VP, Global Supply Chain | Energy & Hardware Ops

ZOLA Electric is seeking a Vice President of Supply Chain to lead global operations based in San Mateo, CA. The role involves building supply chain strategies, managing procurement and logistics, and collaborating across teams. Candidates should have extensive experience in supply chain management, particularly in hardware operations and global procurement, with a focus on Asia. An MBA or MS in Engineering/Operations is preferred.
Vice President, Supply Chain

📍 Onsite – San Mateo, CA | 🌍 Global Operations | ⚡ Energy + Hardware + AI

Be a force in ending energy inequality. Join ZOLA Electric and help power the future for over 3 billion people around the world.

About ZOLA Electric

At ZOLA Electric, we are solving one of the world’s greatest challenges: energy access. Over 3 billion people globally live without reliable power, impacting everything from healthcare to education to climate change. We’re changing that.

Born in the Serengeti and now operating across 10+ countries and 4 continents, ZOLA’s technology platform combines hardware, a control layer, and an AI-enabled SaaS application (ZOLA Intelligence) to provide affordable, reliable, and renewable energy at scale. Today, we serve more than 3 million people and businesses, and we’re just getting started.

We are a growth-stage, mission-driven company and we’re looking for a rising supply chain leader to help us scale.

The Role: Vice President, Supply Chain

ZOLA Electric Labs is seeking a Vice President, Supply Chain to build and lead our global supply chain operations. This role is based onsite in San Mateo, CA and reports directly to our CEO.

This is a high-ownership role for someone who has hands-on experience managing supplier and contract manufacturing relationships in China, and who is ready to step into an executive leadership role with global scope.

What You’ll Do
• Build and lead global supply chain operations: procurement, sourcing, logistics, NPI, quality, and order fulfillment
• Own the strategy: develop a 3-year global supply chain roadmap aligned with company goals and product vision
• Lead end-to-end operations: S&OP, contract manufacturing (CM) oversight, inventory, and logistics
• Drive New Product Introduction (NPI) in partnership with Engineering and Product teams
• Develop and optimize systems: ERP implementation, SOPs, and tooling for global visibility and control
• Negotiate and manage supplier contracts and capital purchases in battery, inverter, PCBA, and high-tech hardware
• Lead a lean global team across time zones, setting KPIs and building a culture of operational excellence
• Mitigate risk across our global supplier and manufacturing footprint, with a focus on Asia and emerging markets
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Finance, Engineering, and Go-to-Market teams
• Own supply chain budget planning and performance monitoring

What We’re Looking For
• 5-12+ years in supply chain or hardware operations; 2+ years in a leadership role
• Deep knowledge of batteries, inverters, PCBA, and hardware systems
• Proven success in global procurement and manufacturing, especially in Asia
• Strong NPI, quality, and supplier negotiation experience
• ERP systems expertise (implementation and optimization)
• Experience leading lean, high-performing, distributed teams
• Exposure to process automation and AI/data-driven ops
• Knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma a plus
• 🎓 MBA or MS in Engineering/Operations is a bonus
• ✈️ Able to travel internationally
• 🏢 Based in SF Bay Area and able to commute to San Mateo, CA

Why Join ZOLA
• Impact: Solve one of the world’s most urgent problems
• Innovation: Build AI-driven energy hardware and software systems
• Global Reach: Operate across 4 continents with a distributed, mission-driven team
• Executive Role: Direct visibility and influence alongside our CEO and leadership team
• Purpose + Scale: Combine startup energy with meaningful global impact

ZOLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.