Select Talent Group (STG)
Director Supply Chain Operations
Cambridge
£90k – £120k/yr
Posted 1 day ago
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SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Location: East Anglia
Package: Executive package & benefits
Reporting to: Group Divisional Director
Scope: End-to-end supply chain, operations and full P&L
THE OPPORTUNITY
A profitable and growing UK technology-led business is appointing a Supply Chain & Operations Director to lead the end-to-end operational and supply-chain performance of a strategically important business unit.
The appointment calls for a hands-on leader who can build resilient supply in constrained markets and translate operational performance into stronger margin, cash and customer delivery. The remit spans strategic sourcing, purchasing, planning, inventory, kitting, warehouse and fulfilment operations, supplier performance and service delivery.
This is not a conventional procurement-director appointment. The successful person will be equally comfortable working with operational teams, suppliers and customers while carrying full responsibility for the operating unit’s P&L.
ROLE PURPOSE
- Lead the strategy, operating rhythm and day-to-day performance of the supply-chain and operations functions.
- Own revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, cash generation, working capital and delivery of the annual operating plan.
- Build scalable, value-added supply-chain services including kitting, Kanban, VMI, consigned inventory and supplier consolidation.
- Strengthen sourcing capability across authorised, independent and specialist supply channels while maintaining appropriate controls.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Operational and supply-chain leadership
- Lead sourcing, purchasing, materials planning, inventory, kitting, warehousing and customer fulfilment as one integrated operation.
- Establish a disciplined S&OP and forecasting cadence connecting customer demand, component availability, capacity and cash requirements.
- Design and improve Kanban, VMI, buffer-stock, consignment and replenishment models aligned with customer service commitments.
- Improve OTIF, stock accuracy, productivity, inventory turns and working-capital performance through clear ownership and measurable controls.
- Ensure ERP and operational data are used consistently to provide visibility of demand, shortages, inventory exposure, margin and delivery risk.
Strategic sourcing and supplier network
- Develop direct relationships with manufacturers, authorised distributors, specialist suppliers and appropriate international sourcing partners.
- Apply sound judgement to independent distribution and component brokerage, balancing availability, cost, traceability, quality and commercial risk.
- Lead responses to shortage, allocation, obsolescence and constrained-supply situations, protecting customer delivery and business margin.
- Strengthen supplier qualification, approved-vendor governance, component traceability and counterfeit-avoidance controls.
- Improve purchasing-price variance, supplier performance, terms and continuity of supply through structured negotiation and supplier development.
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Commercial and P&L leadership
- Take full ownership of business-unit revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, cash and working capital.
- Protect and improve buy/sell margin through disciplined sourcing, pricing, service mix, inventory decisions and contract management.
- Work with commercial colleagues to retain and grow strategic accounts, resolve delivery risks and identify opportunities for expanded services.
- Shape and commercialise service agreements including SLAs, blanket-purchase arrangements, Kanban, kitting, VMI and supplier consolidation.
People, change and governance
- Lead, develop and hold to account a multi-functional team spanning supply chain, purchasing, planning, materials and operations, with clear roles, decision rights and performance expectations.
- Create an engaged and collaborative culture with a strong bias towards ownership, customer service and continuous improvement.
- Embed proportionate governance across quality, supplier risk, traceability, health and safety, cyber, ESG and customer commitments.
- Lead operational change through to sustained implementation.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Essential experience
- Senior operational supply-chain leadership within electronic components, technical distribution, EMS/CEM, advanced manufacturing or a comparable materials-led environment.
- Responsibility across sourcing, purchasing, planning, inventory, warehousing, kitting and fulfilment—not procurement alone.
- Practical knowledge of authorised distribution, independent distribution and electronic-component brokerage.
- Demonstrable P&L or substantial business-unit responsibility, with direct accountability for margin, cash and working capital.
- A record of improving inventory, stock days, OTIF, supplier performance and operational delivery.
- Commercial understanding of value-added supply-chain services and buy/sell margin.
- Evidence of building capability, transforming an operation or scaling a service in a growth environment.
Highly desirable
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- Experience of kitting, Kanban, VMI, consigned inventory, buffer-stock models or supplier-consolidation programmes.
- Exposure to highly regulated customers, together with knowledge of component assurance, traceability and approved-vendor controls.
- An established network across component manufacturers, distributors and specialist suppliers.
LEADERSHIP PROFILE
- Operationally credible: Visible, practical and capable of understanding issues at source rather than leading only through reports.
- Commercially astute: Understands how sourcing, stock, service and customer decisions flow through margin, cash and enterprise value.
- Decisive and accountable: Sets clear priorities, makes sound decisions with incomplete information and follows through on commitments.
- Customer focused: Balances operational control with pace, flexibility and a genuine understanding of customer risk.
- A builder of teams: Develops capable leaders, strengthens succession and creates a culture in which performance expectations are understood.
- Calm under pressure: Remains credible and solutions-oriented during shortages, delivery challenges and competing commercial demands.
PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS
- Complete a clear assessment of the operating model, supplier network, inventory exposure, service performance and leadership capability.
- Strengthen the component-sourcing model and reduce avoidable dependency, cost and supply risk.
- Improve inventory governance, stock performance, OTIF, forecast accuracy and working-capital control.
- Standardise and scale kitting, Kanban, VMI and related value-added supply-chain services.
- Deliver the agreed revenue, gross-margin, EBITDA and cash plan with transparent reporting and timely corrective action.
- Build a stable, engaged leadership structure capable of supporting the next stage of growth.
HOW SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED
- Financial delivery: Revenue, gross margin, EBITDA and cash delivered to plan.
- Working capital: Improving inventory turns, stock days and cash conversion.
- Customer delivery: Reliable OTIF and performance against agreed service levels.
- Sourcing performance: Improved availability, supplier resilience, purchasing discipline and traceability.
- Operational scalability: Standardised processes, dependable data and value-added services capable of supporting growth.
- Leadership capability: Clear accountability, stronger succession and an engaged, high-performing team.
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Skills
Supply chain management
P&L management
Strategic sourcing
Inventory management
Operations leadership
Purchasing
Materials planning
Warehouse management
Customer fulfilment
S&OP
Supplier development
Kanban
VMI
Change management
Financial forecasting
Risk management