Director of Supply Chain & Strategic Sourcing

Spectrum Control•Marlborough, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Supply Chain & Strategic Sourcing is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing supply chain operations across Spectrum Control Inc.’s manufacturing sites in the United States and Mexico, with dotted-line functional oversight of the company’s UK manufacturing site. This position provides strategic direction and operational oversight for procurement, strategic sourcing, demand and supply planning, inventory management, and supplier relationship management across a complex global supplier network. The Director leads site-based supply chain leaders and commodity managers, driving alignment between enterprise strategy and site-level execution to support manufacturing excellence, cost competitiveness, and operational continuity across global operations. In addition, this position will be expected to champion the thoughtful adoption of advanced analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence-enabled tools to improve supply chain visibility, forecasting accuracy, supplier risk management, inventory optimization, and decision-making across the enterprise. This leader will partner with Operations, Finance, Engineering, IT, Quality, Compliance, and site leadership to identify practical AI and digital supply chain use cases that strengthen operational performance while maintaining appropriate data governance, cybersecurity, export control, and regulated manufacturing requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field required.
10+ years of progressive supply chain experience, including strategic sourcing, procurement, planning, and supplier management responsibilities.
5+ years in a senior supply chain leadership role within a manufacturing environment.
Experience leading or participating in digital supply chain transformation initiatives, including implementation or optimization of ERP/MRP, advanced planning, business intelligence, automation, AI-enabled analytics, supplier management, or spend analytics tools.
Proven experience managing supply chain operations across multiple manufacturing sites, preferably within industrial, electronics, aerospace, or defense manufacturing environments, including familiarity with AS9100 and regulated manufacturing requirements.
Demonstrated experience overseeing complex, multi-tiered supplier networks.
Direct experience managing or partnering with manufacturing operations in Mexico; familiarity with maquiladora operations and cross-border supply chain dynamics strongly preferred.
Experience in defense-sector supply chain management preferred, including familiarity with DFARS, ITAR, EAR, supplier audits, and regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
Experience supporting federal Small Business Subcontracting Plans and related FAR 19.7 requirements preferred.
Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to lead, develop, and align geographically distributed teams toward common goals.
Strong negotiation skills with a track record of driving supplier performance and cost improvements.
Proficiency with ERP systems (AS400 experience a plus).
Strong understanding of MRP/MPS, inventory management, and supply chain planning methodologies.
Excellent communication and executive presentation skills with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
Familiarity with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies preferred.
Valid passport required; international travel to Mexico and the UK anticipated on a periodic basis.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA or MS in Supply Chain/Operations) preferred.
APICS CSCP, CPIM, or ISM CPSM certification preferred.
Experience with supply chain planning systems and tools preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute supply chain strategies aligned with the company’s operational and financial objectives.
Establish and maintain a consistent supply chain operating approach across manufacturing sites.
Partner with senior leadership, including Operations, Finance, Engineering, and Sales, to align supply chain capabilities with business priorities.
Lead supply chain budgeting, organizational planning, and functional performance initiatives.
Develop and execute a digital supply chain roadmap that incorporates advanced analytics, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities to improve planning effectiveness, sourcing decisions, supplier performance management, inventory optimization, and executive visibility.
Identify and prioritize AI and analytics use cases that deliver measurable business value, including improved forecast accuracy, demand/supply scenario planning, supplier risk detection, lead time analysis, cost modeling, working capital efficiency, and supply continuity.
Partner with IT, Finance, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Compliance to ensure AI-enabled tools and supply chain technologies are implemented responsibly, with appropriate controls for data integrity, cybersecurity, intellectual property protection, export compliance, and regulated customer requirements.
Provide leadership oversight and strategic guidance to supply chain leaders and Commodity Managers across manufacturing sites.
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives including supplier management, category strategy, cost optimization, and supply continuity efforts.
Oversee planning, inventory management, scheduling, and materials flow activities to support operational and customer delivery objectives.
Lead high-value supplier negotiations and support supplier performance improvement initiatives across quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness.
Develop and support supply continuity and risk mitigation strategies across the supplier base.
Monitor and improve key supply chain performance metrics including on-time delivery, inventory turns, supplier performance, and supply continuity.
Drive effective utilization and continuous improvement of ERP, MRP, and related supply chain systems to enhance operational efficiency and visibility.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on inventory optimization, lead time reduction, supplier performance, and overall supply chain effectiveness.
Partner with internal compliance, logistics, operations, legal, and finance teams to support international supply chain operations, import/export activities, and cross-border logistics coordination across U.S., Mexico, and UK operations.
Partner with site leadership teams to support supplier development, materials planning, and regional operational requirements.
Drive adoption of predictive and prescriptive analytics to support supply continuity, lead time reduction, working capital management, and proactive escalation of supplier, material, and logistics risks.
Ensure AI-enabled recommendations are validated through sound business judgment, cross-functional review, and compliance with applicable quality, regulatory, customer, and export control obligations.
Lead, develop, and mentor geographically distributed supply chain teams through coaching, performance management, and organizational development initiatives.
Maintain a dotted-line relationship with the UK manufacturing site supply chain leader to ensure alignment with global supply chain strategy and operational objectives.
Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, and professional growth initiatives.
Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and responsible innovation while ensuring that AI-enabled tools augment, rather than replace, strong functional expertise and leadership accountability.
Define clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations to support consistent execution across sites.
Oversee strategic supplier relationships and governance processes, including business reviews, scorecards, and escalation management.
Identify and qualify suppliers in alignment with operational and sourcing requirements.
Lead efforts to optimize the supplier base and improve supplier performance, efficiency, and responsiveness.
Partner with Quality and Compliance teams to support supplier adherence to applicable quality standards, ethical sourcing requirements, and regulatory obligations.