Supply Chain Manager

Supply Chain Manager

Department: Supply Chain
Location: West Warwick, RI
Reports To: Vice President of Operations & Global Quality

Position Summary

The Supply Chain Manager is responsible for leading and integrating procurement, planning, inventory management, and material control activities in support of AstroNova Aerospace's manufacturing, repair, and aftermarket operations. This role ensures material availability, inventory accuracy, supplier performance, and production continuity while balancing cost, quality, delivery, and cash flow objectives.

Reporting to the Vice President of Operations & Global Quality, the Supply Chain Manager works closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Logistics, Program Management, and Finance to align supply chain execution with customer demand, revenue targets, and operational priorities. The role is expected to drive accountability, continuous improvement, and strategic supply chain initiatives that support the company's growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Supply Chain Leadership

• Lead and develop the Purchasing, Planning, Inventory Control, and Material Handling functions.
• Establish clear priorities, accountability, and performance expectations across the supply chain organization.
• Develop and execute supply chain strategies that support business growth, customer delivery, and operational excellence.
• Drive a culture of urgency, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Oversee all procurement activities required to support production, repair, and aftermarket demand.
• Ensure timely placement and execution of purchase orders based on MRP and production requirements.
• Manage supplier performance related to delivery, quality, responsiveness, and cost.
• Lead supplier reviews, corrective actions, and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Identify and qualify alternate suppliers to mitigate supply chain risk.
• Support contract negotiations, pricing agreements, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Monitor supplier capacity, lead times, and geopolitical risks that may impact operational performance.

Planning & Production Support

• Lead demand planning, supply planning, capacity planning, and materials planning processes.
• Ensure production schedules are adequately supported through effective MRP management.
• Drive alignment between customer demand, sales forecasts, inventory strategy, and manufacturing capacity.
• Monitor material shortages and establish recovery plans to minimize operational disruptions.
• Coordinate cross-functional planning reviews to support revenue, OTD, and backlog objectives.
• Develop inventory strategies for long-lead-time and constrained components.

Inventory Management & Control

• Own inventory accuracy, inventory health, and inventory investment strategies.
• Oversee cycle count programs, physical inventory activities, and inventory reconciliation efforts.
• Establish inventory targets and policies that balance service levels, risk mitigation, and working capital objectives.
• Monitor excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and develop action plans for inventory optimization.
• Ensure inventory transactions are executed accurately and promptly within ERP systems.
• Drive improvements in warehouse processes, material flow, and inventory visibility.

Metrics & Operational Performance

• Develop and maintain key supply chain performance metrics, including:
  • Inventory Accuracy
  • Inventory Turns
  • Supplier On-Time Delivery
  • Material Availability
  • Shortage Performance
  • Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
  • Forecast Accuracy
  • Working Capital
  • On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Provide regular reporting and executive-level updates on supply chain performance and risks.
• Lead escalation and recovery activities for critical material shortages and supplier issues.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Initiatives

• Drive process improvements across procurement, planning, inventory control, and material management.
• Leverage ERP, planning tools, and analytics to improve decision making and operational performance.
• Support digital transformation initiatives, AI-enabled planning tools, automation projects, and supply chain modernization efforts.
• Partner with Operations and Quality on lean manufacturing, inventory reduction, and throughput improvement initiatives.

Key Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Maintain inventory accuracy above 98%.
• Ensure uninterrupted material flow to support production and customer commitments.
• Develop inventory strategies supporting 6-9 months of component inventory and up to 12 months for critical long lead-time items where required.
• Improve supplier delivery and responsiveness through disciplined supplier management.
• Reduce material shortages and expedite costs.
• Establish a world-class planning process that improves schedule adherence and forecasting accuracy.
• Develop and mentor the supply chain team while building bench strength for future growth.
• Drive measurable improvements in OTD, inventory performance, and supply chain efficiency.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 5 years of progressive supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 3 years of leadership experience managing multiple supply chain functions.
• Strong knowledge of procurement, MRP, inventory management, forecasting, and production planning.
• Experience working within ERP/MRP systems (NetSuite preferred).
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage competing priorities.

Preferred

• Aerospace, defense, electronics, or other regulated manufacturing experience.
• APICS/ASCM certifications (CPIM, CSCP).
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma training.
• Experience managing strategic inventory and long-lead component planning.
• Knowledge of FAA, AS9100, and supply chain compliance requirements.