Procurement & Vendor Coordinator [contract]

Limelight Steel is a clean technology company developing an electric ironmaking process that uses laser light to decarbonize primary steel production. Their core innovation replaces traditional carbon-intensive blast furnaces with a laser-based furnace system, enabling the ironmaking process to be fully electrified. The company reports up to 20% energy savings over conventional steelmaking methods and aims to deliver zero-emissions steel at cost-parity with existing production techniques. The company's mission is centered on addressing one of the most carbon-intensive industrial sectors in the global economy. Steel production is responsible for approximately 7-9% of global CO2 emissions, and Limelight Steel's approach targets the primary ironmaking stage, which is the largest source of emissions in the steelmaking value chain. By electrifying this process with laser technology, they seek to enable a scalable, economically competitive pathway to decarbonized steel. Limelight Steel has received significant recognition and institutional support, including a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E program, backing from Khosla Ventures, and inclusion on the Cleantech Group's 2024 Cleantech 50 to Watch list. The company was also named by Popular Science as one of the 50 greatest innovations of 2024 and appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 energy list. They are an Activate Fellowship company, reflecting their origins in deep scientific research.

Position summary

Limelight Steel is looking for a contract Procurement & Vendor Coordinator to run day-to-day buying, expediting and vendor management for the installation and commissioning of our laser steelmaking demonstration plant in Oakland, CA. This role is 20 to 30 hours per week, flexible, through the next 2 to 4 months when our schedule carries its heaviest procurement and vendor fabrication load. This role can be fully remote, with a slight preference for someone who can occasionally be on-site in Oakland, CA.

You will take ownership of the purchase and fabrication packages on our laser furnace and sulfur system schedules: getting quotes, raising requests in Procurify, placing orders, and chasing vendors and fabricators until material is on site and accepted. You will work with our small engineering team, pulling the right engineer in when a technical query, deviation or substitution needs a decision, and keeping the engineering lead informed on cost, delivery and ongoing risks.

The role covers the procurement and expediting work a buyer and expeditor does on a mid-sized EPCM project, scaled to our lean sized, flat, quick moving startup: each procured scope runs as a package with placement of an initial RFQ, bid comparison and purchase order; every open order is chased against its promised date by phone, email and potentially local shop visits; imported specialty components are moved through our contracted logistics companies (freight forwarders and customs brokers) for transit, import clearance and delivery to site; vendor drawings, material certificates and data books are tracked to approval; and vendors deal with one contact, with engineers brought in only for technical decisions. The ideal candidate has routinely done this on industrial capital projects, is comfortable reading basic fabrication drawings and P&IDs well enough to buy against it with a supporting BOM and/or specification, and keeps a tidy, current record of every order.

Roles and responsibilities

Procurement

• Own the procurement package list for our laser furnace and sulfur system, keeping each line current: scope, vendor, quote, PO, promised date, actual date, status. The list currently holds about 40 to 50 items.

• Issue RFQs from engineering specifications, data sheets and BOMs; gather and compare quotes; prepare short bid summaries for engineering and commercial sign-off; then place the order once authorized.

• Raise spend requests in Procurify with the right backup, and track them through approval and PO release.

• Place and manage orders for custom fabricated weldments, piping, fittings, valves, pumps, insulation, instrumentation, bulk materials, and consumables.

• Source and set up service and labour contracts (field welders and pipe fitters, electrical contractors, rigging suppliers, third-party consultants) with engineering defining the scope.

Expediting

• Hold regular check-ins with vendors and fabricators on open orders; confirm drawing approvals, material receipt, fabrication progress, inspection and ship dates.

• Flag delivery slips early, with the schedule rows they affect, and propose recovery options (partial shipment, alternate source, air freight, re-sequencing).

• Interface with our contracted logistics companies on imported specialty components: book transit, supply commercial invoices and packing lists, confirm HS codes and incoterms with the vendor, resolve customs holds, and track each shipment to delivery at site.

• Arrange receiving at site: check deliveries against PO and packing list, log and photograph damage or shortages, and get the responsible engineer to accept or reject.

Vendor management and interfacing

• Act as the day-to-day point of contact for vendors, so engineers are pulled in for technical decisions rather than order status.

• Route technical queries, deviation requests, substitutions and vendor document submittals to the right engineer, and close the loop with the vendor.

• Track vendor documents due (GA drawings, data books, material certs, test reports, O&M manuals) and chase them to completion.

• Manage warranty claims, returns, back-charges and credit notes with vendors.

• Keep a vendor list with contacts, lead times, terms and performance notes for use on future projects.

Reporting and coordination

• Issue a short weekly procurement and expediting status to the engineering lead: orders placed, deliveries due, slips, and decisions needed.

• Attend the engineering standup when needed to report procurement status and take actions.

• Keep procurement records (quotes, POs, correspondence, receiving records) filed and traceable.

• Maintain competitive bidding documentation to support financial audit requests.

Key qualifications

• 5+ years in procurement, expediting or vendor coordination on industrial capital projects.

• Experience with an owner's project team or an equipment fabricator.

• Has bought and expedited mechanical equipment, fabricated steel, piping and valves, and electrical/instrumentation items.

• Reads P&IDs, BOMs, data sheets and fabrication drawings well enough to buy against them and spot gaps.

• Organized and persistent: keeps an order list current and chases vendors until the material is on site.

• Clear written communicator with vendors and engineers; knows when to decide and when to escalate.

• Comfortable with spreadsheets and a purchasing system (Procurify or similar).

Desired qualifications

• Experience on metallurgical, pyrometallurgical, chemical or process plants.

• Expediting overseas fabrication, including freight, customs and incoterms.

• Working knowledge of commercial terms: payment milestones, warranties, back-charges, change orders.

• Experience with vendor document control and inspection and test plans.

• Familiarity with project schedules (Smartsheet, MS Project or similar) and linking deliveries to schedule rows.

• Nice to have: Bay Area based, or able to be on site in Oakland when needed for receiving and vendor visits.

Contract terms

• Contract position, 20 to 30 hours per week, flexible hours.

• Initial Term: November 2026 to February 2027, the period our current schedule carries the heaviest buying, expediting and vendor fabrication load. Potential to renew, including longer-term remote support, depending on project needs.

• Reports to the engineering lead (Darryl Metcalfe).

• Nice to have: Mix of remote and on-site work in Oakland, CA, with on-site presence for receiving and vendor visits.