Supply Operations Director
REPORTS
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director
Scope: End-to-end supply operations across one or multiple sites (manufacturing + warehouses + distribution); domestic and/or export
Key interfaces: Procurement, Manufacturing/Plant Managers, Quality & Food Safety, Maintenance/Engineering, Planning (S&OP), Logistics/3PL, Sales/Trade Marketing, Finance, HR, Regulatory/Customs (if export)
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
Lead and optimize end-to-end supply operations to deliver service excellence, cost competitiveness, quality compliance, and agility in a processed agro-food business. The role ensures the right products are produced and delivered on time, in full, and safely, while balancing shelf-life constraints, demand volatility (promotions/seasonality), raw material variability, and food safety requirements.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1) End-to-end supply operations leadership
• Define and execute supply operations strategy aligned with growth, margin, and service targets.
• Lead multi-site operations governance: performance reviews, standard ways of working, continuous improvement roadmap.
• Build resilient supply capability (capacity planning, dual sourcing, contingency plans, cold-chain readiness as needed).
2) Integrated planning & S&OP leadership
Own/lead the supply-side of S&OP: demand review alignment, supply planning, constraint management, and executive S&OP decisions.
Set planning assumptions: lead times, safety stocks, shelf-life rules, production constraints, promo uplifts.
Drive forecast-driven replenishment and reduce bullwhip effects with Sales/Marketing (promotions, new launches).
3) Production planning, scheduling, and execution control
Oversee Master Production Scheduling (MPS): line scheduling, changeover management, campaign planning, and capacity utilization.
Ensure execution discipline (daily/weekly plan adherence), rapid issue escalation, and recovery plans when deviations occur.
Optimize throughput while respecting quality holds, allergen changeovers, sanitation windows, and maintenance plans.
4) Procurement interface & raw/packaging material availability
Coordinate with Procurement to ensure supply continuity for key ingredients and packaging (availability, MOQ, lead times).
Manage supplier performance with procurement: OTIF, quality defects, responsiveness, documentation compliance.
Address commodity volatility impacts via planning: buffer stocks, alternative materials, reformulation readiness (with QA/R&D).
5) Inventory, warehousing, and shelf-life management
Own finished goods and (in some models) raw/WIP inventory performance: target stock levels, inventory turns, expiry control.
Implement FEFO/FIFO discipline, aging dashboards, and actions to reduce slow movers and write-offs.
Lead warehouse performance: space utilization, picking accuracy, cold-chain controls (if chilled/frozen), hygiene standards.
6) Logistics, distribution, and customer service performance
Lead distribution strategy: network design, 3PL governance, transport optimization, delivery scheduling.
Drive service-level excellence (OTIF, fill rate) for retail DCs, distributors, and foodservice customers.
Manage export logistics (if applicable): Incoterms coordination, documentation, customs brokers, shipping reliability.
7) Cost-to-serve and productivity improvement
Drive continuous improvement programs to reduce total supply cost:
line efficiency, changeover reduction, waste reduction, yield improvement
transport and warehouse productivity
packaging/logistics optimization (pallet patterns, case configuration)
Partner with Finance to measure savings, validate business cases, and track benefits realization.
8) Quality, food safety, and compliance integration
Ensure supply operations fully adhere to food safety and quality systems (HACCP, ISO/FSSC, GMP).
Coordinate recalls/withdrawals readiness, traceability drills, and corrective action closures impacting supply continuity.
Ensure packaging integrity, labeling compliance, and allergen management constraints are embedded into planning and execution.
9) Risk management & business continuity
Build and test contingency plans for key risks:
raw material shortages, packaging delays, equipment downtime
power outages, transport disruptions, cold-chain failures
regulatory holds, contamination events, product recalls
Define escalation protocols, crisis playbooks, and recovery lead times
10) People leadership & capability building
Lead and develop supply planning, warehouse, logistics, and operational excellence teams (directly or via managers).
Implement training standards, succession planning, and performance management.
Foster strong cross-functional collaboration and a “one-plan” culture.
Qualifications
Degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (MBA is a plus).
Typically 12–15+ years in supply chain/operations with 5+ years in senior leadership (Head of Supply Chain, Supply Ops Director, Plant-to-Distribution leader).
Strong experience in processed agro-food / FMCG food with exposure to shelf-life management, QA constraints, and promo-driven demand.
Competences
A. Knowledge (what you must know)
End-to-end supply chain in processed foods: planning, manufacturing constraints, warehousing, distribution.
Shelf-life dynamics, FEFO/FIFO, cold-chain principles (if chilled/frozen).
Food safety & quality constraints affecting planning: HACCP/GMP, allergen segregation, sanitation windows, traceability.
S&OP governance, demand variability drivers (promotions, seasonality, new launches), safety stock methods.
Logistics and 3PL contract management; transport cost drivers and route optimization basics.
Cost-to-serve analytics and productivity levers
B. Know-how (what you must be able to do)
Build a resilient “one-plan” operating rhythm: S&OP cadence, KPIs, escalation and recovery routines.
Translate demand signals into executable schedules under constraints and maintain plan discipline.
Manage inventory strategically: service vs working capital, expiry control, slow-mover action plans.
Lead cross-functional trade-offs (service vs cost vs quality) and make fast decisions during disruptions.
Negotiate and govern 3PL/transport providers with measurable service and cost outcomes.
Deliver measurable continuous improvement programs and sustain results.
C. Interpersonal skills (how you work)
Strong leadership and stakeholder influence (especially with Sales and QA).
Clear communication under pressure; strong escalation judgment and crisis management calm.
Data-driven decision-making with pragmatic execution focus.
Collaborative, accountable, and capable of challenging constructively.
Ability to inspire operational teams and drive disciplined routines.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Reliable product availability and customer service performance (high OTIF) with controlled costs.
Strong planning discipline: improved forecast collaboration, high plan adherence, fewer emergencies.
Reduced working capital through improved inventory turns and lower expiry/write-offs.
Improved operational efficiency: reduced waste, better yields, improved warehouse/logistics productivity.
Robust compliance and audit readiness with no major supply disruptions due to preventable issues.
A capable, engaged supply organization with clear governance and continuous improvement culture.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)
Service
OTIF / Fill rate by channel/customer; perfect order rate
Customer complaints linked to delivery/availability; chargebacks (if applicable)
Planning
Plan adherence (schedule attainment)
Forecast accuracy at family/SKU level (in collaboration with Sales)
Promo forecast accuracy and new launch readiness (supply perspective)
Inventory & working capital
Inventory turns; days of inventory (DIO)
Expiry/obsolescence write-offs (% of inventory or sales)
Stockout rate and backorder levels
Manufacturing-supply efficiency (interface)
Waste/yield loss % impacting supply
Changeover time and schedule stability
Line utilization vs constraints (where applicable)
Logistics & warehousing
Warehouse picking accuracy; on-time dispatch
Transport on-time delivery; damage rates
Logistics cost per case/kg/ton; 3PL SLA compliance
Risk & compliance
Number of major supply disruptions; time to recover (TTR)
Audit findings impacting supply operations; traceability drill performance
People
Safety incidents in warehousing/logistics (in partnership with HSE)
Team capability metrics (training completion, retention of key roles)
WORKING DOCUMENTS
S&OP calendar and meeting packs (demand review, supply review, executive S&OP).
Master production schedule (MPS), capacity plans, constraint logs, recovery plans.
Inventory policies: safety stock rules, FEFO/FIFO procedures, shelf-life thresholds, slow-mover action lists.
Procurement-supply alignment docs: supplier lead times, MOQ, service and quality scorecards, risk registers.
Warehouse SOPs: receiving, storage, picking, dispatch, hygiene and cold-chain checks.
Transport and 3PL contracts, SLAs, scorecards, route plans, cost breakdowns.
KPI dashboards: OTIF, inventory turns, expiry, plan adherence, logistics cost-to-serve.
Quality integration docs: allergen matrix, sanitation schedules, release/hold rules, recall/withdrawal playbooks.
Business continuity plans and escalation protocols.
TOOLS
ERP: SAP / Oracle / Dynamics / Odoo (materials, inventory, production, purchasing, order management).
Planning/APS: Kinaxis, OMP, SAP IBP/APO, Blue Yonder, or equivalent (as applicable).
WMS/TMS: Warehouse and transport systems (Manhattan, Blue Yonder, SAP EWM/TM, or local solutions).
BI/Analytics: Power BI/Tableau; Excel/Google Sheets; SQL (as needed).
Quality systems: QMS tools, traceability systems, recall management workflows.
Collaboration & governance: Teams/Slack, SharePoint/Drive, project tools (Asana/Trello/Notion).
Operational excellence: Lean tools, standard work documents, problem-solving templates (A3, 5-Why).