Supply chain specialist Jobs in Darmstadt

Startdate

From 01.10.2026 onwards.

What you will be doing here

MAGNOTHERM builds refrigerant-free magnetocaloric cooling systems, and our STELLAR program is a hardware program in the most literal sense: its schedule is set by what we can buy and when it arrives.

Superconducting tape, a bespoke cryostat, cryocoolers, rare-earth magnets and magnetocaloric raw material from overseas, hundreds of catalogue components for a production run — the critical path runs through purchase orders, not just engineering hours. You are our first dedicated procurement hire: you own every order from RFQ to goods receipt, the inventory those goods live in, and the worldwide logistics that get them here. When you do this job well, the program moves at the speed physics allows — not slower.

What you'll own

• Long-lead procurement (the critical chain). The handful of custom, first-of-kind items that pace the entire program: superconducting conductor, the bespoke cryostat, cryocoolers and compressors, and large heat-rejection hardware. You run the RFQs against engineering specifications, negotiate contracts, qualify second sources where a single supplier is a program risk, track first-article builds, and expedite relentlessly. These orders fire the moment funding lands — you make sure they are ready to fire.
• Supplier management & contracts. Build and maintain the supplier base across very different worlds: research-grade material producers, specialized cryogenic and magnet manufacturers, machine shops and fabricators, and high-volume catalogue distributors. Quoting, framework agreements, delivery and quality terms, supplier performance tracking, and the escalation calls when a delivery slips.
• Series & batch purchasing. Our first machine takes a production run of roughly 50 identical core units — batch ordering of motors, gearboxes, drives, pumps, sensors, fittings, magnets and fabricated parts, synchronized with the production schedule, including incoming inspection and quantity margins for scrap and spares.
• Inventory ownership. You own company inventory end to end: stock levels, storage organization, goods receipt and issue, spares and consumables, and per-unit material traceability — run through our ERP system, which you keep accurate and make authoritative. What we own, where it is, and what it’s for is your single source of truth.
• Worldwide logistics. Sourcing is global: raw materials and magnets from Asia, specialized components from across Europe and the US. You own freight (including oversized, heavy, and magnetized goods), incoterms, customs and import handling, duties and FX exposure, and — as systems ship to customers — outbound logistics for container-scale machines.
• Procurement data & documentation. Every quote you land replaces an assumption in the program cost model. You keep procurement documentation, order status, and cost data clean and current, working hand in hand with program management on budget tracking — and with our internal tooling (agent-supported, built in-house) rather than paper processes.

What you would ideally bring to the table

Must-have skills & experience

• Several years of technical procurement in machinery, plant engineering, or hardware manufacturing — you’ve bought custom-engineered components from drawings and specifications, not just catalogue goods.
• Proven long-lead and single-source management: RFQ processes for bespoke items, contract negotiation, first-article coordination, expediting, and dual-sourcing strategies.
• Hands-on ERP-based inventory management: goods receipt, stock control, storage organization, traceability — you’ve owned the numbers, not just used the system.
• International logistics competence: incoterms, customs and import procedures (especially ex-Asia), freight coordination, and the paperwork that goes with it.
• Technical fluency: you can read an engineering drawing, understand a specification well enough to challenge a quote, and hold your own in conversations with both engineers and suppliers.
• Organized and documentation-strong: clean POs, tracked deliveries, auditable records — in a fast-moving environment without a big-company process safety net.
• Working style: autonomous, hands-on (you will personally receive goods in the early days), calm under supplier-delay pressure. Fluent English and German required.
• English language skills (C1+), German language skills (C1+).

Nice to have

• Experience as the first or solo procurement/supply-chain hire at a hardware startup — building the function, not inheriting it.
• Familiarity with any of our component worlds: cryogenics and vacuum hardware, superconductors, rare-earth magnets, power electronics, industrial fluid components, or data-center hardware.
• Dangerous-goods and special-freight experience — magnetized material air freight, pressurized equipment, oversized/heavy transport.
• Export-control and dual-use awareness for advanced materials and components.
• Supplier quality background: incoming inspection planning, supplier audits, quality agreements.

What makes this role unusual

• Procurement is the critical path, not a support function: on this program, the schedule to every major milestone is bounded by supplier lead times. Your expediting call moves the company’s most important dates.
• Full spectrum in one desk: research-grade raw materials, first-of-kind bespoke vessels, and thousand-piece catalogue orders — most procurement careers see one of these worlds; here you run all three at once.
• Order timing is strategy: when to commit money on which component is a company-level decision you help make, not a form you process.
• You build the function: first dedicated procurement hire, defining the processes, the supplier base, and the inventory system the company scales on — supported by in-house agentic tooling instead of legacy enterprise software.

What you will get from the job

• Flexible hours and 30 days of vacation.
• Compensation aligned with startup standards, with room to grow as the company scales.
• A team that's sharp, interdisciplinary, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
• The chance to pioneer technology that actually helps the planet.
• Ownership, responsibility, and a culture where learning from mistakes is expected.
• A front-row seat as a deep-tech company scales.
• Memes. Good ones. And lots of them.

PS: We are a big fan of cover letters. They don't need to be long, but getting the general idea of who you are and what motivates you helps in the application selection. A portfolio of work you can share externally is also welcome.

About us

We believe in science; we believe in facts. Climate change is speeding up more than ever and we need to do something about it. We are convinced that we need better technologies to overcome this tremendous challenge – or more precisely: this tremendous threat to humanity. We are on a mission to decarbonize the refrigeration industry and reduce its contribution of 7% to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Support us in making our vision a reality – join us!

We are material scientists, chemists, physicists, a lot of engineers as well as product and graphic designers. We are an agile team of bright minds with diverse and international backgrounds. We love hanging out together, we argue about new technologies, politics, the best sport, and food trends. Basically, we are human.

MAGNOTHERM is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are open to all groups of people without regard to age, color, national origin, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Do I need to meet all the requirements to apply?

Studies by several different sources have shown that, on average, men will apply for a job if they meet 60% of the application requirements. In contrast, women/non-binary people will seek to match a much higher percentage of the requirements before applying.

We encourage everyone to apply and give us a chance to evaluate your skills and experience. We are all learning on the job, and although the listing above has been carefully compiled, we are also open-minded and interested to hear about the value you can bring to the role and MAGNOTHERM.

How can I demonstrate that I have particular needs in the application process?

For people living with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or neurodiversity, adjustments and support can make a decisive difference in the application process. If you need any specific accommodations (tools, time, etc.) and feel comfortable disclosing this, please let us know.