Senior Commodity Manager - Renewable Energy & Service Operations
SunStrong Management is a leading independent asset management and servicing platform specializing in residential and commercial solar energy portfolios. SunStrong provides end-to-end services including operations and maintenance, customer billing and support, asset performance management, and investor reporting. The company partners with leading capital providers to optimize clean energy assets at scale, supporting the growth of distributed renewable energy while delivering reliable performance and exceptional customer experience
Position Overview
The Senior Commodity Manager will own end-to-end procurement execution and supplier management for OEM solar equipment and service parts supporting a large installed base of 500,000+ residential solar systems and 350 commercial solar sites. - This is a fully remote position.
The Senior Commodity Manager is responsible for developing and executing commodity strategies that support ongoing service operations (spares, repairs, retrofits, and field support). This role drives cost optimization, supplier performance, risk mitigation, continuity of supply and driving effective RMA/warranty recovery processes to support service SLAs and customer satisfaction.
The ideal candidate brings deep experience in renewable energy supply chains (solar, storage, wind, power electronics, or energy services) and understands the unique demands of service-driven operations, including uptime, parts availability, and lifecycle cost management.
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Key Responsibilities
Commodity & Sourcing Strategy
· Develop and execute multi-year commodity strategies aligned with renewable energy growth plans and service operations requirements
· Own sourcing strategy for assigned commodities (e.g., electrical components, power electronics, mechanicals, contract manufacturing, MRO, service parts)
· Balance cost, quality, availability, and risk across project-based and service-based demand profiles
Supplier Management & Negotiation
· Lead supplier selection, RFP/RFQ processes, and commercial negotiations
· Establish and manage long-term supplier agreements, pricing models, and capacity commitments
· Drive supplier performance through KPIs covering cost, delivery, quality, and responsiveness
· Collaborate with suppliers on cost-down initiatives, VA/VE, and lead-time reduction
Service Operations Support
· Ensure critical spare parts availability to support field service, warranty, and maintenance programs
· Partner with Service Operations, Engineering, and Planning teams to align sourcing strategies with installed base and service demand forecasts
· Support lifecycle sourcing, including EOL management, alternate sourcing, and redesign initiatives.
RMA & Warranty Credit Recovery
· Manage RMA process coordination with OEMs/distributors to reduce cycle time and aged returns.
· Ensure warranty claims are supported with correct documentation and serial traceability if required.
· Track credit status, resolve disputes, and drive improved warranty recovery rates.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
· Partner with Engineering on NPI/NPD sourcing, supplier qualification, and should-cost modeling
· Collaborate with Finance on budgeting, cost controls, and savings validation
· Support Operations, Planning, and Logistics teams to resolve supply constraints and improve OTIF performance
Risk Management & Compliance
· Identify and mitigate supply chain risks (single-source, geopolitical, capacity, quality)
· Support sustainability, ESG, and ethical sourcing initiatives aligned with renewable energy values
· Ensure compliance with internal procurement policies and external regulatory requirements
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Required Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field (MBA preferred)
· 7+ years of progressive sourcing or commodity management experience
· Direct experience in renewable energy (solar, energy storage, wind, power generation, or energy services)
· Proven experience supporting service operations, aftermarket, or field service supply chains
· Strong background in contract negotiations, supplier management, and cost reduction
· Experience working in ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Dynamics, etc.)
· Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
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Preferred Qualifications
· Experience supporting global supply chains and contract manufacturers
· Familiarity with power electronics, electrical components, or engineered systems
· Experience with lifecycle cost modeling and installed-base analytics
· Demonstrated success driving multi-million-dollar savings initiatives
· Exposure to DDMRP, S&OP, or service-parts planning models
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Key Competencies
· Strategic sourcing & category leadership
· Commercial negotiation & influence
· Service-level and uptime mindset
· Data-driven decision making
· Cross-functional leadership
· Risk assessment & mitigation
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Benefits
SunStrong Management offers a generous employee reward package that includes:
- Comprehensive health, dental, vision
- 401k with company match
- PTO and paid holidays
- Professional development and career growth opportunities
