Description

Job Description: Supply Chain Director

The Supply Chain Director is responsible for keeping the industrial flow reliable from suppliers to production and customers.

In a manufacturing company, this role is not only about managing procurement or logistics. It is about protecting service level, reducing shortages, controlling inventory value, improving supplier performance and making sure that ERP data reflects the reality of the shop floor.

This job description is designed for industrial companies, supply chain teams, HR departments and managers who need a clear view of the responsibilities, skills and performance indicators expected from a Supply Chain Director.

Purpose of the role

The Supply Chain Director coordinates procurement, planning, logistics, inventory management, warehouse operations and supplier follow-up. His main objective is to secure material availability while controlling cost, cash and operational risk.

He connects data and field reality. He uses ERP information, supplier commitments, stock accuracy, production needs and performance indicators to make decisions that protect the company’s operations.

Main responsibilities

• Define and deploy the supply chain strategy for the industrial site or business unit.
• Secure material availability for production and customer deliveries.
• Manage procurement priorities, supplier delays and recovery actions.
• Control inventory levels, stock accuracy, excess stock and shortage risks.
• Coordinate logistics, warehouse flows, inbound transport and internal material movements.
• Improve supplier performance through clear follow-up routines and escalation processes.
• Align supply chain decisions with production, sales, finance, purchasing and customer service.
• Monitor KPIs such as service level, OTIF, inventory accuracy, stock coverage, backlog and supplier delay.
• Use data analysis to detect risks before they become production stops or customer delivery issues.
• Lead supply chain teams and build reliable daily, weekly and monthly operating routines.

Daily operational focus

A Supply Chain Director works at the intersection of urgent operations and long-term performance. Every day, he must decide what needs attention first: a late supplier, a missing component, an overloaded warehouse, an unreliable forecast, an inventory discrepancy or a production risk.

The role requires a strong ability to read data, challenge priorities and convert analysis into action.

• Review critical shortages and late purchase order lines.
• Follow supplier commitments and delivery risks.
• Check production-blocking references and recovery plans.
• Analyze inventory coverage, obsolete stock and excess stock.
• Challenge ERP alerts and identify wrong or missing data.
• Prepare management reviews with clear facts and action plans.

Key performance indicators

The performance of a Supply Chain Director should be measured with operational KPIs that show both service and risk.

• Service level: ability to deliver internal and external customers on time.
• OTIF: on-time and in-full delivery performance.
• Inventory accuracy: alignment between ERP stock and physical stock.
• Stock coverage: number of days or weeks covered by available inventory.
• Shortage rate: number of missing parts affecting production or delivery.
• Supplier delay: late purchase order lines and depth of delay.
• Inventory value: cash invested in raw material, WIP and finished goods.
• Backlog risk: open demand that may become late or critical.

Required skills

• Strong understanding of supply chain, procurement, logistics and inventory management.
• Ability to work with ERP data, Excel exports, dashboards and operational KPIs.
• Experience with production planning, material availability and supplier follow-up.
• Good knowledge of warehouse operations and stock accuracy processes.
• Strong analytical mindset and ability to identify root causes.
• Leadership skills to manage planners, buyers, logistics teams and warehouse coordinators.
• Ability to communicate with production, finance, sales, IT and executive management.
• Capacity to make decisions under pressure when production or customers are at risk.

Typical background

A Supply Chain Director usually has a background in supply chain management, industrial engineering, logistics, operations management or business administration.

Experience in manufacturing is highly valuable because the role requires a practical understanding of production constraints, supplier reliability, warehouse execution and data quality.

Work environment

The Supply Chain Director works between the office, the ERP system, the warehouse, production meetings and supplier reviews.

He must be comfortable with both strategic decisions and operational details. A wrong stock location, a late supplier confirmation or an inaccurate MRP message can create major disruption. This is why the role requires discipline, routines and reliable data.

Who can use this job description?

• HR teams preparing a Supply Chain Director recruitment.
• Industrial companies structuring their supply chain organization.
• Operations directors defining responsibilities between procurement, planning and logistics.
• Supply chain managers preparing a role evolution.
• Consultants working on industrial performance and organizational design.

Why this job description is useful

This job description gives a practical and industrial view of the Supply Chain Director role. It avoids generic wording and focuses on real responsibilities: inventory control, supplier delays, ERP reliability, production flow and operational performance.

It can be used as a starting point for a recruitment page, an internal role description, a training document or a supply chain organization review.

 

Supply Chain Director Responsibilities and Related Topics

This Supply Chain Director job description is focused on real manufacturing supply chain challenges.

The role covers inventory management, supplier performance, procurement management, warehouse operations and production planning.

The Supply Chain Director must secure material availability. He must reduce stockouts. He must control excess inventory. He must improve inventory accuracy and stock coverage.

Supplier performance is also central to the role. The Supply Chain Director follows supplier delays, late purchase orders, delivery risks, service level and OTIF performance.

Reliable data is essential. The role depends on ERP data quality, MRP alerts, inventory turnover, shortage analysis and supply chain KPIs.

In a manufacturing environment, good supply chain decisions protect production flow, customer delivery and cash performance.

Key Supply Chain Topics Covered

• Inventory management: inventory accuracy, stock coverage, excess stock, obsolete inventory and inventory turnover.
• Supplier performance: supplier delays, OTIF, service level, late purchase orders and recovery plans.
• Production planning: material availability, MRP alerts, demand changes and production flow reliability.
• Warehouse operations: goods receipt, stock location, picking issues and physical inventory control.
• Supply chain analytics: ERP data quality, dashboards, KPIs, shortage risks and decision-making.