Supply Chain Lead

Supply Chain Lead

The Supply Chain Lead is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing all supply chain activities required to support Ascend Automation & Controls’ project-based manufacturing operations. This role ensures the timely, cost-effective, and compliant procurement, handling, and delivery of materials for electrical panels, switchracks, skids, eHouses, and related automation systems.

The position plays a critical role in protecting project schedules and margins, supporting manufacturing execution, and enabling scalable growth across multiple concurrent projects.

Key Responsibilities

Supply Planning and Procurement

• Plan and execute purchasing activities based on project schedules and material requirements.
• Procure electrical, automation, mechanical, and structural components, demonstrating technical understanding of component ratings, compatibility, and certifications.
• Establish and manage supplier relationships, negotiate pricing and lead times, and monitor delivery and quality performance.
• Coordinate with Engineering to evaluate substitutions, alternates, and equivalent components.

Backorder and Shortage Management

• Track all open purchase orders and identify backorders, partial shipments, and supplier delays.
• Maintain visibility of committed delivery dates versus project needs.
• Communicate material risks proactively to project, engineering, and manufacturing teams.
• Develop and execute mitigation and recovery plans to minimize schedule impact.

Inventory and Materials Control

• Manage all material categories, including consumables, stocked inventory, project-specific parts, and customer free-issued materials.
• Establish controls for receiving, inspection, kitting, staging, and issuing materials to production.
• Supervise the materials receiving, shipping, and handling team, including defining responsibilities and work instructions.
• Ensure proper handling, labeling, traceability, and protection of all materials.
• Maintain accurate inventory records and minimize excess or obsolete materials.

Production and Project Coordination

• Align material availability with manufacturing schedules and production sequencing.
• Support multiple concurrent projects in coordination with Engineering, Project Management, and Manufacturing.
• Participate in project kickoff meetings to identify supply chain risks early.

Logistics and Transportation

• Plan and coordinate inbound and outbound logistics for materials, panels, skids, and fully assembled eHouses.
• Manage transportation for oversized and heavy loads, including routing, permitting, and site coordination.
• Control freight costs and manage carrier performance and claims.

Compliance and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure materials and logistics activities meet project specifications, applicable codes, and regulatory requirements.
• Support documentation, traceability, audits, and inspections as required.
• Utilize enterprise and project management systems to track purchasing, inventory, and performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost, lead time, and operational risk.
• Interface across Business Lines such as Finance / Accounting, Administration, and Company Leadership.
• Ability to lead and grow teams.