Vice President Supply Chain

Reference: PR/ _

Vice President of Supply Chain

Location: Lancaster, SC (Onsite)
Relocation Assistance: Provided
Industry Required: Pharmaceutical / Nutraceutical / Animal Health

Position Overview

Our client is seeking a strategic and results-driven Vice President of Supply Chain to lead all aspects of the end-to-end supply chain organization from its Lancaster, South Carolina headquarters. This executive leader will be responsible for developing and executing supply chain strategies that support growth, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and profitability across a highly regulated manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate will bring significant leadership experience within the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, animal health, or closely related regulated manufacturing industries , with a proven track record of optimizing global supply chain operations, enhancing planning capabilities, managing supplier relationships, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

This role will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team and will partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Finance, and Commercial Leadership to ensure uninterrupted product availability and long-term business success.

Key Responsibilities

Supply Chain Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive supply chain strategy aligned with company objectives and growth initiatives.
• Lead and mentor teams across Supply Chain Planning, Procurement, Sourcing, Inventory Management, Logistics, Customer Fulfillment, and S&OP.
• Build scalable processes and organizational capabilities to support future expansion.
• Establish KPIs and performance metrics that drive accountability, service excellence, and operational efficiency.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on supply chain risks, opportunities, and investment priorities.

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Lead sourcing strategies for direct materials, active ingredients, packaging, contract manufacturing, and indirect categories.
• Develop strategic supplier partnerships and negotiate complex agreements to ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and supply continuity.
• Build supplier risk management programs and contingency plans for critical materials.
• Evaluate global sourcing opportunities while ensuring regulatory compliance and product integrity.

Planning & Inventory Management

• Oversee integrated demand planning, supply planning, production planning, and inventory optimization processes.
• Drive best-in-class S&OP and IBP processes across the organization.
• Improve forecast accuracy, inventory turns, service levels, and working capital performance.
• Ensure alignment between customer demand, manufacturing capacity, and procurement activities.

Logistics & Distribution

• Oversee domestic and international transportation, warehousing, and distribution operations.
• Optimize logistics networks, freight spend, and service performance.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and animal health distribution regulations.

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Identify and implement technology solutions that enhance visibility, planning accuracy, and operational performance.
• Lead supply chain transformation projects, ERP enhancements, and digital supply chain initiatives.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies to address supply disruptions and market volatility.

Regulatory & Quality Partnership

• Partner closely with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure compliance with GMP, FDA, USDA, and other industry-specific standards as applicable.
• Support audits, inspections, product launches, and business continuity initiatives.
• Ensure supply chain processes support customer, regulatory, and quality requirements.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related discipline.
• 15+ years of progressive supply chain leadership experience with at least 5 years at the Director or Vice President level.
• Experience within Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, Animal Health, Life Sciences, or highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success leading large, multi-functional supply chain organizations.
• Strong experience in Procurement, Planning, S&OP, Logistics, Inventory Management, and Supplier Relationship Management.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives and supply chain transformation programs.
• Experience operating within FDA-regulated and GMP environments.
• Strong financial acumen with responsibility for large budgets and cost optimization initiatives.
• Exceptional executive communication, leadership, and change management skills.

Preferred

• MBA or advanced degree.
• APICS/ASCM, CPSM, CSCP, or Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience supporting international supply chains and global sourcing initiatives.
• Experience implementing or optimizing ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, or similar platforms.