Director of Supply Chain

Niagara Power Transformer Corp.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Niagara Transformer seeks a Director of Supply Chain to lead end-to-end procurement, inventory, warehousing, and logistics at our Buffalo, NY facility. You will partner with Engineering, Production and Finance to align capacity with growth and ensure on-time commitments to customers.

Key duties include shaping a unified supply chain strategy, establishing KPIs and budgets, overseeing Mercer 3PL, and driving improvements in inventory accuracy, material flow, and cost control in a heavy industrial

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive supply chain, procurement, or operations experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role overseeing multiple functions.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment preferred; heavy industrial, electrical equipment, or power infrastructure manufacturing valued.
• Experience managing third-party logistics (3PL) providers and freight/traffic operations.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP and warehouse management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop managers across multiple functional areas.
• Solid understanding of inventory accounting principles and cycle counting methodologies.
• Skilled negotiator with supplier and carrier management experience.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable process improvements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, and Finance leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a unified supply chain strategy spanning procurement, inventory, warehousing, and logistics.
• Set departmental goals, KPIs, and budgets in coordination with leadership.
• Lead development of a scalable supply chain organization as site footprint grows across properties.
• Develop and manage sourcing strategy, supplier negotiations, and PO approval workflows.
• Ensure procurement practices support cost control, supplier diversification, and lead-time reduction.
• Own inventory accuracy targets, cycle count programs, and reconciliation processes.
• Partner with Finance on inventory valuation and physical inventory events.
• Implement ERP and WMS systems to improve real-time visibility of inventory.
• Direct warehouse operations including receiving, storage, kitting, and delivery of materials.
• Coordinate inbound raw materials and outbound shipments, including heavy-haul loads.
• Escalate and resolve service issues with Mercer and backup carriers as needed.
• Partner with Engineering and Production to align material availability with build schedules.
• Work with Finance on supply chain budgeting and cost variance analysis.
• Represent supply chain in expansion planning meetings for new facilities.

Skills

Leadership experience

3PL management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

ERP systems

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

Job description

The Director of Supply Chain is responsible for the strategic leadership and daily performance of Niagara Transformer’s end-to-end supply chain function, encompassing procurement, inventory control, warehouse and material handling operations, and inbound/outbound traffic and logistics. This role ensures that materials, components, and finished goods move efficiently and cost-effectively through the plant to support production schedules and meet customer delivery commitments.

The Director serves as the primary Niagara Transformer contact for its third‑party logistics relationship with Mercer and partners closely with Engineering, Production, and Finance to align supply chain capacity with business growth. The role is responsible for the performance of the procurement, inventory control, and warehouse/material handling functions and the service quality of the outsourced traffic/logistics function.

Essential Functions

Supply Chain Leadership

• Develop and execute a unified supply chain strategy spanning procurement, inventory, warehousing, and logistics that supports production throughput and business growth.
• Set departmental goals, KPIs, and budgets in coordination with the President and Finance.
• Lead the development of a scalable supply chain organization as headcount and site footprint grow across the Dale Road and Anderson Avenue properties.

Procurement Oversight

• Develop and manage sourcing strategy, supplier negotiations, and purchase order approval workflows.
• Ensure procurement practices support cost control, supplier diversification, and lead‑time reduction for critical transformer components.
• Approve strategic and long‑lead‑time purchases in alignment with production and project schedules.

Inventory Control

• Own inventory accuracy targets, cycle count programs, and reconciliation processes across all storage locations.
• Partner with Finance on inventory valuation, obsolescence review, and physical inventory events.
• Implement systems and controls, including ERP and warehouse management systems, to improve real‑time visibility of raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory.

Warehouse & Material Handling

• Direct warehouse operations including receiving, storage, kitting, and delivery of materials to
• Ensure safe, efficient material handling practices consistent with Niagara Transformer safety culture and OSHA requirements.
• Optimize warehouse layout and material flow to reduce handling time and support new building space coming online.

Traffic & Logistics

• Serve as the primary Niagara Transformer contact for Mercer, the company's outsourced traffic/logistics provider.
• Set service‑level expectations, review carrier performance, and manage freight cost and on‑time delivery metrics with Mercer.
• Coordinate inbound raw material and outbound finished transformer shipments, including oversized/heavy‑haul loads typical of transformer logistics.
• Escalate and resolve service issues with Mercer and backup carriers as needed.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Engineering and Production to align material availability with build schedules and the master production plan.
• Work with Finance on supply chain budgeting, cost variance analysis, and capital equipment planning.
• Represent supply chain in expansion planning meetings as new facility space and equipment come online.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 8+ years of progressive supply chain, procurement, or operations experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role overseeing multiple functions.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment required; heavy industrial, electrical equipment, or power infrastructure manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Experience managing third‑party logistics (3PL) providers and freight/traffic operations.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP and warehouse management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop managers across multiple functional areas.
• Solid understanding of inventory accounting principles and cycle counting methodologies.
• Skilled negotiator with supplier and carrier management experience.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable process improvements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross‑functionally with Engineering, Production, and Finance leadership.

Preferred

• Familiarity with long‑lead‑time capital equipment and heavy‑haul/oversized freight logistics.

Working Conditions

• Primarily an office role based at 25 Anderson Road, Buffalo, NY, with regular presence in warehouse and production areas requiring adherence to plant PPE and safety protocols.