What does a director of supply chain management do?
A supply chain management director is responsible for overseeing the supply chain management operations by managing the distribution process and material delivery. Supply chain management directors coordinate with the suppliers and vendors to negotiate contracts and conditions, monitor the production deadline, confirm shipment details, and resolve distribution delays. They also conduct data and statistical analysis to identify methodologies that would increase the staff's productivity and efficiency. A supply chain management director analyzes financial transactions, manage cost-reduction expenses, and discuss production reports to the senior management.
Director of supply chain management responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of supply chain management resumes:
- 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.
- Develop KPIs for various functions; measure performance and set goals for improvement.
- Assist in the management and fine tuning of the MRP system in conjunction with the purchasing manager.
- Base on the SCM requirements the ODS and EDW universes are created and reports are created for the supply end users.
- Restructure SCM organization to support regional activities align with corporate goals.
- Improve MRP processing to facilitate weekly/daily changes that improve material availability and reduce costs.
- Participate and contribute to quarterly business reviews by setting goals and expectations for production and logistics.
- Provide technical and managerial leadership in manufacturing operations, manufacturing engineering, procurement, and logistics.
- Design the supply chain, develop production and manufacturing readiness plans and coordinate purchasing activities across multiple commodities.
- Recommend changing the WMS from a legacy system to EBS/DSS under an ERP/SAP conversion.
- Utilize the WMS to receive inventory; perform cycle counts to ensure accurateinventory and data entry.
- Reduce WIP inventory to negligible levels through proper production scheduling.
Director of supply chain management skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Directors Of Supply Chain Management are proficient in Supply Chain, Logistics, and Chain Management.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Supply Chain Management that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 19%
Implemented and directed lean manufacturing processes to eliminate supply chain inefficiencies within the site manufacturing and administrative supply chain functions.
- Logistics, 9%
Supply Chain Management is structured to encompass purchasing, scheduling, production, inventory control, and domestic/international logistics.
- Chain Management, 8%
Developed supply chain management functions for parent, subsidiary and regional sister companies.
- Continuous Improvement, 4%
Enforced policies and procedures to ensure a continuous improvement environment measured by key performance indicators including labor and productivity metrics.
- Project Management, 4%
Directed project management office, determining process for requesting project support and standardizing tools and processes used by project managers.
- Chain Operations, 4%
Collaborated with Trinity Health to develop a standard product conversion form, and process, to support supply chain operations strategy.
Common skills that a director of supply chain management uses to do their job include "supply chain," "logistics," and "chain management." You can find details on the most important director of supply chain management responsibilities below.
The three companies that hire the most director of supply chain managements are:
- KPMG LLP32 directors of supply chain management jobs
- Raytheon Technologies5 directors of supply chain management jobs
- Coupa Software4 directors of supply chain management jobs
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Compare different directors of supply chain management
Director of supply chain management vs. Procurement officer
A procurement officer is primarily in charge of overseeing the procurement of supplies and equipment for an organization, prioritizing cost-efficiency and quality. It is their duty to manage the company's supply inventory, compile and analyze procurement requests, develop purchase plans, handle purchase procedures, and maintain records of all transactions, producing reports regularly. They must also liaise and negotiate with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. Furthermore, as a procurement officer, it is essential to lead the procurement team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of supply chain management responsibilities require skills like "supply chain," "chain management," "continuous improvement," and "project management." Meanwhile a typical procurement officer has skills in areas such as "purchase requisitions," "procurement procedures," "procurement policies," and "procurement process." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Procurement officers tend to make the most money working in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $74,267. In contrast, directors of supply chain management make the biggest average salary, $126,636, in the manufacturing industry.procurement officers tend to reach lower levels of education than directors of supply chain management. In fact, procurement officers are 7.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of supply chain management vs. Logistics director
A logistics director spearheads and oversees a company's logistics operations. They are primarily responsible for setting goals and guidelines, managing the budgets and timelines, researching new opportunities, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of operations, and implementing solutions against problem areas. They must also maintain positive relationships with key clients and external parties, such as distributors and suppliers. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead employees while implementing the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones as needed.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real director of supply chain management resumes. While director of supply chain management responsibilities can utilize skills like "logistics," "supplier performance," "materials management," and "chain processes," logistics directors use skills like "logistics operations," "customer service," "oversight," and "logistics support."
Logistics directors earn similar levels of education than directors of supply chain management in general. They're 3.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of supply chain management vs. Contracts director
A contract director is primarily in charge of developing and negotiating contracts with clients and partners, ensuring adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to foresee potential advantages and disadvantages, coordinating with analysts and other experts, monitoring the progress of operations to ensure contract compliance of both parties, and overseeing the development of proposals within the organization. Furthermore, as a contract director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the mission and vision of the company.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a director of supply chain management is likely to be skilled in "supply chain," "chain management," "continuous improvement," and "chain operations," while a typical contracts director is skilled in "oversight," "contract terms," "strong analytical," and "contract administration."
Contracts directors earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $87,719. Directors of supply chain management earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $126,636.Most contracts directors achieve a similar degree level compared to directors of supply chain management. For example, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of supply chain management vs. Material manager
A material manager is responsible for monitoring inventories and stock supplies, ensuring the adequacy of materials needed for manufacturing or other operations, depending on the organization's industry. Material managers meet with suppliers and third-party vendors, negotiating contracts that would fit the budget goals of the company without compromising quality. They manage the distribution of resources throughout the organizations' department and provide purchase reports for the management. A material manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to address the needs of an organization for smooth operations.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between directors of supply chain management and material managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director of supply chain management might have more use for skills like "project management," "chain operations," "kpis," and "chain processes." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of material managers require skills like "customer service," "shipping receiving," "lean manufacturing," and "production scheduling. "
Material managers enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $97,765. For comparison, directors of supply chain management earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.The average resume of material managers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to directors of supply chain management. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.9%.Types of director of supply chain management
Updated January 8, 2025
