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 keep the factory and flight teams supplied with the tools, equipment, consumables, and services they need to execute. Your focus is indirect purchasing and maintenance, repair, and operations supplies. You will work with the Head of Supply Chain, Buyer/Planners, finance, and internal requesters to turn requests into accurate orders and dependable deliveries.
What you’ll own
Indirect purchasing. Source and order tooling, test equipment, calibration services, shop supplies, flight-test consumables, and other operating needs.
Purchase-order accuracy. Create and maintain orders, confirm pricing and delivery dates, and keep records current in ION.
Request coordination. Clarify specifications, quantities, timing, and approvals with the people who need the material.
Supplier follow-up. Track acknowledgements and deliveries, resolve routine issues, and escalate risks before they interrupt work.
Receiving and invoice support. Reconcile orders with receipts and invoices in partnership with warehouse and finance.
Replenishment. Maintain practical reorder processes for frequently used supplies and identify opportunities to consolidate purchases.
Visibility. Keep a clear view of open requests, overdue orders, and upcoming service or calibration needs.
What we’re looking for
1+ years of purchasing, supply chain coordination, manufacturing operations, or closely related experience.
Strong organization and attention to detail across requests, orders, and supporting documents.
Comfort with spreadsheets and learning ERP or purchasing systems.
Clear communication with suppliers and internal teams.
Ability to prioritize urgent needs while keeping routine work moving.
A proactive approach to following up and resolving discrepancies.
Ability to work at our El Segundo factory five days a week.
Bonus
Experience buying indirect materials, tooling, services, or MRO supplies.
Experience with ION or a manufacturing ERP.
Worked in a factory, aerospace company, defense company, or hardware startup.
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
$70,000 - $95,000 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.