Purchasing Manager

About us Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career! The role The Purchasing Manager (Japan) is responsible for end-to-end materials execution for Wayve’s autonomous vehicle and hardware programs in Japan. This includes materials procurement, supplier coordination, CTB readiness, material receiving, secure storage, and outbound shipping, in close partnership with Engineering, Operations, and the global Supply Chain team. This role ensures that materials flow efficiently from suppliers through receipt, storage, and delivery to workshops or vehicle upfitting locations, while maintaining visibility, cost control, and compliance. The role operates in a fast-paced, Agile environment and plays a critical part in taking early-stage hardware development toward scalable execution. Key Responsibilities Materials Program Ownership & Execution Own and manage materials programs enabling Wayve’s autonomous vehicle and hardware development in Japan Drive execution across procurement, receiving, storage, and shipping to meet aggressive program milestones Identify and manage dependencies and blockers across multi-disciplinary teams to ensure smooth materials flow Materials Procurement & CTB Readiness Own materials procurement activities in coordination with sourcing and purchasing teams Drive and manage the CTB (Clear to Build) process with suppliers, contract manufacturers, workshop teams, and internal stakeholders Ensure clear visibility into procurement strategy, material availability, lead times, and build readiness Support supplier negotiations on pricing, availability, and scale readiness Supplier & Partner Management Work closely with Engineering to onboard, set up, and manage suppliers and partners within the Japanese market Own tracking of supplier progress, deliverables, and handoffs Build strong working relationships with suppliers across a broad range of industries Support escalation management and issue resolution, acting as the primary local point of contact Materials Receiving, Storage & Shipping Coordinate and oversee material receiving in Japan, ensuring accuracy, traceability, and proper documentation Manage secure storage of high-value, long-lead-time materials, including inventory tracking and access controls Coordinate outbound shipping of materials to workshops, vehicle upfitting locations, or other Wayve sites Work with local Japanese logistics and customs requirements and internal teams to ensure compliant and timely shipments Engineering Collaboration & Design Support Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Product teams to embed strong engineering and manufacturing practices Support design-for-manufacturing and design-for-scale decisions Help guide early-stage designs toward scalable, cost-effective production solutions Cross-Functional Coordination & Communication Act as a central point of coordination across Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and external partners Drive alignment and decision-making across stakeholders with competing priorities Clearly communicate risks, tradeoffs, and dec