Bluewater Advisory

Are you a seasoned Supply Chain Manager looking to join a well-established Specialty Manufacturing firm as a part of their leadership team? Our client, an industry leading Connecticut based manufacturer of specialized industrial products with multiple locations and multiple business lines both domestically and internationally is currently seeking a Supply Chain Manager to lead their sourcing, purchasing and inventory planning functions for the global operations of the firm.

The primary function of this position is to oversee the firm’s supply chain team, overseeing the strategic initiatives and direction for how the company sources and supplies materials in all markets. This role is both operational in nature as well as strategic.

Essential Functions of the Supply Chain Manager – Specialty Manufacturing

• Develop and lead our sourcing strategy to reduce risk, optimize cost, and improve supplier performance
• Build strong, redundant supplier relationships; manage vendor scorecards
• Lead and mentor supply chain team
• Negotiate purchase agreements and constantly drive cost-saving initiatives
• Monitor price evolution of components and raw materials developing strategies to minimize cost impact on manufactured products
• Develop and maintain forecasting and replenishment models aligned with production, S&OP, and new product introduction
• Monitor inventory levels using real-time ERP data, driving accuracy and availability
• Ensure and oversee inventory control
• Lead the end-to-end purchasing process: PO creation, supplier communication, and invoice resolution
• Ensure compliance with purchasing guidelines and continually enhance procurement workflows
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Production, Marketing and Customer Service to align procurement with customer needs and business goals
• Provide material availability insight for product launches and production planning
• Champion a culture of proactive procurement strategy
• Introduce systems and automation to elevate supply chain performance and scalability.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of the Supply Chain Manager – Specialty Manufacturing

• Proven track record of serving as a leader of supply chain in a manufacturing environment
• Player/Coach mindset
• Strategic thinker capable of driving marketing initiatives in multiple complimentary divisions
• Exceptionally high Emotional Quotient, ability to connect with people
• Ability to operate in a very high-paced and dynamic environment
• High ethical standards
• Ability to put systems in place to ensure timely, accurate and meaningful reporting
• Demonstrated ability to develop and effectively implement a strategic vision
• Ability to mentor and connect with both junior and senior level team members
• Strong systems judgment and understanding of others

Training and Experience Requirements for the Supply Chain Manager – Specialty Manufacturing

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering or similar
• APICS/CPIM Certification a plus
• 10+ years of procurement, inventory management & supply chain leadership experience in a manufacturing or industrial production environment
• Strong ERP Experience
• Strong MRP, S&OP, forecasting and multi-site inventory control experience
• Experience managing multi-location teams
• Lean background a plus

Key Words: Supply Chain Manager, purchasing, inventory control