Are you ready to take your career to new heights? At D-Orbit, we're pioneering the future of space logistics and transportation. Established in 2011, our company is leading the way in helping businesses profitably and sustainably unlock the full potential of the final frontier.
As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside a diverse group of highly skilled individuals, all driven by a shared passion for innovation and excellence. Join us in our global mission to push the boundaries of what's possible and take your ambition to new heights. Apply now and join us in shaping the future of space.
The Role
We are looking for a Category Specialist to manage procurement activities for a strategic portfolio including Avionics, Mechatronics, EEE components, PCBs / PCBAs, R&D activities, and Technical Consultancy services.
This is a hands-on role combining end-to-end ownership of assigned procurement categories with a significant operational buying component. In D-Orbit’s engineering-driven environment, the Category Specialist is directly involved in day-to-day purchasing execution, including purchase order issuance, supplier follow-up, expediting, and delivery management.
Operational execution represents a core and essential part of the role, alongside the progressive development of sourcing strategies, supplier relationships, and category ownership.
You will work closely with Engineering, Program Management, Production, Quality, Finance, and Legal, reporting to the Head of Procurement.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Procurement & Buying
- Execute and manage purchase orders for avionics, mechatronics, EEE components, PCBs / PCBAs, R&D activities, and technical consultancy services
- Support sourcing, negotiation, and contracting of services based on time & material, fixed price, or milestone-based models
- Ensure timely order placement, confirmation, expediting, and delivery follow-up aligned with program and production needs
- Act as the primary operational interface with suppliers for pricing, lead times, technical clarifications, and delivery commitments
- Manage procurement activities across different sourcing channels, including direct suppliers, authorized distributors, brokers, and online procurement platforms
- Proactively manage issues related to delays, scope changes, non-conformities, and supplier performance
- Support engineering and program teams in day-to-day procurement priorities
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date procurement data, documentation, and traceability within the ERP system
Category & Supplier Ownership
- Contribute to the definition and execution of sourcing and supplier strategies for assigned product and service areas
- Support supplier selection, qualification, and performance monitoring
- Negotiate commercial conditions and support contracts and framework agreements in collaboration with Legal
- Support make-or-buy analyses and sourcing decisions for development and production activities
- Participate in procurement activities related to engineering changes, design evolutions, and new program launches
- Perform supply chain risk assessments and contribute to mitigation actions
Required Qualifications
- Proven experience in purchasing EEE components (Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical parts), preferably for aerospace or space applications
- Hands-on experience in procurement of PCBs and PCB assemblies (PCBA), including interaction with manufacturers and EMS suppliers
- Experience in procurement of technical consultancy or engineering services, including definition and management of scopes of work and service-based contracts
- Ability to interact with engineering stakeholders to translate technical needs into structured procurement and contractual requirements
- Solid understanding of electronics supply chains, including lead times, obsolescence, and supplier qualification topics
- Proven experience in operational procurement activities, including purchase order execution, supplier follow-up, and expediting
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, project-driven environment
- Good negotiation skills and commercial awareness
- Familiarity with structured procurement processes and ERP systems
- Proactive, reliable, and execution-oriented mindset
- Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Engineering (Electronics, Aerospace, Automation, Mechatronics, or similar)
- Fluency in Italian and English
- Deep knowledge of AI tools.
Nice to Have Qualifications
Previous experience in procurement or buying roles within electronics, aerospace, space, or other high-reliability engineering environments
Familiarity with ECSS standards and space-grade procurement requirements
Experience with radiation-hardened (rad-hard / rad-tolerant) components
Exposure to procurement activities involving electronic component brokers, including risk evaluation, traceability, and counterfeit mitigation
Experience in purchasing electronic components through authorized distributors and online procurement platforms / e-commerce channels (e.g. supplier web portals, online catalogs, spot-buy platforms)
Experience in procurement of engineering consultancy services
Availability
- Willingness to travel occasionally for national and international business trips
Why Join D-Orbit
- A role with real end-to-end responsibility, from sourcing decisions to purchase order execution and delivery
- Direct involvement in mission-critical space hardware and development programs
- Strong interaction with engineering teams and international suppliers
- Opportunity to grow into broader category ownership as the procurement organization evolves
- A collaborative, inclusive, and innovation-driven work environment
We offer a base salary range of €27’000–€32,000 gross per year for this role, depending on experience and location, plus a performance-based variable component. Final offer may vary based on overall fit and internal equity.
Additional benefits:
- Meal vouchers
- Wellhub platform, offering a wide range of fitness, wellness, and wellbeing services
- Serenis platform, including unlimited individual psychotherapy, nutrition, and coaching sessions.
Hiring Process: Here’s how our hiring process works—simple and straightforward:
Application review: We go through all applications, but we'll only reach out to candidates who closely match what we're looking for.
If you don’t hear from us, it means we’re not moving forward with your application at this time, but we may consider you profile for more aligned opening in the future!
First chat: Selected candidates will have an informal meeting with us so we can get to know each other and talk through mutual expectations and goals.
Technical interviews: Next, you’ll have one or two technical interviews, focused on your skills and how you approach challenges relevant to the role.
Offer: If all goes well, we’ll send you an offer! Sometimes this stage can take a bit of time, as we like to carefully consider each candidate and make sure the fit with the team is just right.
We do our best to get back to everyone we interview, but sometimes things take longer than we'd like and updates might be a bit slow. If you've got any questions, just reach out to us!
We’re excited to get to know you and see if you might be the next person to help us reach new heights together!
Extra-UE applicants:
This is NOT a full remote job, so, you need VISA to work in Italy.
We can currently consider only applicants with an existing right to work in the country.
Some activities must be carried out in our facilities, many others are location-independent, and they can be performed effectively even remotely. This is why we don't measure the performance of people by how many hours they spend at the office: we only measure the outcome.
At D-Orbit, diversity and inclusivity are not just values, they are integral to our mission and the way we operate. We are committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are respected, valued, and celebrated for their unique ...
