships or jobs you had before your current role, and definitely how you got your first job.
Sounds great. My name is Nikita Kishore, and I'm currently a senior buyer at Commonwealth Fusion Systems. I joined this fusion company a few weeks ago.
Prior to Commonwealth Fusion Systems, I was at SpaceX and completed four years there. I started in raw material procurement and then had the opportunity to be a people manager for the first time as a supply chain planning lead.
I completed my degree in Supply Chain Management and Marketing Sciences with a minor in Spanish at Rutgers University. I'm originally from New Jersey. During my time at Rutgers, I started my first internship at Unilever, focusing on customer development.
It was an exciting time in a role that was consumer-focused and at the retail level, while also integrating marketing and supply chain. I really enjoyed my time there. I then pursued a six-month co-op in supply chain planning for North America personal care, working with categories like Dove and Axe.
Upon graduation from Rutgers University, I applied to several rotational programs and accepted a job offer from Caterpillar for their Leadership and Technical Development Program in Supply Chain Management. I'm thankful for the experience through that program, as I wouldn't be where I am without it.
My first rotation out of undergrad was in Seguin, Texas, at Caterpillar's engine facility. That role focused on built-in quality gate implementation. I served as a lean advisor to implement process improvements for their supply chain and gained experience creating work instructions and standard work documents.
That rotation was heavily focused on process improvement and the lean and Six Sigma methodology. Each rotation was a year, and after that, I really wanted to get into global procurement. I always had a clear career path in mind, and I'm still focused on procurement now.
My second rotation transitioned me to Gardena, California, for Caterpillar's Solar Turbines Division. In that role, I focused on global procurement with suppliers for gearboxes and gearbox components. I learned the basics in this role, from drafting non-disclosure agreements and onboarding suppliers to conducting meet-and-greets and engaging in my first cost negotiations.
After that rotation, my passion for procurement was confirmed. I wanted a more strategic role at Caterpillar but still within procurement. So, I moved to Peoria, Illinois, for my third rotation, staying for two years.
In that role, I was an HVAC Global Category Buyer for Caterpillar's operator stations. I was responsible for category strategy, contract negotiations, and leading cost reduction initiatives and warranty agreements for global suppliers creating components and HVAC assemblies for Caterpillar machines. This HVAC system was for the operators while they were seated in their equipment.
It was really cool to be involved in such a program and a truly global role, which I'm passionate about. I also learned a lot about contract negotiations, creating change agreements, and how those affect cost negotiations with suppliers. I also learned about different negotiation tactics globally, based on the country I was working with.
One of my most valuable experiences from that role was leading the category strategy initiative. I collaborated with engineers and internal customers on our supply chain strategy and refreshed it annually.
After that point, I transitioned to SpaceX, where I continued my procurement work, and then to Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Going forward, I definitely see myself staying in global supply chain. I'm also very passionate about marketing and hope to gain some of that experience again.