Senior Manager, Supply Chain

FreightCar America, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

FreightCar America, Inc. is seeking a Senior Manager of Supply Chain in Chicago to lead procurement and end-to-end supply chain for our Aftermarket business unit, covering fabrication manufacturing and component distribution across all warehouses.

The role drives end-to-end performance, supplier management, and team development in a fast-moving environment. The position requires extensive experience in supply chain management, strong leadership, and proficiency with ERP tools such as Oracle and

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Supply Chain Management.
• Strong understanding of Supply Chain processes, project management, and inventory management in a manufacturing and distribution environment.
• Proficiency in Supply Chain software and ERP tools, i.e. Oracle, SAP.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Oversee procurement and end-to-end supply chain across fabrication and distribution.
• Develop supplier scorecards and drive performance improvements.
• Coordinate forecasting and supply planning across sites.
• Lead cross-functional teams and supplier relationships.
• Drive cost savings and total cost of ownership improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management

Master’s degree a plus

Tools

Oracle

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Senior Manager, Supply Chain

Full Time Regular Chicago, IL, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1098

Salary Range: $125,000.00 To $145,000.00 Annually

Job Overview

The Senior Manager of Supply Chain will lead procurement and Supply Chain management for our Aftermarket business unit, for both fabrication manufacturing and component distribution across all warehouses. This role is responsible for end-to-end Supply Chain performance, including procurement, supplier management, distribution network optimization, Supply Chain related company growth and integration support, and team development. Essential duties and responsibilities are as follows. Other duties may be assigned.

Sourcing and Order Management

• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities to support operations and business requirements.
• Ensure purchase orders are placed accurately, timely, and in alignment with approved suppliers, contracts, pricing, and lead times.
• Develop and maintain price lists to ensure current supplier pricing, contract terms, and approved cost structures are accurate and accessible.
• Identify cost savings and total cost of ownership opportunities through supplier negotiations, sourcing, and process improvements.
• Maintain strong communication with Sales to confirm requirements, recognize shortages, and support changing business priorities.
• Support supplier selection and onboarding to ensure the supply base is reliable, competitive, and aligned with company standards.

Supplier Scorecards and Performance Reviews

• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards to evaluate supplier performance across key areas such as on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, cost competitiveness, and corrective action closure.
• Review scorecard results with strategic suppliers quarterly to drive accountability, continuous improvement, and responsiveness.
• Use supplier performance data to support sourcing decisions, supplier development plans, and escalation of chronic performance issues.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Finance, and other departments to ensure supplier performance metrics reflect business needs.

Forecasting and Supply Planning Across Sites

• Coordinate forecasting activities to align supply plans with production schedules, customer demand, inventory strategies, and supplier lead times.
• Review open requisitions and open purchase orders to ensure forecasted demand, required dates, quantities, and supplier commitments are accurate and aligned with business needs.
• Use historical usage, open orders, customer forecasts, seasonal trends, market trends, and internal business inputs to improve planning accuracy.

• Identify supply gaps, excess inventory risks, and material constraints early so corrective action can be taken before they impact operations.
• Support cross-functional forecast reviews with Sales, Operations, Finance, and Production to improve visibility and decision-making.
• Ensure all site inventory is rationalized according to customer need and business goals.

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators

• Establish and monitor both key performance indicators and targets that measure supply chain effectiveness and efficiencies.
• Recommended measures include on-time delivery, lead time variance, supplier quality, purchase price variance, cost savings, inventory turns, stockout, obsolescence, sourcing cycle time, and spend under management, including category growth.
• Review performance trends routinely and develop action plans when performance falls below target.
• Use performance indicator outputs to communicate both progress and areas of opportunity, prioritize improvement projects, and support leadership decision-making.

Team Development

• Continue to build a capable, accountable, and cross-trained Supply Chain team through coaching, skills development, process documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, backup coverage, and expectations for supply planning, supplier management, and reporting activities.
• Support professional development in areas such as supplier relationship management, forecasting, analytics, ERP usage, inventory management, and root-cause problem solving.
• Encourage continuous improvement by involving team members in process reviews, supplier meetings, KPI analysis, and corrective action planning.

Company Integration and Growth Suppor t

• Support additional company integration activities by aligning Supply Chain processes, supplier data, price lists, forecasting practices, and reporting standards across locations.
• Identify supply chain gaps, risks, and opportunities during integration efforts, and develop action plans to ensure continuity of supply and service.
• Support company growth by scaling or dual sourcing supplier portfolios, improving planning processes, strengthening supplier partnerships, and ensuring the supply chain can meet increased business demand.
• Collaborate with leadership and cross-functional teams to standardize processes, share best practices, and support successful business expansion.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, or a related field; Master’s degree a plus

• 15+ years of experience in Supply Chain Management
• Strong understanding of Supply Chain processes, project management, and inventory management in a manufacturing and distribution environment
• Proficiency in Supply Chain software and ERP tools, i.e. Oracle, SAP
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Strong leadership and team management abilities
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies is a plus

Travel

• 25%, as needed to support supplier visits and FreightCar facilities.

DISCLAIMER:This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned.

FreightCar America provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.