Vice President of Supply Chain Management
Description
Note: This position is ordinarily found in large corporations and less often in small- and medium-sized companies.
Leads the development and implementation of supply chain strategy to support enterprise goals. Develops capabilities and supply chain initiatives to support supply chain performance over a multi-year horizon, and is responsible for supply chain processes, infrastructure, and enablers. Leads senior management routines to monitor core supply chain performance, including delivering against product and service level agreements and cost objectives. Usually reports to the company President or Chief Operations Officer (COO) with accountability for financial, service, and quality metrics in the supply chain. Position’s scope may be worldwide or regional (e.g., North America), usually involving management of a large organization (sometimes in excess of 1,000 employees) and of annual budgets that may exceed $1 billion.
Related Positions
Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO), or Vice President of functional areas such as Logistics, Operations, or Purchasing/Procurement
Key Duties
- Develops supply chain strategy that supports and meets company strategy, company performance objectives and customer expectations
- Maintains routines to ensure delivery of core supply chain metrics in terms of cost and service
- Minimizes company risk and maintains compliance in area of environment, health, and safety (EH&S)
- Identifies and develops talent within the organization
Required Skills
A university level degree, usually in Business or Engineering, required—with MBA preferred. Must be a strategic thinker with confidence and speed in execution. Must have the ability to interact at the highest levels of the company. Certifications such as those in Six Sigma, Operations or Inventory Management a plus.
Career Path
Executive-level management position with salaries according to level of experience and industry and potential of bonus. With proven record of operational performance and leadership success, the Vice President of Supply Chain Operations may be promoted to Chief Operations Officer (COO) or President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a business unit or corporation.
In their own words…
“Supply chain management is where the action of business takes place. No two days are ever the same. My greatest joy is working among talented, energetic people to find solutions to critical business problems and identify opportunities for taking the company to ever higher levels of performance.”
“I have been fortunate enough to have seen the Supply Chain discipline move from being considered the "DARK SIDE" to being appreciated for its ability to be considered not only a competitive advantage but potentially the difference between business profitability and even ultimate business failure or success.”
Our thanks the following individuals for contributing to this profile:
James Gaffney, Vice President of Logistics, Coca-Cola North America
Michael Ukropina, Vice President of Operations, Xpedx