Director of NA Supplier Development

Milwaukee Tool•Milwaukee, WI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

At Milwaukee Tool, we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success. Behind our doors, you'll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to support the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you'll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen. The Director of NA Supplier Development is a hands-on, operations-driven leader responsible for ensuring supplier performance, capability, and scalability across the enterprise. This role goes beyond traditional supplier management by owning the end-to-end success of the supply base across technical execution, quality, operations, talent, OPEX, and procurement. This leader operates with extreme ownership, embracing the mindset that supplier partners cannot fail. When challenges arise, this role leads from the front—mobilizing cross-functional teams, solving root causes, and building sustainable solutions that enable both immediate recovery and long-term resilience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field
10+ years of experience across supplier development, manufacturing, operations, or procurement
5+ years of leadership experience managing high-performing teams
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and solve complex supplier challenges end-to-end
Strong financial and operational acumen with experience driving cost, quality, and delivery improvements
Deep, working knowledge across: Technical / Engineering: Design for manufacturability (DFM), product launches, and supplier industrialization
Quality: Advanced quality planning (APQP), root cause analysis, corrective actions, and supplier audits
Operations: Manufacturing processes, capacity planning, throughput optimization, and lean principles
Operational Excellence (OpEx): Continuous improvement, waste reduction, and productivity scaling
Talent & Capability Building: Assessing and developing supplier leadership and workforce capabilities
Global Procurement: Strategic sourcing, cost modeling, contract negotiation, and supplier segmentation
Motivated to work in a fast paced, extremely flexible/responsive, team-oriented, collaborative environment
Interacting with multiple business units, functional organizations and supplier partners, building strong cross-functional coalitions and working relationships to ensure all Procurement activities are understood, supported and aligned with the US Milwaukee Business.

Nice To Haves

Experience in global manufacturing and supply chain environments
Background in new product development and supplier industrialization
Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement expertise
Advanced degree (MBA or Master’s)

Responsibilities

Provide strategic insights to improve procurement processes, optimize cost structures, mitigate risk, and increase enterprise value.
Lead supplier capability building across engineering, manufacturing, and operational excellence to support innovation and growth.
Drive early supplier engagement in product development to ensure design for manufacturability, scalability, and cost competitiveness.
Champion creative, data-driven problem-solving to balance urgent business needs with long-term supplier strategy.
Translate business priorities into clear supplier development strategies, execution plans, and measurable performance metrics.
Own supplier performance end-to-end—including delivery, quality, cost, capacity, and responsiveness.
Lead crisis management and recovery efforts, ensuring rapid containment, root cause resolution, and sustainable corrective actions.
Oversee supplier-related financial performance, including cost reduction, productivity, and working capital impacts.
Navigate complexity and competing priorities in a fast-paced, global environment with urgency and discipline.
Build and scale a high-performing supplier development organization aligned to business growth.
Develop leaders through coaching, real-time feedback, and intentional stretch opportunities.
Instill a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Create scalable processes, tools, and playbooks to elevate supplier performance globally.
Lead through influence across engineering, quality, operations, sourcing, and product management to solve supplier challenges holistically.
Establish deep, trust-based partnerships with suppliers, positioning the company as a preferred customer.
Drive alignment across internal stakeholders and external partners without direct authority.
Maintain composure and clarity during ambiguity, guiding teams through complex and high-pressure situations.
Takes full accountability for supplier outcomes—never defers responsibility. Treats supplier problems as internal problems to solve.
Connects technical, quality, operational, talent, and financial levers to drive total system performance.
Moves quickly to diagnose issues, mobilize teams, and implement solutions with urgency.
Goes beyond symptoms to solve systemic issues permanently.
Operates with the belief that supplier partners must succeed—and leads the effort to ensure they do.
Thrives in high-stakes situations, managing crises with structure and confidence.
Performs other duties as assigned.