Buyer

About the company

Lightship is building America’s first all-electric recreational vehicle and is developing an aerodynamic, battery-powered trailer designed for the electric era. As the shift toward fully electric transportation gathers pace, the company aims to bring greater convenience and stronger performance to an activity enjoyed by more than 11 million families in the United States.

Team culture

Lightship values a workplace shaped by varied perspectives and is focused on attracting and growing talented people from different backgrounds. The team operates with a collaborative mindset, a flat structure, and an expectation that everyone shows integrity, ownership, and creativity in their work.

Role overview

In this role, you will act as the day-to-day purchasing lead for the supply chain function. Reporting to a Global Supply Chain Manager and working across a matrixed organization, you will turn approved demand into timely and accurate purchase orders for sourced parts. This includes creating and managing purchase orders from NetSuite MRP signals, confirming orders with suppliers, expediting deliveries, and addressing discrepancies as they arise. The role is hands-on and practical, making it a strong entry point into supply chain work at a fast-growing EV company. Category strategy, supplier selection, and negotiations are handled by category owners and senior buyers, allowing you to build strong knowledge of the ERP system, suppliers, and production support processes.

Key responsibilities

• Translate demand from NetSuite MRP and approved requisitions into correct purchase orders across categories for the supply chain team.
• Work with suppliers to lock in pricing, lead times, and promised delivery dates, while ensuring each purchase order is acknowledged and accurately updated in the system.
• Track open orders and follow up proactively to move deliveries earlier or later as production plans and MRP inputs change.
• Handle receipt mismatches, quantity and price differences, and invoice or three-way-match issues; arrange returns and replacements with suppliers when needed.
• Keep purchase order and vendor data clean and current in NetSuite, including open-order status, dates, and notes.
• Create and share reports on open purchase orders, overdue items, and supplier on-time delivery to help the team plan and follow up.
• Support internal stakeholders, production, receiving, and Accounts Payable with questions about order status and purchasing activity.
• Follow established procurement procedures and standard work, and suggest improvements as you become more familiar with the process.

Minimum qualifications

• 0 to 2 years of experience in purchasing, supply chain, operations, or a similar area; internships in relevant fields are also acceptable, and recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
• Excellent organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage several open orders and deadlines at the same time.
• Comfort using spreadsheets such as Excel or Google Sheets for tracking and basic analysis.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to follow up professionally and consistently with suppliers and internal teams.
• Willingness to learn an ERP platform and structured procurement methods in a fast-paced setting.
• Reliable, accountable, and able to raise questions or flag issues when something appears incorrect.

Preferred background

• A bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related discipline.
• Any exposure to an ERP system, especially NetSuite, through studies, internships, or previous roles.
• Understanding of MRP basics such as planned orders, lead times, and reorder points.
• Interest in manufacturing, automotive, RV, or hardware, along with curiosity about how physical products are built.
• Comfort using Google Workspace; exposure to Jira or Confluence is considered an advantage.

Compensation and equity

Compensation includes an annual salary along with equity, giving employees an ownership interest in the business.

Benefits for full-time employees

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible paid time off, with an emphasis on actually taking it
• 13 company holidays, including 8 spread through the year and a scheduled year-end shutdown week
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Annual LightTrip stipend for an RV trip and/or professional development

Additional information

Full-time employees and their dependents receive comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage. The company emphasizes reducing healthcare concerns for employees and their families while building an all-electric experience for a widely enjoyed pastime. Lightship may use AI tools during hiring to assist with application review, resume analysis, or response assessment, but human recruiters make the final hiring decisions.