Director of Supply Chain

About Barber-Nichols:?  

Barber-Nichols (BN) is a premier provider of custom turbomachinery solutions serving the Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy industries. Our team consists of industry leaders who collaborate closely with equally accomplished customers to deliver technologies that advance their markets and establish enduring partnerships. At BN, we foster a results-driven environment that values professional growth, rewards achievement, and supports innovation. From designing the blower for NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to engineering critical components for the U.S. Navy’s MK-48 program, BN’s portfolio spans some of the most exciting and impactful projects in the world. For those seeking to contribute to impactful projects alongside a highly skilled team, BN offers an exceptional place to build your career.   

Position Summary:?  

The Director of Supply Chain provides strategic leadership for Barber-Nichols' supply chain organization, including strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier development, supplier quality, and supply chain business systems. This role is responsible for developing a resilient, scalable supply chain capable of supporting rapid technology development, prototype manufacturing, low-rate initial production, and full-rate production of highly engineered aerospace, defense, space, and energy products.

The Director of Supply Chain is expected to think strategically while executing operationally, balancing innovation with disciplined execution. Success in this role requires building collaborative relationships across the enterprise, developing high-performing supplier partnerships, and continuously improving the systems and processes that enable Barber-Nichols to scale its business while maintaining the agility and technical excellence that differentiate the company. 

Duties and Responsibilities:   

Supply Chain Leadership 

• Develop and execute the enterprise supply chain strategy aligned with corporate objectives. 
• Establish performance metrics for cost, quality, delivery, inventory, and supplier performance. 
• Build a high-performance organization through talent development, coaching, and succession planning. 
• Lead enterprise supply chain risk management and business continuity planning. 
• Drive continuous improvement through Lean principles, standard work, and digital transformation. 
• Collaborate with executive leadership on growth, capacity, and capital planning. 
• Promote a culture of accountability, ethics, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Partnerships 

• Develop sourcing strategies balancing cost, quality, schedule, technical capability, and supply risk. 
• Develop executive-level supplier relationships that improve competitiveness and long-term capacity. 
• Lead supplier development initiatives that improve quality, responsiveness, and manufacturing capability. 
• Establish dual-source and alternate-source strategies for critical components. 
• Identify value engineering and should-cost opportunities with Engineering and Operations. 
• Support proposal development and capture activities through competitive sourcing strategies. 
• Conduct executive supplier business reviews and performance assessments. 
• Manage supplier performance using scorecards and corrective actions. 
• Ensure ethical sourcing and compliance with procurement policies. 

Government Procurement 

• Ensure procurement practices comply with FAR, DFARS, and contractual flow-down requirements. 
• Lead supplier negotiations involving Certified Cost or Pricing Data and other government contracting requirements. 
• Develop procurement policies and controls that support compliance and future readiness. 
• Maintain procurement documentation supporting customer, DCMA, and DCAA audits.

Business Systems Development 

• Develop procurement policies and business systems supporting scalable growth and future readiness. 
• Lead continuous improvement of ERP/MRP planning and procurement processes. 
• Improve forecast accuracy, material visibility, and data integrity. 
• Develop executive dashboards and supply chain analytics. 
• Support development of earned value management (EVM) material planning processes. 
• Participate in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and integrated material planning processes.

Supply Chain Operations & Program Support 

• Lead integrated material planning to ensure material availability while optimizing working capital. 
• Partner with Engineering on supplier selection, new product introduction, and make/buy decisions. 
• Lead enterprise DMSMS and obsolescence management strategies. 
• Support transition from technology development through full-rate production. 
• Coordinate with Program Management to identify and mitigate material risks. 
• Support customer visits, supplier audits, and strategic reviews. 
• Resolve critical supplier performance issues and material shortages. 
• Ensure compliance with company policies, export regulations, and safety requirements. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

Leads Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Quality, and Supplier Development functions. Responsible for organizational design, hiring, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development.