Main Responsibilities of a Supply Chain Lead at SpaceX
Nihitha's previous role as a SpaceX supply chain lead involved "procurement and planning for Falcon 9 rocket mechanisms," including mentoring a team and developing category strategies for programs like Starlink. This experience, while focused more on "supply chain planning than procurement," helped Nihitha identify aspects of leadership and procurement they enjoy, shaping their career trajectory toward future people leadership roles.
Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Leadership, Teamwork, Project Management
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 experience as a Supply Chain Lead at SpaceX, leading a team of four and focusing on procurement and planning for Falcon 9 rocket mechanisms.
2. Her responsibilities included managing a category of parts for programs like Starlink and mentoring team members in planning and procurement to meet launch dates.
3. Nihitha's enjoyment of people development and her exposure to supply chain planning, which helped her identify her preferences for future career paths.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities in your current role? We can also discuss your previous role, as you are new to your current position.
I'll be talking about my previous role at SpaceX before transitioning to my current company, as I've only been here for almost a month and two days. Prior to that, at SpaceX, I was a supply chain lead and a people leader for a team of four planners and buyers.
Our team focused on procurement and planning for the Falcon 9 rocket's mechanisms. These are the automatic devices that help move different parts of the rocket during launches.
In that role, I was responsible for my own category of parts, including those for the Starlink satellite program and different assemblies within the rocket. I also mentored the team. Each team member had different roles and abilities as a planner and buyer to bring in parts on time.
They were also responsible for their category strategies to ensure we could meet our manifest dates. I really enjoyed the people development aspect of that role.
It gave me exposure to supply chain planning, which was more focused on planning than procurement. This helped me learn what I like and don't like, and it was definitely a great opportunity. I do see myself in the future being a people leader again.