Head Of Supply Chain

Head of Supply Chain

About the Role

Working in an extremely agile purchasing and supplier management department, you will report to the Chief Commercial Officer. Your role will be vital to the day-to-day running of the department, ensuring parts are supplied into programmes on time and within budget. You will support the business with ongoing programme supplier management and day-to-day purchasing, while identifying and reporting risks and opportunities. You will manage a range of highly technical components and their associated Supply Chains. Regular reporting of the Supply Chain status both within the business and customer facing will be essential. You will lead the day-to-day supplier and subcontractor management activities, identify risks, and implement risk mitigation strategies to enable continuous supply. For new programme opportunities, you will provide guidance for estimates and support the growth of the engineering business activity.

Main Duties

• Lead the ongoing work plan for Supplier Management, Purchasing, and Buying activities.
• Work with the Supply Chain, continually building and improving supplier/customer relationships and processes.
• Communicate clearly and openly with stakeholders, identifying ways to streamline purchasing, distribution, supplier warehousing, and logistics.
• Support programmes through to completion, ensuring on-time delivery and maintaining overall project ownership related to supplier selection, delivery, cost, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop timelines and ensure tracking of progress to plan, while clearly communicating critical project achievements and/or risks.
• Take ownership of Supply base commercials, ensuring contracts are in place and maintained to support delivery requirements.
• Develop a cohesive team to support departmental workload with seamless alignment to input/output functions in the business.

Core Competencies and Experience

• Required Skills and Experience:
• Project Management: Proficiency in initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing projects to achieve specific goals and meet success criteria.
• Supply Chain Knowledge: Familiarity with systems like Factory Master, ERP, MRP, and experience delivering activities, information, and resources from supplier to customer.
• Supply Chain Project Management: Experience in maintaining Supply Chains, managing commercial agreements, collaborating on intercompany approvals, and assessing supplier quality.
• Proposal Cost Analysis: Ability to perform data-led trend assessments to support initial proposal development and firm proposal submissions.
• Supplier Onboarding and Risk Management: Experience in commercial risk alignment, contract negotiation, and budget control through value-for-money assessments.
• Supply Chain Coordination: Skills in improving Supply Chain performance by aligning supplier plans and objectives, and monitoring via KPIs.
• Supply Chain Strategy: Working experience in evaluating the cost-benefit trade-offs of operational components.
• Demand Planning: Proficiency in creating reliable forecasts to support ongoing programme modelling.
• Supply Chain Solutions:  Continuous improvement activities with high-cost, high-risk suppliers.
• Cross-Functional Team Building:  Experience in inclusive decision making and obtaining buy-in during escalations.

Personal Attributes

• A problem solver with strong lateral thinking skills.
• Flexible, takes initiative, and easily adapts.
• High attention to detail.
• Committed and dedicated to quality, ensuring customer requirements are met.
• Tenacious in meeting deadlines.

Application Process

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you are the ideal candidate for this position. Applications can be sent to . Unfortunately, our client is unable to offer sponsorship of any kind for this position. All candidates must have the right to live and work in the UK and hold a passport that would allow for travel if required