VP of Supply Chain
The Vice President of Supply Chain is a hands-on executive leader accountable for enterprise-wide supply chain performance, including purchasing, procurement, global and domestic strategic sourcing, supply planning, inventory management, material requirements, supplier performance, and material availability. As a member of the executive leadership team reporting directly to the CEO, this leader pairs strong executive presence and poise with a highly visible, floor-driven operating style.
The VP will build and lead a world-class supply chain that improves material availability, reduces inventory and working capital, strengthens supplier performance, lowers total cost, and establishes the operating discipline needed to support profitable growth. Success requires both enterprise-level leadership and personal involvement in the critical details that drive manufacturing performance.
This role carries direct accountability for more than $50 million in annual spend and approximately $35 million in inventory, with a clear mandate to reduce inventory while improving material availability and customer service. The VP will personally drive critical initiatives while building and overseeing a capable supply chain organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the full purchasing and procurement organization, including global and domestic strategic sourcing, supplier selection, negotiation, contracting, supplier development, and ongoing supplier performance management.
- Personally lead high-impact sourcing, negotiation, and supplier-management activities while overseeing and developing the supply chain team; this is not a purely delegative executive role.
- Own supply planning within the SIOP process. Demand planning remains under the Production VP; the VP of Supply Chain translates approved demand into executable supply and material plans.
- Ensure materials are available at every required point of use to support production schedules, customer commitments, aftermarket needs, and business growth.
- Own material requirements planning and inventory strategy, policy, execution, and performance across the enterprise.
- Manage approximately $35 million of inventory with the explicit objective of reducing working capital while simultaneously improving availability and service.
- Manage and influence more than $50 million in annual external spend, delivering sustainable cost, quality, delivery, lead-time, and commercial improvements.
- Establish sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, continuity of supply, lead time, capacity, geopolitical exposure, and total landed cost.
- Lead supplier negotiations and make final supplier-selection and sourcing decisions within delegated authority. Final authority is up to $1 million; commitments above $1 million require CEO/CFO signoff.
- Build strong supplier relationships while holding suppliers accountable for delivery, quality, cost, responsiveness, capacity, and corrective action.
- Partner closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Commercial, and Aftermarket leaders to resolve constraints and improve end-to-end flow.
- Develop the supply chain organization, including structure, talent, succession, standard work, accountability, and performance management.
- Maintain a strong operating cadence using data, KPIs, supplier reviews, shortage management, and root-cause problem solving.
- Spend meaningful time on the manufacturing floor and with suppliers, directly engaging in operating issues.
Qualifications
- Significant progressive leadership experience in supply chain, procurement, sourcing, materials, and planning within a complex discrete manufacturing environment.
- Direct, hands-on manufacturing/production operations management experience is mandatory. Candidates must have personally managed manufacturing or production operations in addition to supply chain leadership.
- Demonstrated responsibility for substantial external spend, complex supplier negotiations, and material/inventory performance.
- Demonstrated ability to lead both strategically and tactically - personally solving problems, negotiating, visiting suppliers, and working on the manufacturing floor.
- Strong business and financial acumen, including working capital, cost, cash, inventory economics, make/buy decisions, and total cost of ownership.
- Executive presence, poise, sound judgment, and the ability to communicate effectively with the CEO, executive team, board/investor stakeholders, suppliers, and frontline employees.
- Proven ability to build, lead, and develop teams while maintaining clear accountability for results.
- Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20% domestically and 10% internationally
- High ownership and bias for action
- Visible, hands-on operating leadership
- Strong negotiation and supplier-management capability
- Data-driven and financially disciplined
- Direct, clear communicator with strong executive presence
- Collaborative across functions while willing to make difficult decisions
- Develops people and raises organizational capability
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