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What is a director of supply chain management and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Priya Nagaraj
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A director of supply chain management is responsible for overseeing the supply chain operations of a company. They take care of purchasing raw materials, manage inventory, keep in contact with vendors, and arrange the distribution and shipping of finished products.

As a director of supply chain management, you will analyze the performance data of the workflow to understand shortcomings and propose improvements wherever necessary. You will forecast inventory needs and production schedules and create strategies to improve the production and quality of goods.

You will need extensive experience in logistics and supply chain management to fill this role. You will be working with departments such as sales, customer service, and operations, so you need excellent organizational and communication skills. You will need to be a critical thinker and an avid problem solver as well, all of which are qualities of a good leader.

What general advice would you give to a director of supply chain management?

Priya NagarajPriya Nagaraj LinkedIn profile

Professor of Economics and Global Business, Website

Students should be able to analyze and interpret data. For instance, demand forecasting and predictive analytics are a large part of this industry today. As the number of regulations across nations increases, it is important to have at least some knowledge of foreign regulations. Cross-cultural knowledge and experience are always a plus in this area for prospective employees. People skills are also important along with knowledge of additional languages.
ScoreDirector Of Supply Chain ManagementUS Average
Salary
8.4

Avg. Salary $131,875

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 8.84%

Black or African American 7.49%

Hispanic or Latino 12.54%

Unknown 4.69%

White 65.78%

Gender

female 19.99%

male 80.01%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director of supply chain management career paths

Key steps to become a director of supply chain management

  1. Explore director of supply chain management education requirements

    Most common director of supply chain management degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.5 %

    Master's

    19.3 %

    Associate

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of supply chain management skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Supply Chain19.05%
    Logistics8.85%
    Chain Management7.52%
    Continuous Improvement4.04%
    Project Management3.75%
  3. Complete relevant director of supply chain management training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of supply chain management learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of supply chain management based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of supply chain management resumes.
  4. Research director of supply chain management duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and troubleshoot variations in demand; review and revise ERP system requisition inventory allocation recommendations.
    • Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.
    • Initiate MRP and forecasting implementation utilizing ERP system.
    • Analyze financial and operating data to create KPIs for the monitoring of progress.
  5. Get director of supply chain management experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of supply chain management. The most common roles before becoming a director of supply chain management include purchasing manager, material manager team lead and supply chain manager.
  6. Prepare your director of supply chain management resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of supply chain management resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of supply chain management resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director of supply chain management resume templates

    Build a professional director of supply chain management resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of supply chain management resume.
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
    Director Of Supply Chain Management Resume
  7. Apply for director of supply chain management jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of supply chain management job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first director of supply chain management job

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Average director of supply chain management salary

The average director of supply chain management salary in the United States is $131,875 per year or $63 per hour. Director of supply chain management salaries range between $94,000 and $184,000 per year.

Average director of supply chain management salary
$131,875 Yearly
$63.40 hourly

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Director of supply chain management reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

Works not recognized by upper management!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

I am continuously working to develop my the communication and computer skills necessary listed in the job description job description. My formal education which is bachelors degree in philosophy and a minor in economics. I am currently furthering my education in the area of computer science.

Cons

I am working to improve my area of concern which is having limitations when managing employees.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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