Niral Desai

About Niral Desai

I am a strategic sourcing and supply chain executive with 15+ years of experience leading procurement strategy, supplier partnerships, and global operations for mission-critical hardware across autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, robotics, semiconductors, IoT, and autmotive. Over my career, I have secured $3B+ in awarded production contracts, managed multimillion-dollar supplier negotiations, and built scalable supply chains that enable innovation at global scale.At Cruise and NIO, I developed sourcing strategies for sensors, compute modules, and advanced hardware systems, negotiated long term MSAs, SOWs, and service agreements, and aligned Tier-1 and contract manufacturing partners with aggressive NPI and production milestones. I have led cross-functional initiatives with engineering, product, manufacturing, logistics, finance, and legal teams to ensure supply continuity, risk mitigation, and cost optimization, while achieving >$10M in annual savings through supplier consolidation and operational efficiency.I am passionate about building strategic partnerships that extend beyond cost to include technology roadmap alignment, risk visibility, and long-term supplier collaboration. My leadership style is collaborative, data-driven, and globally minded. I have managed and mentored sourcing teams and supplier managers across North America, Europe, and Asia, consistently delivering results in fast-paced, high-growth environments.Core Strengths:Procurement Leadership & Supplier Partnerships (OEMs, Tier-1s, CMs)Contract Negotiation (Development, Supply, Licensing & Service Agreements)NPI & Hardware Product Launch (Sensors, Compute, Chassis, Telecom)Cost Modeling, TCO Analysis & Strategic Sourcing ($3B+ in Awards,$10M+ Savings)Cross-Functional Collaboration (Engineering, Product, Ops, Finance, Legal, Supplier Quality)Risk Mitigation, Supplier Readiness & Technology Roadmap AlignmentTeam Leadership, Mentorship & Global Supplier Management

Experience

1. Staff Global Supply Chain Manager

   Tesla

   Jul 2025 — Present · Palo Alto, CA, US

Skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Continuous Improvement
• Project Management
• Value Stream Mapping
• Process Improvement
• Leadership
• Supply Chain
• Supplier Development
• Engineering
• Customer Service
• Global Sourcing
• Product Management
• Procurement
• Mrp
• Management
• Six Sigma
• Supplier Negotiation
• Supply Management
• 5s
• Manufacturing
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Supply Chain Management
• Strategic Sourcing