The posting, in Protolabs's own words
archived Oct 27, 2026Join the team as our new Junior Sourcing Manager – India You will be responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and managing manufacturing vendors across CNC machining, sheet metal, 3D printing, castings, forgings, and injection moulding tooling. Working closely with engineering, quality, and external manufacturing partners, you will ensure outsourced components meet technical specifications, are delivered on time, and are procured at competitive costs. This role offers an opportunity to apply your manufacturing knowledge, develop supplier relationships, and contribute to cost optimisation and sourcing excellence.
Drive Vendor Sourcing & Selection
Identify, evaluate, and onboard reliable manufacturing vendors across CNC machining, sheet metal, 3D printing, castings, forgings, and injection moulding tooling. Assess vendor capabilities against technical specifications, quality standards, material requirements, production volumes, and delivery timelines. Build and maintain strong working relationships with external suppliers and job shops. Support supplier selection by comparing technical capabilities, quotations, pricing, and lead times.
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Manage RFQs & Supplier Negotiations
Prepare and distribute Requests for Quotations (RFQs) to external manufacturing suppliers. Review and compare supplier quotations based on technical and commercial requirements. Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and lead times to achieve customer target prices and cost-reduction objectives. Coordinate with suppliers to resolve quotation queries and clarify manufacturing requirements. Prepare price break-ups where required to support sourcing and commercial decisions.
Translate Engineering Requirements into Manufacturing Specifications
Read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, GD&T requirements, technical specifications, and 3D CAD models. Communicate manufacturing requirements accurately to external vendors. Apply knowledge of CNC machining and manufacturing processes to assess supplier feasibility. Work with suppliers to clarify technical requirements and address manufacturing-related questions.
Track Orders & Ensure On-Time Delivery
Monitor vendor production schedules and order progress to ensure committed delivery timelines are met. Proactively identify and resolve production bottlenecks, material delays, and supplier capacity constraints. Follow up with suppliers to maintain delivery commitments and address potential delays. Coordinate with internal stakeholders and vendors to resolve order-related issues.
Support Quality Assurance & Supplier Performance
Coordinate with the internal Quality Control team and suppliers to resolve defects, non-conformances, and deviations from engineering drawings. Support investigations into quality issues and follow up on corrective actions. Monitor supplier performance against on-time delivery and quality rejection metrics. Help ensure outsourced components meet agreed technical specifications and quality requirements.
Drive Market Analysis & Cost Optimisation
Conduct market research to understand raw material prices, tooling costs, shipping costs, machining cycle times, and industry benchmarks. Develop should-cost estimates to assess the competitiveness of supplier quotations. Analyse manufacturing cost drivers to identify potential savings. Apply knowledge of manufacturing processes to support effective sourcing and costing decisions. Identify opportunities to improve machining cycle times through effective fixture and tooling methods.