What does a supply chain lead do?

A supply chain lead specializes in overseeing the supply chain in a company, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are primarily responsible for managing schedules, monitoring supplies and logistics, addressing and resolving issues and concerns, and building positive relationships with vendors and suppliers. Supply chain leaders must also maintain quality control and inventory, coordinate workers, and produce progress reports for supervisors and high-ranking personnel. Furthermore, it is essential to lead and encourage staff, all while implementing the policies and standards of the company.
Supply chain lead responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real supply chain lead resumes:
- Expand role to manage TMS standalone and combine WMS / TMS implementation projects.
- Manage RFP bids and vendor selection process including negotiation of scope and contract.
- Lead product distribution and logistics, including contract negotiation, carrier qualification and claims management for international and domestic shipments.
- Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.
- Develop KPIs for inventory management and demand forecasting.
- Establish clearly define SCM targets base on project goals and client input.
- Highlight all discrepancies in SCM processes, identify relate risks and propose actions to minimize such risk.
- Develop and implement performance metrics and KPIs to ensure business benefits are realize.
- Collaborate with division controllers to design and implement internal controls for post ERP implementation for financial processes.
- Analyze existing operations and systems to develop business and functional requirements for financial and manufacturing ERP systems.
- Build relationships with customer through logistics initiatives and establishes effective communication with customers, co-workers, vendors and contractors.
- Lead product distribution and logistics, including contract negotiation, carrier qualification and claims management for international and domestic shipments.
- Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.
Supply chain lead skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Supply Chain Leads are proficient in Supply Chain, Project Management, and KPIs.
We break down the percentage of Supply Chain Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 17%
Handle daily supply chain management activities, including vendor relations, inventory management, procurement, and master data management.
- Project Management, 8%
Supply project management of high profile builds including all critical and engineered components sourced globally with multiple quality control plan requirements.
- KPIs, 7%
Developed and implemented performance metrics and KPIs to ensure business benefits are realized.
- Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Focus on increasing production, minimizing equipment downtime and costs, maximizing overall plant efficiency, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
- HR, 6%
Worked with senior management to create HR policies and procedures, develop orientation, training and incentive programs and benefits packages.
- ERP, 5%
Collaborated with division controllers to design and implement internal controls for post ERP implementation for financial processes.
"supply chain," "project management," and "kpis" are among the most common skills that supply chain leads use at work. You can find even more supply chain lead responsibilities below, including:
The three companies that hire the most supply chain leads are:
- Deloitte199 supply chain leads jobs
- Accenture82 supply chain leads jobs
- Google9 supply chain leads jobs
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Supply chain lead vs. Director, procurement
The responsibilities of a procurement director revolve around ensuring the efficient and smooth flow of supplies within the company, developing procurement strategies for optimal services and operations, assessing risks, and overseeing the implementation of new policies and regulations in the company. It is essential to coordinate with analysts to identify areas with potential opportunities or those needing improvements. Moreover, a director, procurement may directly communicate with stakeholders or higher-ranking officials, participate in recruiting new members of the workforce, and create programs for profit growth and significant results.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, supply chain lead responsibilities require skills like "supply chain," "project management," "kpis," and "enterprise applications." Meanwhile a typical director, procurement has skills in areas such as "supplier performance," "supplier relationships," "procurement strategies," and "oversight." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Directors, procurement tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $148,169. In contrast, supply chain leads make the biggest average salary, $120,835, in the professional industry.The education levels that directors, procurement earn slightly differ from supply chain leads. In particular, directors, procurement are 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a supply chain lead. Additionally, they're 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Supply chain lead 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.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that supply chain lead responsibilities requires skills like "supply chain," "kpis," "customer satisfaction," and "hr." But a contracts director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "contract management," "oversight," "contract terms," and "strong analytical."
Contracts directors may earn a lower salary than supply chain leads, but contracts directors earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $87,719. On the other hand, supply chain leads receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $120,835.In general, contracts directors achieve similar levels of education than supply chain leads. They're 1.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Supply chain lead vs. Director of materials management
A director of materials management is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's purchasing and supply departments. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, supervise the procurement programs and procedures, manage purchasing staff, review documentation and requests, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. They must also address issues and concerns, resolving them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a director of materials management must lead teams while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from supply chain lead resumes include skills like "kpis," "customer satisfaction," "hr," and "continuous improvement," whereas a director of materials management is more likely to list skills in "materials management," "patients," "value analysis," and "shipping receiving. "
Directors of materials management make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $88,094. On the other hand, supply chain leads are paid the highest salary in the professional industry, with average annual pay of $120,835.When it comes to education, directors of materials management tend to earn lower degree levels compared to supply chain leads. In fact, they're 7.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Supply chain lead vs. Inventory management specialist
An inventory management specialist is responsible for maintaining the adequacy of stock supplies to support customers' needs. Inventory management specialists help develop inventory processes and strategies to keep the supplies organized and free of any defects while on storage. They also monitor inventory costs and process orders through various software tools, requiring them to have a working knowledge of computer systems and the ability to operate warehouse equipment and machinery on moving merchandise around the warehouse.
Types of supply chain lead
Updated January 8, 2025











