Director of Supply Chain

AHEAD; Libertyville (IL); On-site; USD 195,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Parental and caregiver leave

Job summary

AHEAD is seeking a Director of Supply Chain to optimize the flow of goods and information across vendors, AHEAD Foundry, and customers. You will lead a team of Buyers, oversee purchasing, warehousing and logistics, and drive forecasting discipline.

Key responsibilities include developing supplier strategies, reducing logistics costs, and expanding vendor relationships while maintaining efficient inventory levels. Strong ERP and procurement systems experience is required.

Qualifications

• End-to-end procurement and vendor management experience.
• Forecasting and demand planning experience.
• Experience in ISO 9001:2015 / ISO 13485:2016 environments.
• Strong proficiency in MS Excel and Google workspace.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop procurement strategy and negotiate favorable supply agreements to reduce costs and risk.
• Conduct regular vendor evaluations and implement corrective action plans.
• Coordinate sourcing with engineering and perform initial vendor qualification.
• Collaborate with CFO to set target inventory levels and create reporting processes.
• Analyze inventory by category to identify SKUs for rationalization and standardization.
• Monitor end-of-life components and coordinate transitions to new components with vendors and customers.

Skills

Vendor relationships

Warehousing

Logistics management

Excel

Communication skills

Mentoring team

Forecasting

Supply chain concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree

APICS/ASCM CPIM/CSCP

Master's degree/MBA

Associate's degree

High school diploma

Tools

ERP systems

Purchasing systems

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

The Director of Supply Chain continually works to maximize the value generated by the AHEAD Foundry supply chain by optimizing the flow of goods and information between vendors, AHEAD Foundry, and customers. They strengthen and expand vendor relationships, maintain efficient inventory levels, and work closely with sales to develop strong forecasting disciplines. They are keenly aware of market trends in computer server components and work closely with vendors on supply-side planning. They work to reduce logistics and warehousing costs while developing accurate, vital metrics with which to measure success and ongoing progress. They oversee all purchasing, warehousing, and logistics functions, along with key vendor relationships, and lead a team of Buyers with varying degrees of responsibility and specialties.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Develop a close relationship with strategic vendors. Identify and become well known to the key contacts in all areas of the vendor's business, including product managers, sales and technical support staff, shipping, credit and finance departments, and top executives.
• Formulate procurement strategy and negotiate favorable supply agreements for high-volume, high-value components in order to reduce costs, reduce supply-side risk, and ensure the organization's ability to meet customer service level agreements.
• Perform regularly scheduled vendor evaluations, follow up with each vendor on results, and develop action plans for areas of needed improvement.
• Coordinate new sourcing opportunities with the engineering department and perform initial vendor qualification analysis.
• Work with the CFO to establish targeted inventory levels and develop reports and processes for measuring and managing operations to those levels (allocated, safety stock, unallocated, obsolete).
• Analyze inventory items by category to identify opportunities for parts standardization/SKU rationalization. Work with the engineering department to effectuate changes.
• Monitor component end-of-life and embedded roadmaps; consult with vendors, customers, engineering, and production to develop and execute strategy for transitioning to new components.

Education And Experience

The following combinations of education and experience meet the minimum qualifications for this role. A degree is not required if the corresponding experience threshold is met.

Education Level

Years Of Relevant Experience Required

• High school diploma or GED
• 9–11 years of experience in the worldwide market of computer components and their related supply chains, including project management relating to supply chain initiatives
• Associate's degree (Business, Supply Chain, or related field)
• 7–9 years of relevant experience, including project management relating to supply chain initiatives
• Bachelor's degree (Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field)
• 5–7 years of relevant experience, including project management relating to supply chain initiatives
• Master's degree or MBA
• 3–5 years of relevant experience, including project management relating to supply chain initiatives
• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP) or equivalent structured career training may offset up to 1–2 years of the experience requirement at any level above. All paths above assume prior work experience in an ISO environment and in contract manufacturing or distribution.

• Preferred – Demonstrated or willingness to learn proficiency in ERP and purchasing systems; proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google application suites; excellent attention to detail, accuracy, and follow-through; professional phone/email communication skills; demonstrated experience in purchasing and quoting systems; experience in demand planning and forecasting; experience sourcing in an ISO 9001:2015 / ISO 13485:2016 environment.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Proven track record of effectively managing high-level vendor relationships.
• Proven knowledge and experience in all aspects of warehousing, freight, and logistics management, both domestic and international.
• Advanced skills in MS Excel.
• Ability to successfully manage, coach, and mentor direct reports.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Excellent listening skills.
• In-depth understanding of supply chain concepts and metrics.
• Self-starter with the ability to analyze needs and develop and execute effective action plans.
• Team player with the confidence to voice their opinion, listen to opposing views, and strive toward achievement of the chosen strategy for the good of the team.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other applicable federal, state, and local laws.

• Performance of Essential Functions: Ability to safely and effectively perform all essential job functions listed herein while meeting established productivity and quality standards.
• Attendance: Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance, consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other applicable requirements. Includes ability to safely and reliably travel to and from an office and/or client work site, as required.
• Work Environment: Ability to perform job duties in a professional office environment, which may include:
• Routine use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
• Periodic travel to key vendor sites.
• Manual Dexterity: Ability to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms, as needed.
• Communication Skills: Ability to hear, listen, and communicate clearly while performing job duties.

$195,000 - $225,000 a year

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits Include

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid company holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid parental and caregiver leave
• Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use Of AI

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [email protected] .

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application . Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.