What A Global Procurement Manager At Commonwealth Fusion Systems And SpaceX Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Procurement Industry
Nihitha, a Global Procurement Manager at Commonwealth Fusion Systems & SpaceX, reveals a crucial lesson learned: the procurement field involves "a lot of interfacing with the engineering team," requiring a significant "technical learning curve" regardless of industry, from rockets to consumer goods. This unexpected technical aspect is something Nihitha wishes they had known earlier in their career.
Technical Proficiency, Problem-Solving, Communication, Commercial Acumen, Cross-functional Collaboration
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. The procurement field involves significant interaction with engineering teams, demanding a technical understanding beyond commercial aspects.
2. Industries like aerospace (SpaceX) and energy (Commonwealth Fusion Systems) require familiarity with specialized technologies and processes.
3. A strong technical foundation complements commercial skills in procurement, enhancing career prospects across various sectors including consumer goods (Unilever).
Transcript
So what have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I would say that definitely in procurement, it's not all commercial relationships or commercial discussions. Depending on your organization and industry, there's a lot of interfacing with the engineering team.
There is a technical learning curve, whether it's for rockets like SpaceX or TokaMax, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, or construction equipment like Caterpillar. Even at Unilever, with consumer goods, there are lots of technical discussions.
Maybe it's on packaging or the chemicals that are being used for their personal care products. I think that's something I wish I knew, even in undergrad or leaving undergrad, in procurement. There is that learning curve of the technical side, and it's not always the commercial side of things.