How to hire a director of supply chain operations

How to hire a director of supply chain operations, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of supply chain operations hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of supply chain operations job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of supply chain operations
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of supply chain operations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The director of supply chain operations hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect director of supply chain operations also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of directors of supply chain operations and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Director Of Supply Chain Operations	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Supply Chain Operations		$34-91
   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... Show more	$34-60
   Planning Manager	Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations... Show more	$34-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Supply Chain
   • Chain Operations
   • Customer Service
   • Chain Management
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Project Management
   • Process Improvement
   • Demand Planning
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • KPIs
   • Chain Functions
   • Inventory Management
   • ERP
   • Sigma

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.
   • Accelerate the implementation of NetSuite ERP software.
   • Review monthly establish KPIs and associate scorecards.
   • Complete and fine-tune implementation of ERP system.
   • Improve MRP system effectiveness and reliability through employee training and data integrity validation.
   • Develop, analyze and evaluate KPIs and effectiveness of update long-range global distribution programs.

   More director of supply chain operations duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of supply chain operations job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A director of supply chain operations salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a director of supply chain operations in Arkansas may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level director of supply chain operations usually earns less than a senior-level director of supply chain operations. Additionally, a director of supply chain operations with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average director of supply chain operations salary

   $117,026yearly

   $56.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of supply chain operations salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average director of supply chain operations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$139,741	$67
   2	Massachusetts	$135,554	$65
   3	New York	$133,151	$64
   4	Pennsylvania	$130,291	$63
   5	New Jersey	$126,387	$61
   6	Nevada	$123,639	$59
   7	Maryland	$118,579	$57
   8	Delaware	$116,678	$56
   9	Washington	$112,470	$54
   10	Texas	$109,672	$53
   11	Oregon	$106,987	$51
   12	North Carolina	$99,180	$48
   13	Georgia	$95,749	$46
   14	Florida	$95,114	$46
   15	Illinois	$94,841	$46
   16	Minnesota	$94,466	$45
   17	Alabama	$91,342	$44
   18	Tennessee	$88,966	$43
   19	Iowa	$80,929	$39
   20	Colorado	$80,106	$39

   Average director of supply chain operations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$185,462	$89.16	217
   2	St. Rose Hospital	$157,515	$75.73
   3	Dignity Health	$153,682	$73.89	9
   4	Emergent BioSolutions	$151,137	$72.66
   5	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$146,224	$70.30	8
   6	Safran	$145,904	$70.15	27
   7	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$145,369	$69.89	17
   8	AdventHealth	$145,087	$69.75	4
   9	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.	$144,025	$69.24
   10	Stanford Health Care	$143,205	$68.85	13
   11	Cook Children's Medical Center	$142,024	$68.28	7
   12	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$140,419	$67.51
   13	Hudl	$135,085	$64.94	2
   14	Student Conservation Association	$135,052	$64.93
   15	IBM	$132,012	$63.47	34
   16	Thales	$131,496	$63.22	2
   17	Kimberly-Clark	$131,101	$63.03	2
   18	Walmart	$130,338	$62.66	388
   19	VF	$130,322	$62.65	8
   20	Health First	$129,124	$62.08	1

4. Writing a director of supply chain operations job description

   A good director of supply chain operations job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of supply chain operations job description:

   Director of supply chain operations job description example

   Director of Operations and Supply Chain, Engineered-To-Order Equipment
   
   Location: Suburban Chicago, IL
   
   Position: #646
   
   Take your operations and supply chain leadership career to a new level with a leading privately-held manufacturer of engineered-to-order equipment used in a wide range of industrial applications.
   
   Our client seeks a Director of Operations and Supply Chain in a newly created role reporting directly to the CEO. As a key member of the executive leadership team, you will lead initiative to drive positive change in operations and supply chain in a high mix, low volume, multi-site, multi-team capital equipment manufacturing setting.
   
   If you have an operations and supply chain leadership background along with an interest in lead change initiatives in an established organization that is growing, I'd love to connect to discuss how this leadership opportunity could elevate your career to a new level.
   
   Client Overview A growing and profitable privately held organization that specializes in the design, manufacturing and servicing engineered-to-order equipment used in a wide variety of industrial applications For more than 100 years, our client has built a reputation for engineering quality and for providing a range of innovative features in custom process equipment Based in suburban Chicago with multiple locations servicing global clients with an installed base of thousands of units worldwide Position Overview Responsible for managing production, supply chain, purchasing, and safety teams within a high mix, low assembly volume, multi-site manufacturing organization Responsible for implementing initiatives to improve On-Time-Delivery, quality, cost, and customer satisfaction key performance indicators Partner with the quality leader to drive continuous improvements across the plants to exceed company goals Promote and establish a work environment which makes safety the highest priority Identify, audit, and quality external suppliers for purchased materials, components, and assemblies Oversee and manage procurement activities with a goal of reducing costs while improving OTD and quality Implement best in class supply chain practices Candidate Requirements Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with an MBA preferred At least 10 years operations and supply chain leadership experience within an engineered-to-order setting Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate ideas in a coherent and comprehensive manner Strong verbal and written communication skills Ability to travel to company to sister plant about 50% of the time Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without restrictions
   Be assured that resumes will be kept strictly confidential until we speak about a specific opportunity and agree to send it to a client of ours. If your experience matches our client's requirements, we will contact you immediately.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of supply chain operations for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of supply chain operations job on Zippia to find and recruit director of supply chain operations candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of supply chain operations requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of supply chain operations

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of supply chain operations candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of supply chain operations. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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