Contract Manufacturing Lead

Corintis develops micro‑fluidic cooling solutions for AI chips, GPUs and CPUs used in large data centres. Ranked Switzerland's top engineering startup for 2025, the firm employs over 105 staff from more than 35 nationalities on the EPFL campus in St. Sulpice, near Lake Geneva. The Contract Manufacturing Lead will steer the industrialisation of a novel manufacturing process, ensuring that production lines, from additive‑manufacturing cells to test benches and tooling, are ready for customer delivery. The daily work centres on end‑to‑end equipment sourcing for the manufacturing network. You will create RFQ packages, evaluate technical and commercial bids, build total‑cost‑of‑ownership models, and prepare CAPEX requests for finance approval. Negotiating supplier contracts, overseeing projects from purchase order through acceptance, and managing raw‑material and tooling procurement are also core tasks. Collaboration is constant with Process & Industrialisation, Hardware Development, Finance and the Asia supply‑chain team, providing visibility and ownership across the value chain. The position requires at least seven years of purchasing or strategic sourcing experience in an industrial setting, primarily focused on production‑related spend. Candidates must have a proven record of owning industrial equipment purchases and influencing subcontractor equipment choices on behalf of their company. Familiarity with European machinery commercial frameworks, strong negotiation skills, and solid cost‑analysis capabilities are essential. Comfort with technical specifications and fluency in professional English are required; additional proficiency in French or German is considered an advantage. Experience in a scale‑up or early‑industrialisation environment and willingness to travel regularly across Europe, with occasional trips to Asia, are also mandatory. The role offers a hands‑on senior individual‑contributor position with real authority to shape an emerging function. You will work in a friendly, team‑oriented environment alongside more than 100 colleagues from diverse backgrounds, just minutes from Lake Geneva. While the job is not fully remote, it provides flexibility to travel to European partners and occasional visits to Asian manufacturing sites, ensuring you stay close to the equipment you procure. The fast‑moving scale‑up environment rewards initiative, allowing you to see the machines you selected operating on production lines and to influence cost structures that drive the company's sustainability goals. You will also contribute to long‑term CAPEX planning and help shape future procurement strategies, making a tangible impact on the company's growth. What the role asks for: - 7+ years purchasing or strategic sourcing in industrial environment - Ownership of industrial equipment purchases - Experience influencing subcontractor equipment decisions - Knowledge of European machinery commercial framework - Proven negotiation track record on supplier agreements - Strong cost analysis skills - Comfortable with technical specifications - Professional working English - French or German proficiency (nice‑to‑have) - Experience in scale‑up or early‑industrialisation (nice‑to‑have) - Willingness to travel regularly in Europe, occasional Asia trips (nice‑to‑have)