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Supply Chain Careers :
The Absolute Guide on Supply chain Career Path
Supply chain careers enthusiasts have lot of queries around what are the supply chain careers path, what are the various types of roles in supply chain function and what are the activities that supply chain professionals do.
Purpose of this article is to provide answers to all these queries and improve understanding of supply chain careers, roles and career path.
Supply chain function has three sub categories- Sourcing, Planning and Logistics and Customer Service. There are four levels of roles and responsibilities in these sub- categories- Senior leadership, Leadership , Middle Management and Entry level roles.
Various supply chain careers roles are explained as follows:
1. Head of Supply Chain Function
Role- Senior Leadership and member of Leadership Team
Key Responsibilities :
- Lead, guide and support supply chain strategy and function to deliver business goals
- Develop supply chain leaders and team competencies to meet functional objectives
Key skills: Strategic agility, navigate complexity & strong functional and team leadership.
a. Sourcing Function
Sourcing is Procurement of Raw materials and Packaging Materials which are directly used in production of Finished goods. Key activities include Market Demand and supply assessment, Supplier selection, Pricing negotiation and contract management. Material is to be ensured with high availability, best quality & lowest total cost of ownership.
Sourcing function Supply chain careers ladder starts from operational buyer role at entry level, move upwards to strategic buyer role, then to category lead managing a team of buyers, strategic sourcing role driving continuous improvements to leadership role of Head of Sourcing function.
Supply chain careers roles for sourcing :
1. Head- Sourcing
Role – Leadership
Key Responsibilities :
a. Lead sourcing strategy and engage with Senior management team to deliver business goals
b. Guide and support sourcing team to meet the objectives of ensuring material availability at the right quality at the right cost
Key skills: Team leadership and Strategy execution, business alignment and supplier relationship management
2.Head- Strategic sourcing
Role : Middle to Leadership level
Key Responsibilities :
a. Drive continuous improvement initiatives in Sourcing function to improve supply service levels
b. Develop alternate vendors, material substitution and localization initiatives to streamline supplies and reduce the total procurement cost
Key skills: Sourcing industry knowledge, leading best practices initiatives and project management.
3. Head- Raw Materials
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Lead Raw Material sourcing strategy, planning and supplier management to deliver best value to the business
b. Guide and support category Raw Material team to meet the objectives of ensuring material availability at the most optimal cost
Key skills: Strategy execution, supplier management and team leadership
4. Head – Packing Material
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Lead Packaging Material sourcing strategy, planning and supplier management to deliver best value to the business
b. Guide and support category packing team to meet the objectives of ensuring material availability at the most optimal cost
Key skills: Strategy execution, supplier management and team leadership
5. Operational buyer
Role- Entry Level
Key Responsibilities:
a. Share Purchase order with suppliers and ensuring material delivery as per agreed service levels
b. Coordinate with plant stakeholders to ensure material availability as per production plan
Key skills: Action oriented, Vendor and Crisis Management
6. Strategic Buyer
Role- Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities:
a. Demand Analysis , supply scenario assessment and vendor selection.
b. Contract management and resolution of repeat issues with suppliers.
Key skills: Category Market research, negotiation and supplier management
7. Raw Material Buyer
Role- Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Purchase Raw materials like food ingredients from vendors as per production requirement
b. Demand and supply assessment, vendor selection and contract management
Key Skills: Category Market Research, Supplier Management and Negotiation.
8. Packing Material buyer
Role- Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Purchase Packing materials like laminates, carton box and shipper etc. from vendors as per production requirement
b. Demand and supply assessment, vendor selection and contract management
Key Skills: Category Market Research, Supplier Management and Negotiation
b. Planning Function :
Planning function is responsible to plan activities in a way that right product is available in the right quantity and at right time for the customers and consumers. It plans for finished goods production at product level basis the demand requirement and inventory stock levels.
Materials are planned basis production requirement and targeted inventory levels. It estimates Demand using Demand planning tools, arrange for supplies using supply planning activities by ensuring capacity, materials and inventories to meet and service the demand requirement.
Supply chain careers in Planning connects all the functions using Integrated Business planning process with Portfolio Management Review, Demand management review, Supply management review, Finance and Integrated reconciliation review and Management business review.
Planning function Supply chain careers ladder starts from plant planning roles at entry level, progress upwards to demand and supply planning roles, then inventory and capacity planning roles, IBP and excellence roles driving continuous improvements to leadership role of Head of Planning function.
Supply chain careers roles for Planning :
1. Head- Demand and Supply planning
Role – Leadership
Key Responsibilities :
a. Proactively engage with management team to share full visibility and report on demand and supply planning function
b. Guide and support demand planning, supply planning and factory teams to meet the objectives of ensuring availability, optimizing inventory at the lowest possible cost
Key skills: Customer focus, comfort with higher management and strategic planning
2. IBP Leader
Role – Middle to Leadership Level
Key Responsibilities :
a. Guide and own entire Integrated business planning process from portfolio review, demand review, supply review, financial review to management review.
b. Assess the quality of all the processes and take continuous actions for improvement
Key skills: Cross functional collaboration, process improvement and comfort with higher management
3.New Product Launch Activity Manager
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Plan and Deliver New product launch activities with timelines along with all cross functional stakeholders
b. Identify bottlenecks and resolve them to meet the targeted timelines
Key Skills: Project Management, Planning and cross functional collaboration
4. Supply chain Excellence Manager :
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Lead and Manage Planning and Enterprise Resource Planning system continuous improvement activities
b. Coordinate with external vendors to implement best in class planning automation solutions
Key skills: Fundamental planning skills, SAP and BW reports and current industry trends
5. Demand Planning Manager :
Role – Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Forecast demand basis historical data and specific inputs.
b. Align and build consensus of sales, marketing and supply chain organization on one demand plan.
Key skills: Analytical tools usage, Consensus building, Analytical
6. Supply Planning Manager : ( Supply chain careers)
Role – Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Generate supply or production plan basis demand plan, inventory norms and scheduled arrivals.
b. Resolve supply related bottlenecks and issues along with cross functional stakeholders
Key Skills: Analytical skills, Cross functional collaboration , issue resolution
7. Inventory Planning Manager :
Role – Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Set inventory norms and review inventory regularly
b. Manage overall inventory targets, clear blocked stocks and report overall inventory
Key skills: Analytical skills, reporting skills and cross functional collaboration
8. Capacity Planning Manager :
Role – Entry to Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
a. Map SKU wise demand on all the capacity resources to work out utilization %
b. Initiate require actions to resolve short term and long term capacity constraints
Key skills: Analytical, reporting and planning.
9. Dispatch planner :
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
a. Plan and execute dispatches from factory warehouse to ensure Finished good stock availability at distribution centers basis the demand plan and inventory norms
b. Load planning in the trucks with right SKU weight and volume mix to maximize the vehicle fill rates
Key skills: Optimization, planning and cross functional collaboration
10. Production planner :
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
a. Day level production plan basis dispatch requirement, production capacity, labour and material availability
b. Identify constraints and challenges in meeting production plan as per market requirement and address them
Key Skills: Scheduling, capacity utilization and proactive resolution
11. Material planner :
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
a. Material management process include sharing purchase order with the suppliers mentioning quantity and delivery date and ensuring material availability for production.
b. Get the material quality released, resolve operations issues which may impact availability
Key skills: Material Requirement Planning process, cross functional collaboration and risk mitigation
c. Logistics and Customer Service : ( Supply chain Careers)
Logistics is about goods and material storage and movement from one location to another. Warehousing Management, Transportation Management and Customer Service are the key activities.
Warehouse Management include network and warehouse design, selection and management. Management includes unloading the goods from truck, ensuring proper storage in safe and hygienic work environment and loading and dispatch of goods basis customer orders.
Transportation Management is managing movement of goods from source to destination location like suppliers to factory warehouse and factory warehouses to customers.
Key activities are vehicle and route management, vehicle planning, slot scheduling, vehicle placement, freight negotiation and contract management and ensuring goods delivery to the customers on timely basis
Customer service is a new evolving function in supply chain. Key Activities are go to market strategy and joint business partnering with customers to improve order management process and serviceability. Purpose is to forge a mutual beneficial partnership for both the business partners
Logistics function Supply chain careers ladder starts from warehousing and transportation operational roles, progress upwards to warehouse and transportation manager roles, then logistics excellence roles driving continuous improvements to leadership role of Head of Logistics and Customer service function.
Supply chain careers roles in Logistics :
1. Head- Logistics
Role – Leadership
Key Responsibilities :
a. Lead, guide and support logistics function in delivering the required service levels at lowest possible cost. Ensuring quality in distribution and driving continuous improvements in logistics function
b. Develop logistics team and expand people capabilities
Key Skills: Logistics strategy, people development and vendor management
2. Logistics and Customer service Improvement manager :
Role – Middle to Leadership level
Key Responsibilities :
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives in Warehousing and Transportation to improve service levels and reduce cost for example, Network modelling and Route optimization
- Do industry benchmarking and Learn and implement best industry practices
Key skills: Logistics industry knowledge, best practices implementation and influencing others.
3. Customer service manager
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
- Joint business planning with customers to increase sales
- Voice of the customer in the organization .Drive various initiatives to improve availability and freshness to become preferred partner for our customers
Key Skills: Customer relationship management, issue resolution and listening
4. Warehouse Manager
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
- Manage warehouse operations ensuring timely and accurate dispatch at minimum possible cost.
- Manager external vendors Forklift operators, labor contractor, security etc
Key Skills: Customer orientation, people management and vendor management
5. Transportation Manager
Role – Middle Management
Key Responsibilities :
- Ensure vehicle placement as per the requirement
- Manage transportation operations at lowest possible cost.
Key Skills: Negotiation , vendor management and customer focus
6. Material Warehouse manager:
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
- Accurate and timely unloading of goods and entry in system
- Stock Management and Timely issue as per production requirement
Key skills: System knowledge, warehouse and people management.
7. Finished Goods Warehouse Manager :
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
- Accurate Loading and timely dispatch of goods to service customer orders
- Stock Management and Accurate putaway for Inbound stocks
Key skills: Warehouse System knowledge, customer focus and people management.
8. Transportation planner and scheduler
Role – Entry Level
Key Responsibilities :
- Place vehicle requirements with transporters on slot level
- Coordinate with transporters for effective execution and resolve placement issues.
Key skills: Transportation planning and vendor management
Now, since there is clear understanding of supply chain careers roles, sharing key practical insights on supply chain career ladder. MBA Grads in supply chain and operations management from premier institutes join in planning roles and move up the ladder in planning function.
Benefit of planning function in supply chain careers is that it is connected and provide visibility to end to end supply chain from procurement to logistics and customer service. There is overview of entire supply chain function with good understanding of key challenges and overall perspective of procurement and logistics.
MBA Grads in Logistics Management join in logistics roles like warehouse or transportation manager in manufacturing and logistics companies and gradually progress in logistics function.
After spending some time in one sub function ,supply chain professionals also move to other functions at middle management level at category lead positions which is generally a good move.
In depth Exposure of one sub function and broad understanding of other two sub functions is essential and important to progress to Head- supply chain Senior leader position.
Roles explained are at national level. There are also other senior leader roles as Head of Supply Chain for the Region or Continent and Global head of supply chain. Organizations now are also creating and having new role as Chief Supply Chain officer.
Also read how to build robust supply chain
Where Can My Supply Chain Career Take Me?
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