Supply Chain Manager
Standard Locknut · Westfield, IN, US ·
- Seniority
- C level
- Employment
- Contract
- Category
- Management
- Experience
- 7+ years
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Supply Chain Manager
Reports To: VP of Operations
Position Summary:
The Supply Chain Manager leads SLN’s materials-related functions, including strategic procurement, production planning, scheduling, purchasing, supplier management, and transportation. This role is responsible for building a strong supply chain organization, developing sourcing strategies, establishing standard processes, negotiating agreements with preferred suppliers, and driving continuous improvement initiatives that improve cost, delivery, quality, and inventory performance.
The operational component of the role ensures material availability in the right quantity, at the right place, and at the right time. The Supply Chain Manager works through department leads to forecast short- and mid-term demand, maintain effective production schedules, secure uninterrupted material supply, and manage inventories to meet service, working capital, and operational performance goals.
Essential Functions:
- Lead the procurement team to deliver key commodity performance indicators through strategic management of the supply base, including supplier market analysis, supplier selection and qualification, contract negotiation, supplier development, global value sourcing, and purchased volume management to generate measurable cost savings and supply continuity.
- Lead the materials function by evaluating manufacturing capacity, scheduling workloads, recommending in-house manufacturing versus outsourcing, and balancing quality, delivery, cost, and workforce requirements.
Essential Functions(cont’d):
- Leads all Supply Chain Management activities within the factory. This will include establishing preferred supplier selection criteria based on supplier evaluations of price, quality, delivery, certifications, compliance with governmental procurement regulations and group programs.
- Will establish and implement standard/automated re-order procedures. Will develop crisis management and supplier backup contingency programs.
- Own the SLN SIOP process, using demand, supply, inventory, capacity, and staffing inputs to align lead times, production plans, purchasing priorities, and resource requirements across the organization.
- Drive material and production planning strategies that maintain sufficient stock levels, reduce excess and obsolete inventory, improve turns, and support customer delivery performance.
- Own production planning and scheduling strategies to ensure agreed-upon service levels are achieved while balancing capacity, material availability, customer priorities, and operational efficiency.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Engineering, and Quality to align supply chain priorities with customer delivery, cost, inventory, and operational improvement goals.
- Will interface with sales and customer service for input about future demands.
- Manage personnel and activities within the planning and sourcing functions. Establish individual goals, monitor team and functional performance, provide coaching and accountability, and take necessary action to achieve business objectives.
- Leads team in the analysis of materials and determines optimum control levels. Such parameters for example are safety stock (reorder point), lead times, service levels, stock reach, etc.
- Ensures all organizational activities are carried out in compliance with respective regulations and laws, company policy and procedure.
- Establish supplier scorecards and actively manage the performance of a global supply chain, including cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, and risk mitigation.
Education/Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, operations, engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent progressive experience in supply chain management may be considered. Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive supply chain, materials, procurement, planning, or operations experience in a manufacturing environment.
- APICS certification preferred, including CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD; lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or project management certification is a plus.
- Strong analytical skills and experience using ERP or MRP systems, planning tools, supplier metrics, inventory analysis, and performance dashboards to make data-driven supply chain decisions.