The Supply Chain Manager is a strategic leader responsible for building and optimizing our supplier network to fuel the growth of our platform. This role drives supplier sourcing, qualification, and performance while cultivating strong partnerships that ensure quality, capacity, and long-term success. By expanding network capabilities, securing production capacity, and implementing best practices across the supply chain, the Supply Chain Manager plays a vital role in delivering exceptional customer outcomes and scaling our business.
What You Will Do:
Manage the local supplier network composition, focusing on capacity, capabilities, and strategic commercial needs. To include onboarding and offboarding.
Reduce dependency on single-source suppliers, negotiate supply agreements, and conduct supplier evaluations.
Accountable for the on-time shipment of customer orders from suppliers for the local region.
Supervise the selection and qualification of new suppliers to expand our supplier network.
Aid the Legal Team in supplier contract negotiations and compliance
Develop strong relationships with newly onboarded suppliers, creating business opportunities and setting them up for success.
Maintain and enhance relationships with current suppliers, ensuring their satisfaction and increasing their engagement with the platform. To include 10% travel to supplier locations.
Identify and develop new capabilities, such as materials and post-processing options, to expand our local offering and meet customer demands.
Aid the Sourcing Team in planning and securing production capacity to support business growth and ensure timely order fulfillment.
Accountable for supplier quality and the adherence to compliance standards set by the Quality Team.
Monitor and report supplier network performance including, but not limited to, on-time Rate, non-conformances, and order fulfillment.
Act as a liaison between Protolabs and our suppliers and function as the point of contact for supplier issues that need to be escalated.
Develop suppliers by identifying and deploying manufacturing best practices to ensure process consistency across the network.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Sales, Engineering, and Operations, to align supply chain strategies with business objectives.
Stay updated on industry trends, market dynamics, and technological advancements to drive continuous improvement in supply chain practices.
What You Bring:
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
Minimum 4 years of experience in supply chain, sourcing, procurement, supplier management, manufacturing operations, or a related field.
Experience working within manufacturing environments such as CNC Machining, Injection Molding, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Additive Manufacturing, or similar industrial sectors.
Experience managing supplier relationships and supplier performance programs.
Experience evaluating supplier capabilities, production capacity, quality systems, and operational performance.
Experience supporting commercial negotiations, supplier agreements, and supplier development initiatives.
Demonstrated experience using data and analytics to drive supply chain decisions and performance improvements.
Strong understanding of supply chain management principles, including sourcing, procurement, supplier management, capacity planning, logistics, and inventory management.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes including CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, additive manufacturing, or related technologies.
Ability to assess supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, quality systems, and production constraints.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate supplier performance using KPIs such as on-time delivery, quality performance, capacity utilization, responsiveness, and fulfillment rates.
Experience conducting supplier business reviews and developing corrective action plans.
Demonstrated negotiation skills with the ability to support commercial discussions, pricing reviews, and supplier agreements.
Knowledge of supplier risk management and business continuity planning.
Ability to identify and implement process improvement opportunities across supplier networks.
Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines.
Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority and drive cross-functional alignment.
Proficiency with ERP, MRP, CRM, and supply chain management systems.
Advanced Microsoft Excel and data analysis capabilities.
Demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
Ability to travel up to 15%
What Sets You Apart:
Advanced certifications in supply chain management, such as APICS CSCP or similar credentials
Extensive Experience with 3DP, CNC Machining, Sheet Metal, Injection Molding, and/or technology sectors
Previous experience with CNC, 3D Printing, Sheet Metal or Injection Molding.
Experience in manufacturing or a related industry is advantageous.
Additional languages can be an asset, depending on the region of operation.
What's In It For You:
Our success is built on our people. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves and do their best work. Alongside a supportive and inclusive culture, we offer a range of benefits designed to make work both rewarding and enjoyable:
- Annual company bonus – we celebrate success together and reward both individual contributions and overall business performance.
- Well-being support – access to OpenUp, providing professional psychological support to help you stay healthy and balanced.
- Daily lunch and snacks – shared meals in the office create space to connect, recharge, and strengthen collaboration.
- Learning & development opportunities – access to external training and events, as well as our in-house LEARN platform, offering a wide range of courses and workshops to support your growth.
- Regular team events and socials – fostering connection, collaboration, and a strong sense of community.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field
- Minimum 4 years of experience in supply chain, sourcing, procurement, supplier management, manufacturing operations, or a related field
- Experience working in manufacturing environments such as CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, additive manufacturing, or similar industrial sectors
- Experience managing supplier relationships and supplier performance programs
- Experience evaluating supplier capabilities, production capacity, quality systems, and operational performance
- Experience supporting commercial negotiations, supplier agreements, and supplier development initiatives
- Experience using data and analytics to drive supply chain decisions and performance improvements
- Strong understanding of sourcing, procurement, supplier management, capacity planning, logistics, and inventory management
- Knowledge of CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, additive manufacturing, or related manufacturing processes
- Ability to assess supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, quality systems, and production constraints
- Strong analytical skills and experience evaluating supplier KPIs, including on-time delivery, quality, capacity utilization, responsiveness, and fulfillment
- Experience conducting supplier business reviews and developing corrective action plans
- Demonstrated negotiation skills involving commercial discussions, pricing reviews, and supplier agreements
- Knowledge of supplier risk management and business continuity planning
- Ability to identify and implement process improvements across supplier networks
- Strong project management and organizational skills
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority and drive cross-functional alignment
- Proficiency with ERP, MRP, CRM, and supply chain management systems
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and data analysis capabilities
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced and evolving environment
- Ability to travel up to 15%
- APICS CSCP or similar advanced supply chain certification
- Extensive experience with 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal, injection molding, or technology sectors
- Additional language skills
Protolabs Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Protolabs and has not been reviewed or approved by Protolabs.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision options are broadly available and described as good to excellent. Additional protections like short- and long-term disability and life insurance bolster the overall package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A starting PTO allotment plus paid holidays, along with added wellness and volunteer time, is emphasized, with some roles noting PTO growth over tenure. Paid caregiver leave appears in postings and supports flexibility for life events.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting is offered, supporting long-term savings. This foundation is frequently cited alongside core financial benefits as a strong element of total rewards.
Protolabs Insights
What We Do
Protolabs is the world's fastest digital manufacturing source for rapid prototyping and on-demand production. The technology-enabled company produces custom parts and assemblies in as fast as 1 day with automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding processes. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables accelerated time to market, reduces development and production costs, and minimizes risk throughout the product life cycle. 3D Printing Our 3D printing service offers a wide selection of materials and technologies to create prototypes and end-use parts with complex geometries and detailed features. With tight process controls, careful design reviews, and extensive quality monitoring, we ensure precise and repeatable 3D-printed parts, every time. CNC Machining We use 3- and 5-axis milling along with turning to machine parts from commercial-grade plastics and metals. Our online quoting system and automated manufacturing process enable us to ship parts within 24 hours, helping customers accelerate development and reduce time to market. Sheet Metal Fabrication Protolabs is an industry leader in quick-turn sheet metal parts for both prototyping and low-volume production. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables us to fabricate sheet metal parts in as fast as 5 days. Additionally, we can support our customers’ development efforts with component assemblies, several finish options, and screen printing. Injection Molding Our injection molding service offers two options—prototyping and on-demand manufacturing—which provide customers a tooling solution that aligns with their project’s requirements. It’s used for quick-turn prototyping, bridge tooling, and low-volume production of up to 10,000+ parts in 15 days or less.
