What are the responsibilities and job description for the Head of Procurement position at dandelionenergy?
Location: Arlington, VA
Job Summary
Dandelion is on a mission to revolutionize home heating and cooling with cutting-edge geothermal technology. As we scale, we are looking for a strategic and hands-on Director of Operations to drive efficiency in our inventory, distribution, fleet, procurement, and product quality management.
Key Responsibilities
Procurement & Supplier Management
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Develop and execute procurement and sourcing strategies to minimize costs while maintaining quality, reliability, and timely delivery.
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Oversee the end-to-end procurement process, including issuing purchase orders, tracking deliveries, managing RFPs, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and subcontractors.
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Establish and maintain a repository of templates, boilerplate content, and FAQs to streamline RFP responses and supplier communications.
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Identify, evaluate, and manage relationships with suppliers and subcontractors for geothermal system components, drilling materials, and installation equipment.
Inventory, Distribution & Warehouse Management
- Optimize inventory management and distribution through automation, technology, and best practices to reduce lead times, minimize waste, and lower costs.
- Prepare regular reports on inventory levels, distribution performance, and cost metrics for leadership.
- Lead Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes to align heat pump manufacturing with sales, engineering, product, and finance teams.
- Oversee warehouse teams, ensuring efficient operations, maintenance, and asset tracking and utilization.
Product Quality & Warranty Management
- Establish and maintain warranty processes for both Dandelion-manufactured and third-party products.
- Monitor product quality, track KPIs, and enforce supplier accountability.
- Close feedback loops with Product and Customer Success teams to drive continuous improvement in product reliability and performance.
Basic Qualifications
- 8 years of procurement experience within physical-goods product environment.
- Proven track record in strategic sourcing and RFP management, backed by strong negotiation skills and a sharp strategic mindset.
- Strong ability to build and manage vendor and subcontractor relationships, ensuring reliability, quality, and ongoing competitive pricing.
- Strong background in inventory optimization, fleet management, and supplier negotiations.
- Experience implementing S&OP processes and working cross-functionally with engineering, product, and sales teams.
- Strategic and hands-on problem solver with a track record of implementing procurement and operations improvements that drive measurable impact—such as reducing costs, increasing vendor efficiency, and/or accelerating time-to-fulfillment in fast-paced, high-growth environments
Preferred Qualifications
- 5 years of procurement/supply chain experience in the HVAC and/or construction industry.
- Demonstrated experience building procurement frameworks from the ground up and scaling processes to support higher volume and organizational growth.
- 5 years of warehouse management experience.
