About Caper

Caper (跃氪) is a pioneering company in retail automation technology under Instacart, a North American NASDAQ-listed company. As its core smart hardware brand, Caper is committed to redefining the shopping experience through groundbreaking product design and engineering innovation.

Our flagship product, the Caper Smart Cart, stands as a benchmark for embodied AI technology applications. To achieve seamless and reliable autonomous shopping functionality, we integrate AI vision systems, high-precision sensors, and advanced visual-language model (VLM) algorithms.

The Caper Smart Cart has successfully served both North American and global markets, including dozens of top-tier retail brands such as the top 3 supermarket giants in North America, demonstrating the excellence of our technology and product design. Backed by our parent company Instacart—a global leader in online fresh grocery delivery with over a decade of experience serving 600+ retail brands and 55,000+ stores across North America—Caper benefits from unparalleled market insights, technical resources, and large-scale implementation platforms, providing engineers with vast opportunities to tackle real-world complex challenges.

Welcome to visit our official website: caper.ai

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ABOUT THE ROLE

We are hiring an experienced Senior Sourcing specialist to lead the strategic sourcing, new product introduction (NPI) procurement, and ongoing procurement and optimization for mass production. This role will focus on building a high-performing global supplier network—including China, Southeast Asia, and potentially North and South America—while optimizing cost structures and ensuring supply stability to support rapid hardware iteration and scalable production.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Hardware Supply Chain team is responsible for the end-to-end global supply chain strategy, operations, and management of all CAPER products. The Sourcing team is one of the most critical functions within the Supply Chain organization, owning supplier relationships and driving product cost management.

Global Sourcing Team is transitioning into a 1-to-10/100 stage focused on maturity and scalability. We are evolving from ad-hoc early-stage sourcing into a structured, process-driven, and sustainable global procurement organization that supports the scale, standardization, and international expansion of our hardware products.

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ABOUT THE JOB

1. Supplier Development and Management

• Responsible for the sourcing, development, qualification assessment, on-site audit, and onboarding of new suppliers in China and southeast Asia; establish and continuously optimize the Approved Vendor List (AVL).
• Ensure 2–3 competitive backup suppliers for each core category to mitigate supply risks and enhance negotiation leverage.
• Regularly conduct supplier performance evaluations (on delivery, quality, service, and cost), implement dynamic management, and drive continuous improvement through performance-based supplier rationalization.

2. Procurement Strategy and Execution

• Develop procurement strategies and annual procurement budgets for mechanical components and Assembly based on project requirements, production plans, and R&D timelines.
• Lead the end-to-end procurement process, including request for quotation (RFQ), price/comparison analysis, negotiation, contract signing, purchase order issuance, order tracking, goods receipt inspection, and payment application.
• Manage the full lifecycle of purchase orders to ensure data accuracy, timeliness, and traceability.

3. Cost Control and Cost Reduction Management

• Conduct in-depth cost analysis and market research; possess expert knowledge of material composition, manufacturing processes, and cost drivers for finished assembly and mechanical parts.
• Leverage negotiation skills, bidding mechanisms, value analysis/engineering (VA/VE), and target costing to drive continuous cost reduction and achieve annual cost-down targets or project-specific price goals.
• Monitor market price fluctuations of key raw materials, provide early warnings, and develop response strategies to mitigate price and supply risks.

4. Cross-functional Collaboration and R&D Support

• Collaborate closely with R&D and Engineering teams during new product introduction (NPI) phases, providing procurement and manufacturing insights for design optimization (DFM/DFA).
• Promote standardization and commonality in design selection to reduce part variety and procurement complexity.
• Lead the sourcing, delivery, and follow-up of engineering samples (ETA), and track feedback to support R&D testing and validation.

5. Contract and Supply Chain Risk Management

• Participate in drafting, reviewing, and executing procurement agreements, NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements), and quality agreements.
• Identify potential supply chain risks (e.g., single-source suppliers, geopolitical issues, capacity constraints) and develop and implement risk mitigation plans.
• Build a diversified global supply base—focusing on expanding supply chain resources in Southeast Asia and Mexico—to enhance supply chain resilience and risk tolerance.

6. Quality and Delivery Assurance

• Work closely with the Supply Chain Planning team to ensure accurate demand communication and uninterrupted material supply.
• Monitor production and logistics progress in real time, proactively identify delivery exceptions, and coordinate timely resolutions to ensure on-time material availability for production.
• Partner with the Quality team (e.g., SQE) to resolve incoming quality issues with mechanical components; drive root cause analysis and ensure corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are implemented by suppliers.
• Support resolution of in-process procurement-related quality issues on the production floor, including returns, replacements, and emergency alternate sourcing.

ABOUT YOU

Minimum Qualifications

1. Work Experience: At least 10 years of procurement experience in the intelligent hardware industry; experience managing procurement for assembly plants of finished products and controlling overall product costs; specific overseas supply chain development experience, especially in Southeast Asia; experience in optimizing procurement processes or digital procurement system construction.

2. Education Background: Bachelor's degree or above, with a major in supply chain management or engineering preferred.

3. Professional Knowledge: Skilled in mechanical, familiar with R&D processes and possessing fundamental technical comprehension; have successfully driven R&D teams to adopt alternative solutions, achieving a cost reduction of X%.

4. Language Skills: Excellent written English.

5. Personal Qualities: Outstanding communication and expression skills, capable of effectively coordinating internal and external resources to ensure efficient task execution; strong stress resistance, able to adapt to a fast-paced work environment; skilled in time management and handling multiple tasks simultaneously, with the ability to independently manage procurement affairs.

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We offer a competitive salary package

At Caper, the total compensation consists of base salary and equity in the form of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units). The job description shows only the base salary component, but we will additionally offer additional stock rewards from our parent company, Instacart. As a publicly traded company in the U.S., Instacart's stock can be directly traded on the market and holds potential for appreciation.

Caper has our own salary philosophy. The final salary of an offer will have a direct connection with the candidate's experience and skill level presented during the interview.

What benefits we aim to provide:

New employees can enjoy 10 days of paid annual leave, 10 days of paid sick leave, and male employees will have an additional 4 weeks of paid paternity leave.

Annual learning fund, annual personal living fund, annual team building activities, health & medical coverage, and more.

Who should join us!

We are looking for driven individuals who thrive in a fast-paced engineering/product environment, are passionate about product and improving team performance, and feel comfortable pushing the limits of what is possible.

We welcome every individual who is direct and open to facilitate our adorable no-political culture.

Every day we solve incredibly complex problems to create an experience for our users that is absolutely magical. Join us!

About Caper

Caper (跃氪) is a pioneering company in retail automation technology under Instacart, a North American NASDAQ-listed company. As its core smart hardware brand, Caper is committed to redefining the shopping experience through groundbreaking product design and engineering innovation.

Our flagship product, the Caper Smart Cart, stands as a benchmark for embodied AI technology applications. To achieve seamless and reliable autonomous shopping functionality, we integrate AI vision systems, high-precision sensors, and advanced visual-language model (VLM) algorithms.

The Caper Smart Cart has successfully served both North American and global markets, including dozens of top-tier retail brands such as the top 3 supermarket giants in North America, demonstrating the excellence of our technology and product design. Backed by our parent company Instacart—a global leader in online fresh grocery delivery with over a decade of experience serving 600+ retail brands and 55,000+ stores across North America—Caper benefits from unparalleled market insights, technical resources, and large-scale implementation platforms, providing engineers with vast opportunities to tackle real-world complex challenges.

Welcome to visit our official website: caper.ai

—--------------------------------------

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are hiring an experienced Senior Sourcing specialist to lead the strategic sourcing, new product introduction (NPI) procurement, and ongoing procurement and optimization for mass production. This role will focus on building a high-performing global supplier network—including China, Southeast Asia, and potentially North and South America—while optimizing cost structures and ensuring supply stability to support rapid hardware iteration and scalable production.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Hardware Supply Chain team is responsible for the end-to-end global supply chain strategy, operations, and management of all CAPER products. The Sourcing team is one of the most critical functions within the Supply Chain organization, owning supplier relationships and driving product cost management.

Global Sourcing Team is transitioning into a 1-to-10/100 stage focused on maturity and scalability. We are evolving from ad-hoc early-stage sourcing into a structured, process-driven, and sustainable global procurement organization that supports the scale, standardization, and international expansion of our hardware products.

—--------------------------------------

ABOUT THE JOB

1. Supplier Development and Management

• Responsible for the sourcing, development, qualification assessment, on-site audit, and onboarding of new suppliers in China and southeast Asia; establish and continuously optimize the Approved Vendor List (AVL).
• Ensure 2–3 competitive backup suppliers for each core category to mitigate supply risks and enhance negotiation leverage.
• Regularly conduct supplier performance evaluations (on delivery, quality, service, and cost), implement dynamic management, and drive continuous improvement through performance-based supplier rationalization.

2. Procurement Strategy and Execution

• Develop procurement strategies and annual procurement budgets for mechanical components and Assembly based on project requirements, production plans, and R&D timelines.
• Lead the end-to-end procurement process, including request for quotation (RFQ), price/comparison analysis, negotiation, contract signing, purchase order issuance, order tracking, goods receipt inspection, and payment application.
• Manage the full lifecycle of purchase orders to ensure data accuracy, timeliness, and traceability.

3. Cost Control and Cost Reduction Management

• Conduct in-depth cost analysis and market research; possess expert knowledge of material composition, manufacturing processes, and cost drivers for finished assembly and mechanical parts.
• Leverage negotiation skills, bidding mechanisms, value analysis/engineering (VA/VE), and target costing to drive continuous cost reduction and achieve annual cost-down targets or project-specific price goals.
• Monitor market price fluctuations of key raw materials, provide early warnings, and develop response strategies to mitigate price and supply risks.

4. Cross-functional Collaboration and R&D Support

• Collaborate closely with R&D and Engineering teams during new product introduction (NPI) phases, providing procurement and manufacturing insights for design optimization (DFM/DFA).
• Promote standardization and commonality in design selection to reduce part variety and procurement complexity.
• Lead the sourcing, delivery, and follow-up of engineering samples (ETA), and track feedback to support R&D testing and validation.

5. Contract and Supply Chain Risk Management

• Participate in drafting, reviewing, and executing procurement agreements, NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements), and quality agreements.
• Identify potential supply chain risks (e.g., single-source suppliers, geopolitical issues, capacity constraints) and develop and implement risk mitigation plans.
• Build a diversified global supply base—focusing on expanding supply chain resources in Southeast Asia and Mexico—to enhance supply chain resilience and risk tolerance.

6. Quality and Delivery Assurance

• Work closely with the Supply Chain Planning team to ensure accurate demand communication and uninterrupted material supply.
• Monitor production and logistics progress in real time, proactively identify delivery exceptions, and coordinate timely resolutions to ensure on-time material availability for production.
• Partner with the Quality team (e.g., SQE) to resolve incoming quality issues with mechanical components; drive root cause analysis and ensure corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are implemented by suppliers.
• Support resolution of in-process procurement-related quality issues on the production floor, including returns, replacements, and emergency alternate sourcing.

ABOUT YOU

Minimum Qualifications

1. Work Experience: At least 10 years of procurement experience in the intelligent hardware industry; experience managing procurement for assembly plants of finished products and controlling overall product costs; specific overseas supply chain development experience, especially in Southeast Asia; experience in optimizing procurement processes or digital procurement system construction.

2. Education Background: Bachelor's degree or above, with a major in supply chain management or engineering preferred.

3. Professional Knowledge: Skilled in mechanical, familiar with R&D processes and possessing fundamental technical comprehension; have successfully driven R&D teams to adopt alternative solutions, achieving a cost reduction of X%.

4. Language Skills: Excellent written English.

5. Personal Qualities: Outstanding communication and expression skills, capable of effectively coordinating internal and external resources to ensure efficient task execution; strong stress resistance, able to adapt to a fast-paced work environment; skilled in time management and handling multiple tasks simultaneously, with the ability to independently manage procurement affairs.

—--------------------------------------

We offer a competitive salary package

At Caper, the total compensation consists of base salary and equity in the form of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units). The job description shows only the base salary component, but we will additionally offer additional stock rewards from our parent company, Instacart. As a publicly traded company in the U.S., Instacart's stock can be directly traded on the market and holds potential for appreciation.

Caper has our own salary philosophy. The final salary of an offer will have a direct connection with the candidate's experience and skill level presented during the interview.

What benefits we aim to provide:

New employees can enjoy 10 days of paid annual leave, 10 days of paid sick leave, and male employees will have an additional 4 weeks of paid paternity leave.

Annual learning fund, annual personal living fund, annual team building activities, health & medical coverage, and more.

Who should join us!

We are looking for driven individuals who thrive in a fast-paced engineering/product environment, are passionate about product and improving team performance, and feel comfortable pushing the limits of what is possible.

We welcome every individual who is direct and open to facilitate our adorable no-political culture.

Every day we solve incredibly complex problems to create an experience for our users that is absolutely magical. Join us!