Career Opportunity
Senior Supply Chain Manager
Category
Manufacturing
Location
Itasca, Illinois
Salary
$130,000 - $160,000
Job Reference
246875
Director of Supply Chain
Custom OEM Capital Equipment Manufacturing
Location: Itasca, IL (Onsite)
Compensation: $130k to $160k base plus discretionary bonus (top of range for an exceptional fit)
Reports to: VP of Operations
Budget Responsibility: Approximately $30M annual spend
Team: 9 direct reports (5 Buyers and a 4-person Production Processing team)
Required
- 5+ years of experience leading and developing people, ideally buyers or procurement staff, with a track record of building process and discipline into a team
- Hands-on experience sourcing from machine shop vendors and managing outsourced secondary processes (heat treating, chrome plating, and/or urethane processing)
- Experience in an OEM or custom capital equipment manufacturing environment, ideally with exposure to engineered-to-order, high-mix builds rather than purely high-volume repetitive production
- A track record of introducing KPIs, scorecards, or standardized processes rather than simply operating within existing ones
- Roughly 8 to 15 years of overall experience, with a clear, explainable career progression and a genuine hunger to grow into a bigger seat
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
Nice to Have
- Experience purchasing for a spare parts or aftermarket operation
- Experience buying commercial components such as motors, gearboxes, and electrical parts
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Salesforce
- Familiarity with ISO standards and participation in ISO certification initiatives
- A well-established Midwest supplier network with the ability to introduce new vendors
- Experience with freight, logistics, or 3PL contract negotiation
The Opportunity
Our client is a recognized global leader in the design and manufacture of automated, high-speed capital production equipment. For decades, they have built complex, highly customized machinery for customers around the world, earning a reputation for quality, innovation, and long-term customer relationships. These are not off-the-shelf products; a typical project involves 1,000+ line-item builds, engineered-to-order components, and a supply chain that must perform under demanding production schedules.
The company generated $86M in revenue in 2025, and roughly $50M of that flows directly through the supply chain department that this role will lead. That means the person in this seat has real influence over margin, delivery, and the overall health of the business. Leadership is looking for someone who will bring fresh ideas and modern practices to a department with deep legacy knowledge and who will build on what works while changing what does not.
What You’ll Do
- Lead two teams: Manage 5 buyers and a 4-person production processing team that reviews engineering drawings and determines whether components are fabricated in-house or outsourced. This is the core of the role: running both functions cohesively.
- Own outside vendor relationships: Source fabricated and machined components from machine shop vendors, and manage outsourced secondary processes such as heat treating, chrome plating, and urethane processing. This is the most critical hands-on experience for this seat.
- Purchase commercial components: Buy motors, gearboxes, electrical parts, and conveyor systems alongside fabricated parts. Strong negotiators without direct experience in these categories will have the opportunity to learn them quickly.
- Partner with engineering: Support Bills of Materials reviews and make-versus-buy decisions for highly customized equipment builds.
- Build the measurement culture: Develop and introduce KPIs, vendor scorecards, and standardized processes that drive on-time delivery and give leadership clear visibility into performance.
- Grow and strengthen the vendor base: Expand an already substantial supplier book by qualifying new vendors, deepening key relationships, and exiting vendors who consistently underperform.
- Support the aftermarket business: The spare parts and aftermarket side of the business has been growing about 10% a year and is a meaningful revenue driver. Any experience with spare parts, service parts, or balancing production buys against spares availability is a real plus.
- Collaborate at the executive level: Work alongside finance leadership on freight and carrier contract negotiations, and support the company’s ISO certification efforts.
Why This Role Is Different
This is a rare kind of step-up seat: real scope (two teams, a $30M spend, and decisions that influence 60% of company revenue) paired with a leadership team that wants to invest in your growth rather than expecting a finished product on day one. You will not be a caretaker maintaining what already exists. Leadership wants someone who will look at an established operation with fresh eyes, bring new ideas and modern practices, and grow the title and scope of this role over time.
The complexity is real, and it is the fun part. Every project is customized, every build carries 1,000+ line items, and the mix of raw materials, commercial components, in-house fabrication, and outsourced secondary processes means no two days look alike.
The Culture
This is a company where people stay. Retention is strong, tenure runs long, and leadership has built an environment where employees are genuinely valued and invested in. That stability is a real asset, and it comes with an honest expectation: they want someone who is joining to build a career chapter, not to pass through. At the same time, leadership knows that longevity can breed staleness, which is exactly why they are hiring for this role. The ideal candidate will respect the deep institutional knowledge of the team while confidently bringing new ideas, energy, and standards that will carry the department forward.
Director of Supply Chain
Custom OEM Capital Equipment Manufacturing
Location: Itasca, IL (Onsite)
Compensation: $130k to $140k base plus discretionary bonus
Reports to: Senior Executive Leadership
Budget Responsibility: Approximately $50M annual spend
Team: 9 direct reports (5 Buyers and a 4-person Production Processing team)
Required
- 8+ years of supply chain, procurement, or operations leadership within an OEM or custom capital equipment manufacturing environment, with a solid, explainable career progression
- Hands-on experience sourcing fabricated components from machine shop vendors and managing outsourced secondary processes such as heat treating, chrome plating, and urethane processing
- Direct experience procuring steel, aluminum, and other raw materials, along with commercial components such as motors, electrical parts, gearboxes, and conveyor systems
- Experience purchasing for both original equipment builds and a high-volume aftermarket and spare parts operation, which is a significant and growing part of this business
- A proven track record of growing a supplier base by qualifying new vendors, strengthening existing relationships, and moving on from vendors who are not performing
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop a procurement team while introducing consistent processes and best practices
- An innovator by nature; someone hungry, confident, and on an upward trajectory who will look at an established operation and articulate clearly what is working well and what needs to change
- Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and the Microsoft Office Suite
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
Nice to Have
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Salesforce
- Familiarity with ISO standards and participation in ISO certification initiatives
- Experience with high-level freight and 3PL contract negotiation in partnership with finance leadership
- A well-established supplier network with the ability to introduce new vendors and improve procurement flexibility
- Background in logistics for large, oversized, and international freight shipments
The Opportunity
Our client is a recognized global leader in the design and manufacture of automated, high-speed capital production equipment. For decades, they have built complex, highly customized machinery for customers around the world, earning a reputation for quality, innovation, and long-term customer relationships. These are not off-the-shelf products; a typical project involves 1,000+ line-item builds, engineered-to-order components, and a supply chain that must perform under demanding production schedules.
The company generated $86M in revenue in 2025, and roughly $50M of that flows directly through the supply chain department that this role will lead. That means the person in this seat has real influence over margin, delivery, and the overall health of the business. Leadership is looking for someone who will bring fresh ideas and modern practices to a department with deep legacy knowledge and who will build on what works while changing what does not.
What You’ll Do
- Own the full supply chain function: Lead purchasing, expediting, make-versus-buy decisions, and logistics operations for a complex OEM business, managing an annual expenditure of approximately $50M across capital equipment and consumables.
- Lead and develop a team of 9: Manage 5 buyers and a 4-person production processing team that reviews engineering drawings and determines whether components are fabricated in-house or outsourced.
- Partner with engineering: Review Bills of Materials and make strategic decisions on internal versus external manufacturing for highly customized equipment builds.
- Build the measurement culture: Develop and publish KPIs, vendor scorecards, and performance metrics that drive on-time delivery and margin, giving leadership clear visibility into supplier performance.
- Grow and strengthen the vendor base: Expand an already substantial supplier book by qualifying new vendors, deepening key relationships, and exiting vendors who consistently underperform.
- Own the aftermarket supply chain: Ensure the spare parts and aftermarket side of the business, a major revenue driver, is supported by reliable machining and secondary process vendors for urethane, plating, and heat treating.
- Direct shipping and receiving: Oversee logistics for large and oversized freight, ensuring regulatory compliance and optimizing cost.
- Collaborate at the executive level: Work cohesively with finance leadership on freight and carrier contract negotiations, and support ISO certification efforts by aligning procurement processes with quality standards.
Why This Role Is Different
Roughly 60% of this company’s business runs through the department you will lead. This is not a support function tucked away in a corner; it is one of the most consequential seats in the organization, with direct executive visibility and genuine decision-making authority. Leadership is not looking for a caretaker to maintain the status quo. They are asking for someone to come in, evaluate the operation with fresh eyes, and drive meaningful changes in how the department sources, measures, and performs.
The complexity is real, and it is the fun part. Every building is customized, every project carries 1,000+ line items, and the mix of raw materials, commercial components, in-house fabrication, and outsourced secondary processes means no two days look alike. For a supply chain leader who wants ownership rather than oversight, this is a rare opportunity.
The Culture
This is a company where people stay. Retention is strong, tenure runs long, and leadership has built an environment where employees are genuinely valued and invested in. That stability is a real asset, and it comes with an honest expectation: they want someone who is joining to build a career chapter, not to pass through. At the same time, leadership knows that longevity can breed staleness, which is exactly why they are hiring for this role. The ideal candidate will respect the deep institutional knowledge of the team while confidently bringing new ideas, energy, and standards that will carry the department forward.
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