Strategic Supply Chain Manager (m/w/d)

OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH; Bochum; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH in Germany seeks a seasoned leader to shape and drive strategic supply chain initiatives. You will partner with R&D, Production, and Service to transition from small-batch to mass production while optimizing costs, quality, and inventory.

The role demands strong analytical capability, supplier management experience, and fluency in German and English. A hands-on, cross-functional approach is essential, with travel to supplier sites as required.

Qualifications

• A college degree in supply chain management, industrial engineering, business administration, logistics, or a comparable field.
• Several years of professional experience in strategic supply chain management, procurement, operations, or a related field.
• Solid understanding of complex supply chains and their economic interrelationships.
• Experience with small-batch and high-tech manufacturing, as well as with complex, technically demanding purchased parts.
• Experience in supplier and sourcing management.
• Technical understanding: you can interpret specifications and work with technical counterparts.
• Strong analytical and structured approach to work.
• Enjoyment of deriving concrete decisions and actions from data.
• Hands-on mentality: you build structures where none exist and pitch in with day-to-day operations.
• Experience in project management and collaborating with various stakeholders.
• Fluency in German and English.
• Willingness to travel for supplier visits both domestically and abroad.

Responsibilities

• Report directly to senior management and collaborate with development, engineering, production, quality, and service teams.
• Develop and implement a scalable supply chain strategy for transitioning from small-batch to mass production.
• Analyze existing supply chains for components (laser sources, optics, precision mechanics, fluidics, control and electrical parts) for cost savings, quality, and inventory.
• Advise on make-or-buy decisions with R&D and Production, involving suppliers early.
• Develop the strategic supplier portfolio and establish long-term partnerships.
• Analyze procurement markets, supplier structures, and risks to craft concrete sourcing strategies (e.g., second sources).
• Develop measures to improve delivery capability and supply chain resilience, including supplier qualification and audits.
• Optimize inventory levels, delivery times, and material availability to meet customer deadlines.
• Help establish spare parts and service supply for systems at customer sites with Service team.
• Define KPIs and create transparent reports to identify improvement opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for digitizing and automating processes.
• Ensure compliance with export control, customs, RoHS/REACH, and due diligence in supply chains.
• Lead cross-functional supply chain projects uniting relevant departments.

Skills

Strategic supply chain

Procurement & sourcing

Operations management

Supplier management

Data analysis

Project management

German & English

Willingness to travel

Education

College degree in supply chain management or related field

Job description

Your mission

• You will report directly to senior management and work closely with the development, engineering, production, quality, and service teams
• You will develop and implement a scalable, forward-looking supply chain strategy for the transition from small-batch to mass production and roll it out in phases
• You will analyze our existing supply chains for our components—such as laser sources, optics, precision mechanics, fluidics, and control and electrical components—and identify opportunities for cost savings, quality improvements, inventory optimization, and efficiency gains
• Based on your analyses, you will work with R&D and Production to make make-or-buy decisions and involve suppliers early in the development process
• You will further develop our strategic supplier portfolio and establish long-term partnerships.
• You will analyze procurement markets, supplier structures, and risks, and use these insights to develop concrete sourcing strategies (e.g., establishing second sources)
• You will develop and implement measures to improve our delivery capability and supply chain resilience, e.g., by qualifying new suppliers and conducting audits
• You will optimize inventory levels, delivery times, and material availability, thereby ensuring we meet our delivery deadlines for customers
• Together with the Service team, you help establish the spare parts and service supply for systems installed at our customers’ sites
• You define relevant KPIs and establish transparent reports, and use them to identify opportunities for improvemt
• You identify opportunities for digitizing and automating our processes
• You ensure compliance with export control, customs, RoHS/REACH, and supply chain due diligence requirements
• You carry out cross-functional supply chain projects and bring the relevant departments together

Your profile

• You view the supply chain not merely as an operational function, but as a strategic factor in a company’s success
• A college degree, e.g., in supply chain management, industrial engineering, business administration, logistics, or a comparable field
• Several years of professional experience in strategic supply chain management, procurement, operations, or a related field
• A solid understanding of complex supply chains and their economic interrelationships
• Experience with small-batch and high-tech manufacturing, as well as with complex, technically demanding purchased parts
• Experience in supplier and sourcing management
• Technical understanding: You can interpret specifications and thus work on an equal footing with technical counterparts
• A strong analytical and structured approach to work
• Enjoyment of deriving concrete decisions and actions from data
• Hands-on mentality: You build structures where none exist and pitch in with day-to-day operations
• Experience in project management and collaborating with various stakeholders
• Fluency in German and English
• Willingness to travel for supplier visits both domestically and abroad.

An additional plus would be:

• Experience in the semiconductor equipment sector (SEMI standards, cleanroom requirements)
• Experience in establishing supply chain structures in a growing company or scale-up