The intern will support the full procurement cycle, including sourcing, negotiating, and managing purchase orders for raw materials and hardware. They will also track material readiness against build schedules and assist in vetting and developing the supplier base.
Requirements overview
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a bachelor's or graduate program in supply chain, engineering, or a related field. Applicants must also meet U.S. person requirements under ITAR regulations.
Amca is building a new industrial base for America that is faster, distributed, and multi-sourced. We increase competition and capacity for every class of critical component to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs.
For decades, America’s legacy industrial base for critical components has become increasingly uncompetitive and capacity-constrained. As a result, the gap between what America needs and what it can produce is the largest it has been in generations.
To address today’s bottlenecks, Amca is pioneering a faster and more resilient way to develop and manufacture critical aerospace and defense components. Traditional manufacturers often silo design, testing, and production into separate workflows, resulting in years-long timelines and high program risk. Amca brings those functions together into a single, integrated system that pairs rapid design and qualification of components with certified production at scale.
By combining rapid prototyping, software-enabled testing, extensive qualification infrastructure, and a growing network of AS9100D-certified factories, Amca can move critical components from requirement to production within weeks. The end result is faster delivery, greater access to technical data, and reduced dependence on a single source of supply.
Today, Amca supplies products for major aerospace and defense platforms, including the F-35, F-16, F/A-18, Mk-48, 737MAX, 787, 777, A320, and M1 Abrams. We also support U.S. military sustainment programs focused on readiness-related shortages and diminishing manufacturing sources. We have raised $376M in funding and are backed by leading investors including Caffeinated Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital and Founders Fund.
Amca is building America’s new industrial base. Since the 1990s, our ability to build new aviation and military systems and maintain the ones we already have has eroded. Today, the gap between what the nation needs to produce and what it is capable of producing is the largest it has been in generations.
To help close that gap, Amca rapidly develops and manufactures new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. Today, we operate seven factories nationwide, including our advanced prototyping and testing headquarters in El Segundo, and deliver avionics, hydraulic, and electrical components for platforms such as the F-35, F-16, F/A-18, 737MAX, 787, A320neo, A321, Mk-48, and M1 Abrams.
Sourcing Intern
El Segundo, CA · Intern · On-Site
Sourcing interns help Amca buy the parts and materials that go into every build, and make sure the factory floor is planned and stocked when builds need them. You'll follow hardware from purchase order to completion, help find and vet the suppliers behind our products, and get out to the occasional supplier shop to see how things are made.
You'll learn procurement, build planning, and supplier development by doing real work with real ownership, alongside a team that will teach you how it all fits together. No prior purchasing experience is required, and we appreciate strong operators.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Procurement
Support the full procurement cycle — source, quote, negotiate, and issue POs for hardware, raw materials, fabricated parts, and consumables
Help manage open orders end-to-end: track deliveries, update lead times, and expedite parts that are at risk of impacting the build schedule
Help resolve PO discrepancies with receiving, suppliers, and engineering — own the issue through to closure
Maintain accurate ERP/MRP data: open POs, lead times, pricing, vendor records, and part statuses
Identify cost and lead time improvement opportunities across the supply base
Build Planning & Part Tracking
Work from BOMs, work orders, and engineering requirements to plan material needs for active and upcoming builds
Track parts through the full lifecycle — from PO issuance through receiving, inspection, kitting, and build completion
Maintain visibility into build status and material readiness; surface shortages and schedule risks early
Coordinate with engineering, production, and receiving to keep part flow aligned with build priorities
Support traveler and documentation accuracy to ensure traceability through the build
Supplier Development
Help identify and onboard new suppliers across machining, injection molding, PCBAs, electronics, testing, assembly, and other processes as needed
Help conduct supplier vetting — evaluate capabilities, quality systems, capacity, and certifications
Join occasional supplier visits to assess shops firsthand and build relationships
Maintain and grow a reliable, high-performance vendor base that can scale with our manufacturing operations
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Are currently enrolled in a bachelor's or graduate program in supply chain management, industrial or mechanical engineering, business, or a related field
Are organized and can keep track of a long, constantly shifting list of orders and priorities
Are curious about how things get made, and comfortable learning to read a BOM or engineering drawing
Strong organizational skills — able to manage a large and constantly shifting queue of open orders and build priorities
Direct and proactive communicator with suppliers, engineers, and technicians alike
Willing to travel occasionally for supplier visits
Thrives in a fast, ambiguous environment where the plan changes and ownership is expected
NICE TO HAVE
Prior internship or work experience in purchasing, procurement, or materials planning
Familiarity with supplier qualification processes and quality documentation (C of C, material certs, AS9100)
Experience sourcing across a broad range of processes — machining, PCBAs, electronics, testing, coatings, NDT
EXPORT COMPLIANCE
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident, (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Amca provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Hourly Pay Range
$30—$50 USD
This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3).
The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.