Director, Supply Chain for a Medical OEM, with over 50 Years of Success

Director, Supply Chain

• Full-Time
• Hybrid
• Mount Olive, NJ

Job Details Description

The Director, Supply Chain is responsible for the strategy, performance, and continuous improvement of OEM North America’s manufacturing and end-to-end supply chain operations, including manufacturing, demand and supply planning, procurement, inventory management, warehousing, distribution, logistics, and supplier performance.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Director ensures OEM has the products, materials, infrastructure, supplier partnerships, and operational capabilities required to support customers and achieve business objectives. This leader works in close partnership with Global Supply Chain & Manufacturing to align North American priorities, risks, capacity needs, and business requirements with global operations. The Director balances product availability, quality, customer service, inventory investment, cost, compliance, and business continuity while proactively identifying and mitigating operational risk.

The Director is expected to build a high-performing organization characterized by strong leadership, disciplined execution, proactive communication, continuous improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Supply Chain Strategy & Business Leadership

• Develop and execute the North American supply chain and manufacturing strategy aligned with business objectives, customer requirements, financial targets, and global priorities.
• Translate commercial forecasts and growth plans into manufacturing, capacity, procurement, inventory, distribution, and infrastructure requirements.
• Establish functional priorities, budgets, KPIs, operating rhythms, and improvement plans.
• Identify capacity constraints, supply vulnerabilities, operational risks, and emerging requirements before they impact customers.
• Serve as the North American executive point of accountability for significant supply disruptions and operational risks.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to executive leadership and represent North American requirements with global manufacturing and supply chain teams.
• Partner closely with Global Supply Chain & Manufacturing on capacity planning, supply continuity, product availability, risk mitigation, and escalation of North American business needs.

Manufacturing, Planning & Inventory

• Oversee North American manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective production.
• Establish performance expectations for quality, output, productivity, cost, capacity, and schedule attainment.
• Ensure demand forecasts translate into effective supply, production, procurement, and inventory plans.
• Establish inventory strategies that balance customer service, working capital, shelf life, lead times, demand variability, and supply risk.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, inventory health, excess and obsolete inventory, expiration risk, shortages, and backorders and drive appropriate corrective actions.

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Lead procurement and strategic sourcing activities across applicable materials, products, equipment, services, and logistics.
• Develop sourcing strategies that optimize quality, cost, service, lead time, and supply continuity.
• Lead significant supplier negotiations and establish appropriate contracts, performance expectations, and governance.
• Monitor supplier quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness, capacity, and risk and develop corrective or recovery plans when necessary.
• Identify single-source dependencies and other supplier vulnerabilities and develop appropriate mitigation or alternative sourcing strategies.
• Drive measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and supplier value creation without compromising quality or continuity of supply.

Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics

• Oversee North American warehousing, transportation, distribution, and logistics operations.
• Ensure accurate, timely, compliant, and cost-effective receipt, storage, handling, and shipment of OEM products.
• Optimize warehouse footprint, capacity, labor, processes, technology, transportation, and third-party logistics relationships.
• Establish and monitor service levels for product availability, order fulfillment, delivery performance, inventory accuracy, and logistics cost.
• Maintain appropriate contingency plans for warehouse, carrier, transportation, and infrastructure disruptions.

Supply Continuity & Customer Experience

• Establish a comprehensive approach to supply chain risk management and business continuity.
• Maintain visibility into critical suppliers, materials, inventory, manufacturing dependencies, transportation, and other potential points of failure.
• Lead cross-functional response to significant supply disruptions with clear decisions, ownership, communication, and recovery plans.
• Ensure customer-facing teams receive timely and accurate information regarding shortages, allocations, backorders, recovery plans, and expected customer impact.
• Partner with commercial teams to anticipate customer demand, major conversions, product launches, and emerging requirements.
• Ensure supply chain decisions ultimately support customer confidence, continuity, and OEM’s reputation as a reliable partner.

Financial & Operational Excellence

• Develop and manage Supply Chain and Manufacturing operating and capital budgets.
• Partner with Finance & HQ to manage inventory, working capital, freight, procurement, manufacturing costs, scrap, and other supply chain financial drivers.
• Identify and deliver sustainable productivity improvements and cost savings without compromising quality, service, or compliance.
• Lead process improvement initiatives that eliminate unnecessary complexity, reduce organizational friction, and address root causes.
• Leverage ERP/MRP, automation, analytics, and other technologies to improve efficiency, visibility, scalability, and decision-making.
• Establish a comprehensive performance scorecard and use data to identify risk, prioritize resources, and drive accountability.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure Manufacturing and Supply Chain activities comply with applicable FDA requirements, ISO standards, quality systems, SOPs, safety requirements, and company policies.
• Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and HQ Supply Chain & Manufacturing on supplier quality, traceability, change control, nonconformances, CAPAs, audits, recalls, and related activities.
• Ensure operational processes and records remain accurate, controlled, and audit-ready.
• Promote a culture in which quality and compliance are integrated into operational decision-making.

People Leadership

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing Manufacturing and Supply Chain organization.
• Establish clear roles, decision rights, goals, and accountability while empowering employees to take appropriate initiative.
• Maintain a consistent leadership cadence including regular one-on-ones, coaching, performance feedback, development planning, and team operating reviews.
• Build succession plans, cross-training, and organizational capability to reduce key-person dependencies and develop future leaders.
• Address performance and behavioral issues promptly and hold leaders accountable for both results and how those results are achieved.
• Create a culture where employees identify problems, challenge inefficient processes, recommend solutions, and take ownership for improvement.
• Model proactive communication, collaboration, integrity, systems thinking, and calm urgency.
• Operate as One OEM Team, prioritizing enterprise and customer outcomes over functional interests.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Engineering, Business Administration, Manufacturing, or related discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 7-10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, manufacturing, procurement, logistics, or related operations, including at least 5 years of significant people leadership responsibility.
• Medical device, IVD, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other FDA-regulated manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• ERP/MRP and supply chain analytics experience required
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent platforms.
• APICS/ASCM certification preferred
• Valid driver’s license required.
• Travel required up to 30%, including ability to travel internationally.