Supply Chain Operations Manager – Manufacturing

Location: Marietta, OH
Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire
Starting Salary: From $95,000 annually, with higher compensation available depending on experience.
Travel: Up to 20% for supplier visits, sourcing reviews, industry events, and occasional customer meetings.

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain Operations Manager to lead materials planning, purchasing, inventory management, and supplier performance for a manufacturing facility that builds custom power distribution equipment. This position oversees the Buyer Planner team while working closely with operations, engineering, project management, production, sales, and quality to ensure materials are available when needed.

This role combines day-to-day execution with long-term supply chain strategy, requiring someone who can improve inventory performance, strengthen supplier relationships, reduce supply risk, and support production schedules across both configure-to-order (CTO) and engineered-to-order (ETO) projects.

Primary Responsibilities

Team Leadership
• Lead, coach, and develop the Buyer Planner team.
• Conduct performance reviews, establish goals, and support employee development.
• Balance workloads across commodities, project types, and customer demand.
• Promote cross-training and support professional certifications such as APICS CPIM and CSCP.
• Ensure purchasing and planning activities are completed through the ERP/MRP system while maintaining accurate item master data.
• Develop staffing and coverage plans to support uninterrupted operations.
Materials Planning & Project Support
• Work with Project Managers to align material plans with production schedules and customer commitments.
• Participate in project kickoff meetings for engineered-to-order projects.
• Review bills of material (BOMs), identify long-lead components, and assess supply chain risks.
• Lead material shortage escalations and coordinate recovery plans with suppliers and internal departments.
• Support quick-ship and CTO programs by maintaining appropriate inventory and material availability.
• Conduct regular project portfolio reviews to identify supply risks before they affect delivery.
Sales & Demand Planning
• Partner with Sales during quoting activities by providing lead-time guidance and material availability information.
• Participate in Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) meetings.
• Analyze demand forecasts and backlog trends to position inventory strategically.
• Support customer stocking programs, blanket purchase agreements, and consignment inventory initiatives.
Strategic Supply Chain Management
• Partner with supply chain leadership to develop sourcing strategies for critical materials.
• Maintain inventory plans for long-lead components including specialty breakers, transformers, bus assemblies, custom enclosures, and power electronic components.
• Identify single-source risks and recommend solutions such as dual sourcing, supplier-managed inventory, safety stock, or long-term agreements.
• Execute approved commodity strategies and supplier agreements.
• Support make-versus-buy evaluations for manufactured components.
• Monitor market conditions including pricing, tariffs, supplier capacity, and material availability.
Inventory Management
• Manage inventory performance, including inventory turns, excess and obsolete inventory, days of supply, and working capital.
• Lead monthly excess and obsolete inventory reviews and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain inventory policies including safety stock levels, reorder points, lot sizing, and cycle counting.
• Coordinate annual physical inventories and inventory reconciliation.
• Balance production requirements with inventory investment objectives.
Supplier Performance
• Monitor supplier delivery, quality, responsiveness, and overall performance.
• Conduct supplier business reviews and establish improvement plans.
• Manage supplier escalations and coordinate corrective actions.
• Work with Quality Engineering on SCARs and supplier qualification activities.
• Support pricing negotiations, blanket purchase orders, and long-term supplier agreements.
ERP/MRP Administration
• Maintain accurate ERP data including item masters, supplier lead times, planning parameters, and bills of material.
• Ensure purchasing and planning activities follow established ERP/MRP processes.
• Review MRP outputs, identify planning issues, and implement corrective actions.
• Work with IT and ERP administrators to improve supply chain reporting and planning functionality.
Reporting & Process Improvement
• Prepare weekly and monthly supply chain performance reports.
• Track material availability, inventory performance, supplier delivery, shortages, and operational metrics.
• Lead continuous improvement projects focused on planning accuracy, inventory optimization, supplier performance, and warehouse efficiency.
• Promote Lean Manufacturing principles and 5S throughout warehouse and stockroom operations.
• Benchmark supply chain performance and recommend operational improvements.

Performance Metrics

Success in this position will be measured by:

• Inventory turns (target of 10+ annually)
• Material availability to production schedules
• Supplier on-time delivery performance
• Purchase price variance (PPV)
• Reduction of excess and obsolete inventory
• Prevention of production delays caused by material shortages
• Supplier quality performance and SCAR closure
• Strategic inventory positioning for critical long-lead materials

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degree is a plus.
• 7–10+ years of progressive supply chain experience in manufacturing.
• Minimum 3 years leading buyers, planners, or Buyer Planner teams.
• Experience supporting electromechanical, electrical equipment, industrial manufacturing, or similar environments. Power distribution industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS, or similar platforms.
• Experience improving inventory performance while maintaining material availability.
• Background managing supplier performance, QBRs, SCARs, and supplier development programs.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with daily operational execution.
• Strong collaboration skills with engineering, project management, sales, production, finance, and operations teams.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and data analysis experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS CPIM, CSCP, ISM C.P.M., or CPSM certification.
• Experience supporting PDCs, STS, RPPs, switchgear, UPS systems, and related power distribution products.
• Familiarity with UL, ANSI, NEMA, NEC, and IEC standards.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies for breakers, transformers, bus systems, enclosures, and power electronics.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt certification.
• Experience with vendor-managed inventory (VMI), consignment programs, supplier stocking agreements, or blanket purchase orders.
• Knowledge of international sourcing, customs, and import compliance.

Core Competencies

• Supply Chain Leadership
• Materials Planning & Inventory Management
• ERP/MRP Systems
• Supplier Performance & Strategic Sourcing
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Demand Planning & Capacity Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Data Analysis & Executive Reporting
• Cost Control & Commercial Decision Making
• Problem Solving & Risk Management

Work Environment

On-site position supporting daily manufacturing operations.
Regular presence in production, warehouse, and receiving areas.
Exposure to industrial equipment, warehouse operations, and electrical assembly environments.
Travel up to 20% for supplier visits, sourcing reviews, industry conferences, and occasional customer meetings.
Availability to support critical supply chain issues outside normal business hours when production schedules require immediate attention.

What We Offer

Starting salary from $95,000 annually, with higher compensation available depending on experience.
Full-time direct hire opportunity.
Comprehensive benefits package.
Career advancement opportunities within a growing manufacturing organization.
Collaborative team environment focused on operational excellence and continuous improvement.