What does a supply manager do?
A supply manager or supply chain manager is an individual who supervises the import or creation of raw materials that are to be used by the company to form new products. Supply managers are required to coordinate all aspects of the supply chain to ensure that they are efficient and cost-effective. They must maintain low costs and high efficiency by building and maintaining relationships with the company's partners. Supply managers should also recruit staff members and provide training to help them learn and master their jobs.
Supply manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real supply manager resumes:
- Manage global supply partners for PCB assembly from product introduction through mass production.
- Manage supplier relationship, conduct quarterly supplier reviews to ensure suppliers are meeting predetermine KPI's.
- Lead, organize and complete all assignment and/or replication of OEM software contracts for Lucent/AVAYA spin-off.
- Manage supplier MRP by identifying and tracking critical component changes, board spins, and lead-time analysis.
- Develop detail CapEx requirements, secure CapEx funding, and manage the supply and qualification of production equipment.
- Manage hedging of key commodities to reduce volatility in their prices and generate cost savings for manufacturing centers
- Set processes, staff requirements and KPI's for call center.
- Assist in contract packaging, site selection and executing the RFQ process.
- Develop national and local distribution channels to create strategic partnerships via RFP / RFI process.
- Participate in all FDA inspections as well as other health authorities as a subject expert.
- Update ERP system with costing and lead time resulting in more efficient risk analysis and management.
- Perform RFP, cost analysis, negotiations, and selection of all vendors outside of the global production line.
- Approve all spend associate with commodities and facilitation of forecast/spend planning.
- Monitor security and restrict access to classify material in accordance with DoD regulations.
- Perform vendor audits and supervise component qualification programs to both DoD and corporate standards.
Supply manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Supply Managers are proficient in Supply Chain, Patients, and Supplier Performance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Math skills, and Negotiating skills.
We break down the percentage of Supply Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 25%
Supply chain, logistics, and procurement management skills utilized on a daily basis to ensure customer and senior-level personnel satisfaction.
- Patients, 6%
Educated patients and families on disease processes, dental-surgical procedures, and therapeutic regimens including medication and pain management techniques.
- Supplier Performance, 6%
Incorporate Lean Sigma manufacturing and continuous improvement programs into daily processes in order to reduce waste and improve supplier performance.
- Supplier Relationships, 5%
Major job responsibilities include financial forecasting, capacity planning, project management, cost reduction, and building effective customer/supplier relationships.
- Cost Savings, 5%
Realized significant cost savings through proper analysis of spend data and initiatives focused on delivering improvements to our current purchasing practices.
- Chain Management, 5%
Documented open purchases (chain management) and kept in budget according to the fiscal year allotment
Common skills that a supply manager uses to do their job include "supply chain," "patients," and "supplier performance." You can find details on the most important supply manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a supply manager to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what supply managers do because "when evaluating suppliers, purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must analyze their options and choose a supplier with the best combination of price, quality, delivery, or service." Additionally, a supply manager resume shows how supply managers use analytical skills: "analyzed supplier relationships, category spend, and forecast appropriate fiscal year targets. "
Math skills. Many supply manager duties rely on math skills. "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must possess math skills," so a supply manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways supply manager responsibilities rely on math skills: "prepare reports and track statistics relating to training programs outcomes. "
Negotiating skills. This is an important skill for supply managers to perform their duties. For an example of how supply manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents often must negotiate the terms of a contract with a supplier." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a supply manager: "saved $40 million during tenure, by negotiating cost reductions, supplier breach and product recall payments. ".
The three companies that hire the most supply managers are:
- Micron Technology11 supply managers jobs
- Accenture10 supply managers jobs
- Agilent Technologies6 supply managers jobs
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Compare different supply managers
Supply manager 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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between supply managers and director, procurement. For instance, supply manager responsibilities require skills such as "supply chain," "patients," "logistical support," and "professional development." Whereas a director, procurement is skilled in "continuous improvement," "logistics," "customer service," and "lean manufacturing." This is part of what separates the two careers.
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 managers make the biggest average salary, $107,082, in the technology industry.directors, procurement tend to reach higher levels of education than supply managers. In fact, directors, procurement are 8.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Supply manager 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, supply manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "supply chain," "patients," "supplier performance," and "supplier relationships." Meanwhile, a contracts director has duties that require skills in areas such as "contract management," "oversight," "contract terms," and "strong analytical." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Contracts directors may earn a lower salary than supply managers, but contracts directors earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $87,719. On the other hand, supply managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $107,082.In general, contracts directors achieve higher levels of education than supply managers. They're 7.7% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Supply manager vs. Director of purchasing
A director of purchasing oversees the procedures related to buying resources and supplies, directing operations from planning to execution while adhering to standards and company policies. They primarily perform research and assessments to understand project needs in terms of price, quality, and delivery time. They also identify ideal suppliers, negotiate deals, and build positive business relationships. Additionally, a director of purchasing has the authority to make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities among staff, oversee employment procedures within the department, and solve issues and concerns when any arise.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a supply manager is likely to be skilled in "patients," "logistical support," "sigma," and "professional development," while a typical director of purchasing is skilled in "vendor relations," "logistics," "on-time delivery," and "materials management."
Directors of purchasing earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $119,626. Supply managers earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $107,082.Most directors of purchasing achieve a similar degree level compared to supply managers. For example, they're 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Supply manager 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between supply managers and procurement officers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a supply manager might have more use for skills like "supply chain," "patients," "supplier relationships," and "chain management." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of procurement officers require skills like "purchase requisitions," "contract management," "logistics," and "procurement procedures. "
The retail industry tends to pay the highest salaries for procurement officers, with average annual pay of $74,267. Comparatively, the highest supply manager annual salary comes from the technology industry.The average resume of procurement officers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to supply managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.Types of supply manager
Updated January 8, 2025
