Sourcing Manager - Plastics and Rubber

Sourcing Manager Plastics & Rubber

Location: Bangalore, India

Start Date: Immediate

About Zeno

An unprecedented energy transition has begun. To meet 2040 net zero goals, over 2 billion electric two-wheelers (motorcycles) must be sold and $11 trillion in fuel consumption replaced. Zeno is building a tech platform to electrify this two-wheeler market, currently responsible for more than 4% of the world's GHG emissions.

Our mission is to accelerate the energy transition and democratize the benefits across Africa, India, and Latin America. With a focus on East Africa as a starting point, Zeno is building a new energy ecosystem with ground-up development of a fundamentally better electric motorcycle and associated battery swap network to drive a better experience for our customers.

We are looking for audacious, creative, and committed people to join us on this important mission. You will be joining a bold team consisting of leading engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs hailing from companies that include Tesla, Apple, Google, SRAM, Ola Electric, Dott, LiveWire, Lucid, Bolt, Microsoft, and SafeBoda, among others. Zeno is a Series A funded start-up that raised capital from some of the world's foremost mobility and climate investors, including Congruent Ventures, Toyota Ventures and LowerCarbon Capital.

The Role

As a Sourcing Manager Plastics & Rubber, you will be responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and managing suppliers for plastic and rubber components used in Zeno's electric motorcycles. This includes structural plastics, injection molded parts, rubber seals, gaskets, hoses, bushings, vibration-damping components, and exterior body panels.

This role requires deep knowledge of automotive-grade polymers and elastomers, supplier qualification, tooling development, and durability requirements, with experience sourcing plastic and rubber parts for two-wheelers, automotive, or electric vehicles.

What You Will Do

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for plastic and rubber components, ensuring cost efficiency, quality, and supply reliability.
• Identify and manage relationships with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers specializing in injection molding, compression molding, extrusion, and rubber component manufacturing.
• Work closely with engineering and product teams to ensure supplier capabilities align with product design, tooling requirements, and manufacturing processes.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and delivery schedules to optimize cost, lead times, and supply continuity.
• Ensure supplier compliance with automotive durability, safety, and quality standards for plastic and rubber components.
• Monitor supplier performance and lead continuous improvement initiatives including cost-down programs and value engineering.
• Develop a risk management framework to mitigate disruptions in tooling development, raw material supply, and production capacity.
• Ensure plastic and rubber components are designed and sourced to withstand environmental conditions such as heat, vibration, UV exposure, water ingress, dust, and chemical exposure.
• Support supplier audits, tooling validation, and manufacturing process optimization to improve efficiency and reliability.

What You Bring

• 710 years of experience in sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management within the automotive, plastics, rubber, or manufacturing industry.
• Deep knowledge of plastic and rubber component suppliers, particularly in the two-wheeler, automotive, or EV ecosystem.
• Experience working with injection molded parts, exterior body panels, rubber seals, gaskets, hoses, bushings, and vibration-damping components.
• Strong understanding of tooling development, mold lifecycle management, and cost estimation.
• Proficiency in supplier development, commercial negotiations, and cost optimization.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, quality, and manufacturing teams to ensure supplier alignment.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and project management skills.

Great to Haves

• Experience working for a Tier 1 supplier or OEM in sourcing, procurement, or supplier quality roles.
• Knowledge of EV-specific plastic and rubber applications such as battery enclosures, thermal insulation components, and sealing systems.
• Experience in material selection including engineering plastics, composites, and elastomers.
• Familiarity with automotive quality standards such as IATF 16949 and validation requirements for molded components.
• Understanding of durability testing standards including UV resistance, thermal cycling, vibration testing, and ingress protection.

Benefits

World-Class Team: Join a team of leading engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs from across the globe who are part of the inevitable trillion-dollar transition of two-wheelers to electric.

Competitive Compensation: Competitive salary and equity package based on experience.

Impact: Be part of the trillion-dollar transition of two-wheelers to electric and make a significant impact on global energy consumption and emissions.

Let's Drive!