About the role
Why the Stratosphere?
From first principles, it is the obvious place to build. Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites orbit at 400 kilometers, moving at 17,000 mph and offering only brief snapshots. An autonomous solar-powered bird at 20 kilometers, or 65,000 ft, flies steady above the clouds and weather. In other words, it’s very close to Earth. And persistent by flying in circles. Effectively a Cell Tower in the Sky. The Stratosphere provides the physics of permanence. That persistence is priceless. That is Skylink.
Start small. Build upward.
The first product of Icarus is a small, affordable solar-powered Stratospheric bird. A platform designed to be light, simple, and built under constraints. Affordability is the foundation. More importantly, it solves a real use case now. A wedge into the market through intelligence and communications. A beachhead that proves the model, attracts customers who need it so badly they’ll use it even before it’s perfect, and opens the path to market disruption at scale.
The vision: Skylink
The vision goes further than building one plane or even one fleet. The goal is Skylink: a persistent Stratospheric grid delivering continuous intelligence, uninterrupted communications, and global connectivity. A new layer of infrastructure. The next backbone of how we see, sense, and connect the world.
Our mission at Icarus is to re-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere. We asked ourselves: what is the fastest and best way to execute this? The answer was not to start with a massive, billion-dollar program. It was to start with affordable birds, scale endurance step by step, and build upward into Skylink.
Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere. You will help build the supply chain that makes this possible.
Mission
Re-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.
The role
You will own both buying and supply planning for the electrical parts that keep our aircraft operating. Your scope includes avionics, RF hardware, payload electronics, solar cells and modules, batteries, wire, connectors, and interconnects. You will work with the Head of Supply Chain, engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers to get the right parts to the line when they are needed.
What you’ll own
Electrical material planning. Turn build schedules, BOMs, engineering changes, and spares demand into purchase requirements and delivery plans.
Purchasing execution. Run RFQs, compare quotes, place and maintain purchase orders, confirm acknowledgements, and follow orders through receipt.
Supplier follow-through. Track commitments, escalate shortages early, and recover late deliveries with specific actions and dates.
Inventory parameters. Maintain lead times, reorder points, order quantities, and safety-stock assumptions in ION.
Technical alignment. Work with electrical engineering on part specifications, alternates, lifecycle risks, and approved changes.
Supply continuity. Identify long-lead and sole-source exposure and support the Head of Supply Chain on mitigation plans.
Accurate records. Keep supplier, item, pricing, and order data current; resolve receiving and invoice discrepancies with warehouse and finance.
Build readiness. Bring clear material status and prioritized shortages to regular clear-to-build reviews.
What we’re looking for
3+ years of purchasing, material planning, or related supply chain experience supporting hardware manufacturing.
Experience procuring electrical or electronic components and working with technical suppliers.
Comfort reading BOMs, comparing specifications, and asking engineering the right questions.
Practical ERP/MRP experience and strong spreadsheet skills.
Ability to manage changing demand, long lead times, and multiple open orders without losing commitments.
Strong supplier communication, attention to detail, and personal ownership of delivery outcomes.
Ability to work at our El Segundo factory five days a week.
Bonus
Experience with avionics, RF, batteries, solar components, PCBAs, or cable and harness suppliers.
Worked in aerospace, defense, robotics, or a hardware startup.
Experience with ION, electronics lifecycle management, or alternate-source qualification.
Our culture = elite sports team. Winning = having fun
Hyperfocus
Extreme Ownership
Radical Transparency
Why Icarus
Meaningful equity
Competitive pay and bonuses
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Factory in El Segundo
Real ownership, real hardware, real flight
Small team, massive responsibility
High signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture
Dream desk setup
Daily lunch
Unlimited celsius
Hiring process
Phone screen with the hiring manager via Microsoft Teams
Onsite presentation and panel Q&A
US salary range
$100,000 - $140,000 USD
The salary range for this role reflects base salary only. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related skills, experience, education and/or training, and business considerations. Equity is considered part of Icarus’ total compensation package.
We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.