Supply Chain Operations Manager

Location: Marietta, OH
Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
Compensation: Starting at $95,000 annually, with higher compensation available based on experience
Travel Requirement: Up to 20% for supplier meetings, sourcing initiatives, industry events, and business-related travel

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain Operations Manager to oversee all material planning, procurement, inventory management, and supplier performance activities within a manufacturing environment. This role serves as the primary link between supply chain operations and production, ensuring materials are available to support both short-cycle and complex custom manufacturing programs.

The successful candidate will provide leadership to purchasing and planning personnel while balancing operational execution with long-term supply chain strategy. This individual will collaborate closely with operations, project teams, sales, quality, engineering, and executive leadership to optimize inventory investments, improve supplier performance, and strengthen overall supply chain reliability.

### Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Buyer Planners.
Establish performance expectations and conduct coaching, development discussions, and performance reviews.
Balance workloads across purchasing and planning portfolios to ensure effective coverage and execution.
Promote strong ERP/MRP discipline and data-driven decision making.
Identify training opportunities and support professional development initiatives.
Maintain continuity plans to ensure uninterrupted coverage during employee absences and staffing transitions.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Material Planning & Project Support

Partner with project teams to align material plans with production schedules and customer commitments.
Participate in project launch activities to evaluate bills of materials, identify long-lead components, and assess supply risks.
Monitor material availability and proactively address shortages that may impact project timelines.
Coordinate cross-functional responses to supply disruptions and delivery concerns.
Review active project portfolios on a routine basis to ensure critical materials remain aligned with production priorities.
Support rapid-turnaround and configure-to-order programs through effective inventory planning and material positioning.

Sales & Demand Planning Collaboration

Provide supply chain guidance during the quoting and opportunity evaluation process.
Offer realistic lead-time assessments based on supplier capacity, market conditions, and inventory availability.
Participate in demand planning and forecasting discussions to support business growth.
Utilize pipeline visibility to anticipate future material requirements and sourcing needs.
Support customer service objectives through accurate and timely supply chain information.
Assist with inventory programs, blanket agreements, and stocking strategies that improve responsiveness.

Strategic Supply Chain Management

Identify materials that present elevated risk due to long lead times, limited sourcing options, price volatility, or operational impact.
Develop inventory strategies that support production continuity while controlling working capital.
Evaluate sourcing risks and recommend mitigation plans including alternate suppliers, safety stock programs, and long-term agreements.
Support implementation of supplier and commodity strategies across the facility.
Participate in make-versus-buy evaluations and sourcing optimization initiatives.
Monitor market conditions, supply constraints, tariffs, and industry trends that could affect material availability or cost.

Inventory & Materials Performance

Manage facility-wide inventory performance, including inventory turns, excess inventory reduction, and working capital utilization.
Lead initiatives focused on improving inventory velocity while maintaining production readiness.
Oversee periodic reviews of excess and obsolete inventory and coordinate corrective actions.
Establish inventory policies related to safety stock, replenishment methods, reorder points, and cycle counting.
Direct annual physical inventory activities and related reconciliation efforts.
Use data analytics and performance metrics to support inventory investment decisions.

Supplier Management & Procurement Excellence

Drive supplier performance improvements through measurement, reporting, and regular business reviews.
Monitor key supplier metrics including delivery reliability, quality performance, responsiveness, and lead-time accuracy.
Manage supplier escalations and corrective action initiatives.
Collaborate with quality teams on supplier qualification and improvement efforts.
Support onboarding and evaluation of new suppliers.
Lead or support negotiations involving pricing agreements, long-term contracts, and strategic purchasing arrangements.

ERP / MRP Leadership

Ensure accuracy of item master data, planning parameters, supplier information, and bills of materials.
Promote disciplined use of ERP and MRP systems throughout the purchasing and planning process.
Review planning outputs and address systemic issues affecting material availability or inventory performance.
Partner with internal technology teams to improve system functionality and reporting capabilities.
Champion data integrity as a critical component of operational excellence.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Develop and present supply chain performance reports to leadership.
Analyze trends and identify opportunities for operational improvement.
Lead initiatives focused on inventory optimization, lead-time reduction, warehouse efficiency, and process improvement.
Support Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement efforts throughout the facility.
Benchmark performance against industry standards and implement improvement roadmaps where appropriate.

Performance Measures

Success in this role will be evaluated through key operational metrics, including:
- Inventory Turnover
- Material Availability Performance
- Supplier On-Time Delivery
- Purchase Price Variance
- Excess and Obsolete Inventory Reduction
- Material Shortage Prevention
- Supplier Quality Performance
- Strategic Inventory Readiness

### Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related discipline.

7–10+ years of progressive supply chain experience within a manufacturing environment.

Minimum 3 years of leadership experience supervising purchasing, planning, or materials personnel.

Experience managing procurement and material planning activities for industrial or electromechanical manufacturing operations.

Advanced knowledge of ERP and MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS, or comparable platforms.

Demonstrated success improving inventory performance while maintaining high material availability.

Experience managing supplier performance programs and supplier development initiatives.

Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership abilities.

Advanced Microsoft Excel and reporting capabilities.

### Preferred Qualifications

APICS CPIM, CSCP, CPSM, C.P.M., or similar certifications.

Experience supporting electrical equipment, industrial manufacturing, or power-related product environments.

Familiarity with industry standards affecting electrical and electromechanical products.

Experience developing sourcing and commodity strategies.

Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification.

Experience with vendor-managed inventory, consignment programs, blanket purchasing agreements, or strategic inventory programs.

Background working with global suppliers, import compliance, or international sourcing.

### Core Competencies

Supply Chain Leadership

Strategic Sourcing & Risk Management

Inventory Optimization

ERP / MRP Expertise

Demand Planning

Supplier Relationship Management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Continuous Improvement

Cost Management

Executive-Level Communication

### Work Environment

This position is fully on-site and requires daily interaction with manufacturing, warehouse, and receiving operations. Candidates should be comfortable working in an industrial environment and spending time on the production floor to support operational objectives.

Travel of up to 20% is expected for supplier visits, sourcing activities, industry conferences, and occasional business-related meetings. Availability outside standard business hours may occasionally be required to support urgent supply chain issues impacting production continuity.