Supply Chain Director
Job Description Job Description Supply Chain Director DEPARTMENT Operations LOCATION Baton Rouge, Louisiana POSITION TYPE Full-Time, Exempt REPORTS TO Executive Leadership Position Summary Safe Air Technology is seeking an experienced Supply Chain Director to lead and optimize the company's end-to-end supply chain operations in support of our growing manufacturing organization. This position will provide strategic and operational leadership across procurement, purchasing, materials management, inventory, supplier relations, expediting, and logistics. The Supply Chain Director will be responsible for ensuring the timely and cost-effective availability of materials, components, equipment, and services required to support the manufacturing of Safe Air Technology's mission-critical and specialized HVAC equipment. This position will work closely with Engineering, Production, Operations, Quality, Finance, and project teams to align material availability with production schedules, project requirements, and customer delivery commitments. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on leader who understands the urgency and complexity of a project-driven manufacturing environment and can build the processes, supplier relationships, systems, and accountability necessary to support continued company growth. Key Responsibilities Strategic Supply Chain Leadership Develop and implement a comprehensive supply chain strategy aligned with company growth, production requirements, quality standards, and customer delivery commitments. Provide leadership across purchasing, procurement, materials management, inventory control, supplier management, expediting, and logistics. Collaborate with executive leadership, Operations, Engineering, Production, Quality, Finance, and project teams to forecast demand and align material planning with manufacturing requirements. Identify supply chain risks, capacity constraints, long-lead materials, and potential shortages early and develop mitigation plans before they impact production. Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability throughout the supply chain organization. Procurement & Supplier Management Direct and coordinate the procurement of materials, components, equipment, supplies, and services required to support manufacturing operations. Oversee sourcing of mechanical, electrical, HVAC, fabricated metal, controls, and other components required for Safe Air Technology's equipment and projects. Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure competitive pricing, quality, capacity, reliability, and on-time delivery. Negotiate supplier agreements, pricing, terms, lead times, and other commercial conditions. Develop alternate and secondary sources for critical and long-lead components to reduce supply chain risk. Monitor supplier performance through established metrics, scorecards, and regular performance reviews. Maintain strong industry and commodity knowledge and continuously evaluate market conditions, pricing trends, availability, and supplier capabilities. Ensure supplier and company compliance with established purchasing processes, contracts, specifications, and quality requirements. Cost Management & Continuous Improvement Lead cost-reduction and strategic sourcing initiatives without compromising quality, reliability, or production requirements. Identify opportunities for vendor consolidation, improved purchasing leverage, inventory reduction, and improved commercial terms. Analyze procurement and supply chain data to identify trends, root causes, risks, and opportunities for improvement. Develop corrective action plans when supplier, purchasing, inventory, or delivery performance does not meet expectations. Support continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Materials & Inventory Management Establish and maintain appropriate inventory levels to support production while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory and unnecessary carrying costs. Ensure materials are available according to production schedules and project requirements. Develop systems and controls to improve inventory accuracy, material traceability, and overall material flow. Work closely with Production and Operations to identify shortages and prevent material-related production delays. Monitor critical and long-lead materials and establish appropriate planning and escalation processes. Track and report key metrics related to inventory turns, shortages, excess inventory, material availability, and carrying costs. Logistics & Material Flow Oversee inbound and outbound logistics to support timely and cost-effective movement of materials and equipment. Coordinate expediting, freight, transportation, and delivery requirements for critical project materials. Support effective warehouse, shipping, receiving, and material-handling processes. Evaluate logistics and material-flow processes and implement improvements as needed to support increased manufacturing volume. Team Leadership Lead, develop, and hold accountable the supply chain and purchasing team. Establish measurable goals and KPIs for individual and departmental performance. Foster a culture of urgency, accountability, collaboration, problem solving, and continuous improvement. Develop team members and establish processes that allow the department to effectively support continued company growth. Ensure strong communication and coordination between Supply Chain and other departments. Systems, Data & Performance Management Utilize ERP/MRP systems and available technology to manage purchasing, inventory, supplier performance, material requirements, and reporting. Ensure supply chain data is accurate, timely, and actionable. Develop and monitor KPIs including supplier on-time delivery, purchase price variance/cost savings, inventory turns, shortages, supplier quality, lead times, and material availability. Use data and analytics to make informed, decisive purchasing and supply chain decisions. Provide leadership with timely reporting regarding supply chain performance, material risks, cost opportunities, and significant supplier issues. Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or related field preferred. 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, procurement, purchasing, materials management, or operations within a manufacturing environment preferred. Demonstrated experience leading purchasing and/or broader supply chain functions. Experience supporting a project-driven, engineered-to-order, industrial, HVAC, electrical, or similar manufacturing environment strongly preferred. Experience managing both direct and indirect procurement. Experience with ERP/MRP systems required. APICS/ASCM certification such as CPIM or CSCP is preferred. Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies is preferred. Required Skills & Competencies Strong strategic sourcing and procurement knowledge. Excellent negotiation and contract-management skills. Strong supplier relationship and performance-management capabilities. Ability to manage long-lead and critical materials in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to make informed decisions. Demonstrated ability to reduce costs while maintaining quality and delivery performance. Strong understanding of inventory management and material planning. Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Strong organizational and project-management capabilities. Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Production, Operations, Quality, Finance, and other departments. Results-oriented with a strong sense of urgency and accountability. Proficient with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and comfortable working with ERP/MRP and reporting systems. Key Performance Areas Success in this role will be measured through areas such as supplier on-time delivery, material availability, reduction of production shortages, inventory accuracy and turns, cost savings, supplier quality, lead-time reduction, purchasing performance, and the overall ability of the supply chain organization to support Safe Air Technology's production and customer delivery requirements.
