Sr. Director, Supply Chain – North America

Job Description:

At Nextpower , we are leading in the energy transition, providing the most comprehensive portfolio of intelligent solar tracker and control software solutions for solar power plants, as well as strategic services to capture the full value of solar power plants for our customers. Our talented worldwide teams are transforming PV plant performance every day with smart technology, data monitoring and analysis services.

As a company driving the clean energy transition, sustainability is not just a word. It's a core part of our business and our operations. Our sustainability efforts are based on five cornerstones: People, Community, Environment, Innovation, and Integrity. We are creative, collaborative and passionate problem-solvers from diverse backgrounds, driven by our shared mission to provide smart solar and software solutions for our customers and to mitigate climate change for future generations. Make your mark with Nextpower.

We are seeking an experienced supply chain leader to lead North America supply chain operations with full strategic and executional ownership. This dynamic leader will ensure that our North America supply chain functions as best in class, at scale, and exceed internal and external customer expectations. For this role, the North America region includes US and Canada. Based in our Fremont, CA headquarters, this position will report to the VP, Supply Chain.

In this role, you will be responsible for the planning and execution of all Supply Chain efforts required for simultaneously delivering several large-scale projects in different countries in the region as well as partnering closely with company leaders in expanding the company’s market share in the region for the different products in our portfolio. In your role, you will collaborate with key business leaders in Supply Chain and outside (Sales, Operations, Finance, Project Engineering, R&D, Human Resources, among others) in establishing a comprehensive North America supply chain strategy to support corporate goals including integrated business planning, sourcing, logistics, warehousing and distribution, customer experience and delivery. You will serve as the primary point of contact for regional and global executive leadership regarding North America supply chain strategy and performance. You should have experience in project management – ideally in the EPC/Construction industry, great leadership and communication ability, as well as possess a strategic, analytical mind.

We are looking for someone who demonstrates:

• Passionate drive to innovate and create

• Integrity to the core

• Enthusiastic customer focus

• Consistent interactive teamwork

• Desire for continuous improvement and top performance

Here is a glimpse of what you’ll do…

• Establish the necessary KPIs for North America Supply Chain tracking and reporting  

• Drive the company’s North America supply chain strategy including:

  • Working closely with North America sales VPs and marketing to understand mid/long term North America’s growth initiatives. You will serve as the main point of contact for Supply Chain for the region and will be responsible for leading and organizing the efforts of the entire regional Supply Chain team in accordance with the company objectives and strategic plans

  • Understand product technical and economic requirements, as well as specific project needs

  • Align and collaborate with global Sourcing Global and Regional Leaders to ensure the supply plan strategy is aligned with the mid/long term needs for the North America markets. Jointly with Sourcing leaders, drive the implementation of the agreed regional sourcing strategies (i.e. suppliers mix, suppliers’ identification and development, support negotiations as needed, capacity development plans, cost competitiveness).

  • Lead and coordinate all aspects of the development of execution plans – including alignment with our Sourcing team, Sales and Project Operations – to secure the on-time and on-budget delivery of our regional projects.

  • Align and collaborate with global Supply Chain Operations leaders to ensure consistency with global strategies and processes and align in effective localization of those when required due to country and/or region business needs and compliance.

  • You will be responsible for building, leading, and developing a high-performing regional Supply Chain team, in alignment with company’s strategy – ensuring operational excellence, capability development, and strong team cohesion across geographies. As the regional leader, you will be the local representative of the global supply chain leaders – in coordination with them – in managing local employee related issues with Human Resources.

  • Collaborate with other departments (i.e. Finance, Project Operations, R&D, Product, Sales, Human Resources) to create coordinated plans for business growth and for the successful launch of new products and/or new Business Units in your region.

  • Represent Supply Chain and participate in meetings/presentations with customers, as needed as well as with established frequencies such as Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) with key customers.

• Drive the company’s North America supply chain execution including:

  • Work closely with Sales and Operations to develop customized delivery schedules for each project, with the end goal of delivering best-in-class customer delivery experience.

  • Monitor of all active North America projects under execution, through developing and maintaining appropriate internal KPIs with North America Supply Chain team members.

  • Monitor of North America suppliers’ allocations to ensure OTD (On Time Delivery) and cost optimization. 

  • Ensure weekly review of end-to-end logistics execution for North America projects

  • Monthly Regional Review meetings to update Supply Chain Global leadership of status of operations and key programs

  • Analyze data from execution processes and KPIs (planning, production and delivery) to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization. Implement corrective/preventive actions and update SOPs.

  • Increase supply chain flexibility and continuity, to anticipate and implement solutions to supply chain disruptions due to health pandemics, transportation issues, weather events, etc.

• Lead the design and implementation of supply chain initiatives that enable speed and flexibility to deliver top-line growth while delivering continuity of supply, exceptional quality, and superior customer service.

• Manage all North America project escalations related to Supply Chain (i.e. delays) setting up escalation meetings within Supply Chain, maintaining direct contact with North America vendors C-suite and diligently reporting with internal customers (Project Operations Leaders) and applicable Nextpower executives and leading efforts until satisfactorily resolution is achieved.

• Understand Nextpower Supply Chain ERP (Anaplan) capabilities and ensure its proper use

• Support digital transformation, initiating business system solutions enabling efficiency gain in all North America Supply Chain activities.

• Ensure supply chain processes meet legal requirements and standards, particularly related to Nextpower being a public company including Monthly, Quarterly and Annual audit requirements (i.e. inventory counts, IR/IF)

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement and achieve operational excellence while ensuring that all initiatives are scalable and executed with consistency.

• Develop and implement safety guidelines across the entire North America supply chain.

Here is some of what you’ll need (required)…

• 20+ years of experience as a supply chain leader (experience in EPC/construction industry is preferred). Global experience strongly preferred.

• Understanding of North America regulatory and business practices across key markets

• Previous experience in contract manufacturing is preferred

• Excellent knowledge of supply chain processes

• Excellent organizational and project management skills

• Strong leadership and communication skills

• Ability to report and present a strategy at executive level

• Comfortable working in a very fast pace and under tight deadlines

• Experience managing a multi-cultural team

• Experience forming and developing high performing leaders and teams

• A strategic and analytical mind, with attention to details

• Results orientated and demonstrated ability to think out of the box to drive results

• Autonomous

• Advanced Negotiation skills, including strong knowledge of commercial contracts

• Stimulate a problem-solving culture

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially in Excel and PowerPoint

• Working experience of relevant software (e.g. Anaplan, Netsuite, PowerBi)

• Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or similar field

Availability to travel on a regular basis, including international travel – 30% expected

Nextpower offers a comprehensive benefits package. We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K) participation including company matching, company paid holidays with unlimited paid time off, generous discretionary company bonuses, life and disability protection and more. Employees in certain positions may be eligible for stock compensation. All plans are in accordance with relevant plan documents. For more information on Nextpower's benefits please view our company website at www.nextpower.com.  Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $230,000 to $265,000 (Specific to California)

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.