Acquisition Specialist

TILT Autonomy, Inc. — Annapolis, MD Full-Time | $75,000–$110,000 DOE

About TILT

TILT Autonomy designs and builds the autonomy that runs uncrewed aircraft and boats. We do all of it in house, out of our shop in Annapolis, and what we build is out in the field.

We're now scaling into rate production through contract manufacturers running parallel lines. Every vehicle is a few hundred parts that have to show up, on time, at the right shop, in the right quantity.

The Role

You buy the things we build with.

That sounds simple until you look at the constraints. Some of our components carry lead times measured in months. Buying in small blocks leaves real money on the table, because the price breaks sit at volumes above where we currently order. And when a build goes to a contract manufacturer three states away, the parts have to be there, kitted and correct, before anyone picks up a tool.

Get that wrong and the line stops. Get it right and it is invisible, which is the job.

You'll own sourcing, purchase orders, vendor relationships, and the inventory that feeds both our Annapolis floor and our contract manufacturers. You'll work directly with the engineers choosing parts — early enough to say "that connector is 20 weeks out, here are two that aren't."

This is a small company. Nobody will hand you a forecast; you'll build it.

What You'll Own

Sourcing and purchasing - Place and track purchase orders — from DigiKey and McMaster line items to custom machined parts, PCBAs, and cable assemblies - Find and qualify new suppliers; negotiate pricing, terms, and lead time - Second-source the parts that would stop a build if a single vendor slipped

Planning for rate - Turn a production plan into a buy plan: what to order, in what quantity, and how early - Track long-lead items and flag them before they become the schedule - Buy in blocks that earn the volume break instead of paying the prototype price

Feeding the contract manufacturers - Kit and stage material for CM builds; know what's consigned versus bought by the shop - Track material across sites so "we have it" is a fact rather than a hope - Manage incoming inspection handoff with quality and receiving

Keeping it clean - Maintain accurate BOM and inventory records — our internal tools depend on them - Keep purchasing documentation tied to projects and contracts so our cost accounting holds up under a government audit - Watch export control and country-of-origin where it applies to our parts

What We're Looking For

Must have: - 3+ years buying for a hardware company — electronics, machined parts, or assemblies - You've owned real POs and real vendor conversations, including the uncomfortable ones - Comfortable reading a BOM and an engineering drawing well enough to know what you're buying and when a substitution is not a substitution - Organized in a way that survives contact with a busy week; you keep records because you want them, not because someone asked - U.S. citizenship

Strongly preferred: - Electronic components: distributors, allocation, lifecycle and EOL, alternates - Machined parts, sheet metal, or cable assemblies from job shops - MRP/ERP or inventory systems, or having built the spreadsheet that stood in for one - Supporting production at a contract manufacturer - Government contracting exposure — FAR/DFARS, DCAA-friendly recordkeeping, ITAR

Nice to have: - Marine, UAS, or other uncrewed systems - Incoming inspection or supplier quality - Reading a schedule well enough to argue with it - Active security clearance

How this fits with the rest of the team

Our Senior Accountant owns the financial side — three-way matching, vendor payment, contract invoicing, and cost accounting. You own the operational side: what we buy, from whom, at what price and lead time, and whether it arrives. You'll work closely together, and the handoff is the purchase order.

Why TILT

• You'll see the consequence of your work the same week. A part you expedited becomes a boat that ships.
• Real leverage. At rate, the difference between a good buy plan and a bad one is measured in months, not percentage points.
• Close to the engineers. You'll influence what gets designed in, not just buy what you're handed.
• Sustainable pace. We work hard and build for the long haul.
• Benefits. ICHRA health benefit, 401(k), and 31 days of paid time off (16 holidays + 15 discretionary + 5 sick days).

Location & Schedule

On-site in Annapolis, MD. This role lives close to the parts and the people building with them. Occasional travel to suppliers and contract manufacturers.