Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations Management

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations Management will own and improve the full supply chain lifecycle, spanning procurement, planning, inventory control, logistics, distribution, and fulfillment. The role is focused on building strategies that raise efficiency, lower operating costs, improve service quality, and support business expansion.

As a senior leader on the operations team, this person will work closely with Manufacturing, Procurement, Finance, Sales, Customer Service, and executive leadership to create a supply chain that is resilient, scalable, and high performing. The position generally reports to the Chief Operations Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations, or Chief Supply Chain Officer.

Strategy and Supply Chain Leadership

• Create and roll out supply chain strategies that support overall business goals.
• Own end-to-end operations across demand planning, purchasing, inventory, logistics, warehousing, and distribution.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to boost operational performance and customer satisfaction.
• Design scalable supply chain capabilities that can support growth and international expansion.
• Set long-term roadmaps and transformation plans for the supply chain function.

Operations Management

• Direct day-to-day supply chain activities to maintain efficiency, strong service levels, and cost discipline.
• Track operating metrics and take corrective action when performance falls short.
• Improve inventory accuracy, order completion, and on-time delivery.
• Ensure smooth coordination among suppliers, plants, distribution centers, and customers.
• Lead the Sales and Operations Planning process.

Procurement and Supplier Management

• Partner with procurement teams on strategic sourcing programs.
• Strengthen systems for evaluating and managing supplier performance.
• Build supplier risk assessment and mitigation plans.
• Negotiate major partnerships and supply agreements.
• Protect supplier quality, compliance, and operational reliability.

Logistics and Distribution

• Improve transportation, warehousing, and distribution network efficiency.
• Reduce freight spend and strengthen logistics cost control.
• Assess third-party logistics providers and transport vendors.
• Support accurate and timely product deliveries.
• Create backup plans to handle disruptions and supply shortages.

Inventory and Demand Planning

• Oversee replenishment and inventory planning methods.
• Increase forecast accuracy and inventory turns.
• Reduce surplus and obsolete stock.
• Balance inventory investment with customer service expectations.
• Deploy inventory optimization practices.

Transformation, Technology, and Analytics

• Lead digital transformation projects across the supply chain.
• Improve use of ERP, WMS, TMS, and planning systems.
• Use analytics to guide operational decisions.
• Drive automation and standardization of processes.
• Implement tools for supply chain visibility and performance tracking.

Risk, Compliance, and Resilience

• Develop frameworks for managing supply chain risk.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory, trade, and internal policy requirements.
• Strengthen business continuity and resilience programs.
• Monitor geopolitical, economic, and operational threats to the network.
• Lead crisis response and supply disruption management efforts.

Financial and Performance Management

• Manage supply chain budgets and cost control initiatives.
• Identify savings and efficiency opportunities.
• Build business cases for capital and operational investments.
• Measure return on investment for supply chain programs and transformations.
• Improve working capital through better inventory and operational performance.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead and mentor a high-performing supply chain organization.
• Create succession plans and leadership development pathways.
• Encourage accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Coach directors, managers, and future supply chain leaders.
• Support strong cross-functional collaboration across the company.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should hold a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related discipline. An MBA or other advanced degree is preferred.

Applicants should bring at least 12 years of progressive experience in supply chain, logistics, operations, or procurement, including 7 or more years in leadership roles overseeing large-scale supply chain operations. Experience with global or multi-site supply chain environments, complex supply networks, and substantial operating budgets is required. A strong background in supply chain transformation and process improvement is also important.

Technical Expertise

This role calls for deep knowledge of supply chain planning, procurement, logistics, inventory control, and distribution. Experience with S&OP, demand planning, and forecasting is expected, along with familiarity with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or NetSuite. Knowledge of WMS, TMS, APS, and supply chain analytics tools is also needed, plus strong financial, analytical, and operational modeling skills.