Vice President, Supply Chain

COMPANY:

High-growth, private equity-owned contract manufacturer of medical devices.

REPORTS/RELATIONSHIPS:

This position will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and partner with the senior leadership team.

BASIC FUNCTIONS:

The Vice President, Supply Chain will lead the business as part of its next stage of growth. This individual will be a major voice in strategic decision-making and will operate with a significant level of autonomy. The VP, Supply Chain will lead supply chain and procurement across all locations in the Company’s footprints, including facilities in seven US states and four international locations.

The VP, Supply Chain must be an energetic manager with strong capabilities across the Company’s core supply chain and procurement functions (vendor negotiation, raw material purchases, and manufacturing). This individual must have an appreciation and respect for the entrepreneurial culture that propelled the Company to its current position with an aim to preserve the strongest parts of this culture while adding a degree of professionalization and sophistication via systems, processes, and accountability to performance. In fulfilling these roles, the VP, Supply Chain will work with the Company’s major investors and senior leadership.

The VP, Supply Chain will inherit an organization that requires enhancements as part of the integration of another company with the Company. There will be opportunities to invest in systems and processes, implement new standards and reporting systems, and overall execute on a vision of best practices in the mind of a VP, Supply Chain. This person will have the support of management and the shareholders to invest resources in developing these enhancements.

Specific duties will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

• Develop both a short-term and long-term supply chain and procurement plan, including specific action items, key improvement goals and metrics, and related KPIs to enhance capabilities, reduce risk, and increase efficiency/profitability to achieve Company objectives; must be able to force rank and prioritize strategic objectives in the face of finite resources.
• Oversee and manage purchasing/sourcing, operational forecasting, manufacturing demand planning, and supply chain coordination to achieve quality and delivery requirements, increase facility throughput, reduce costs, and optimize inventory investment.
• Drive implementation and provide executive leadership for enterprise-wide sales and operation planning (S&OP) process.
• Determine the ideal organizational design to achieve objectives, including the proper coordination and pooling of purchases across the newly integrated organization.
• Negotiate with current and potential vendors to purchase raw materials, equipment, parts, and services to achieve the best possible value, quality, and terms; negotiations will be conducted to ensure proper execution and on-time delivery to meet the Company’s production needs.
• Continuously assess market conditions and source new vendors in an effort to manage the Company’s cost management strategy; continuously negotiate pricing to ensure the lowest possible acquisition cost; seek discount structures and volume rebates when possible.
• Identify and lead VA/VE (value analysis/value engineering) projects across supply base; lead make/buy analysis to determine best fit vertical integration projects that tie to the Company’s strategy.
• Optimize rough cut capacity plans and master scheduling processes to create efficient material flow within and between manufacturing facilities to improve OTIF and drive the realization of monthly sales budget.
• Drive focused effort to improve inventory turns across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods inventory; perform AMC analysis, set inventory targets, and monitor performance.
• Work with the plants to establish purchasing policies and ensure compliance with these standards.
• Examine bids and quotes and execute actual purchasing when necessary.
• Establish account credit and terms with supply base; drive supplier-owned inventory programs, including consignment and VMI.
• Audit facilities to ensure compliance with policies.
• Work with operations to ensure they purchase materials at the optimal quantity.
• Be responsible for data oversight into the Company’s ERP and MRP system.
• Develop, mentor, and hire as needed for the supply chain team to build the succession pipeline and generally strengthen and improve the capacity of the operations function.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in various supply chain and purchasing roles and over five years in a position equivalent to a VP, Supply Chain or other senior leadership position managing within a large facility or multi-site facilities.
• Experience working with acquisitive and high-growth businesses; understanding of the unique challenges of fast-paced growth.
• Supply chain experience with medical CDMOs or OEMs is strongly preferred.
• Must have a “continuous improvement” approach and a demonstrated track record of value creation by increasing supply chain capabilities and effectiveness, negotiating, reducing risk, increasing efficiency/profitability, and reducing costs.
• Must have a strong financial acumen and understanding of inventory techniques, vendor sourcing, and standard costing.
• Ability to serve as an energetic, hands-on, and decisive manager while maintaining a high-level view; a “curious thinker” who is positive and a motivated team player, with a participative management style that looks to include and teach others.
• Previous experience interacting with external parties such as investors (public and/or private), acquisition targets, etc.; previous experience with a private equity sponsor is preferred but not required.
• Proven track record of being a strategic business partner who can add value through analysis and provide recommendations on strategic issues while collaborating with the senior executive team; international experience and experience with M&A-related due diligence and integration is an important asset.
• Excellent oral and written communicator; able to effectively explain and articulate strategic and operational concepts to various people with varying degrees of operations and business knowledge, internally and externally; internally, can engage people across the organization and foster buy-in to new ideas and concepts.
• Has developed excellent relationships with a broad range of people within his/her organization and outside areas.
• Respected for business ethics, integrity, and common-sense approach.
• Smart, practical, hard-working, and focused on creating value for the Company’s shareholders; will roll up his/her sleeves and do what it takes to meet objectives; can make tough decisions when necessary; able to work in an entrepreneurial manner.
• Able to travel significantly across the US and internationally (including Central America).
• Spanish language skills are an asset, not required.
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) or Certified Professional Purchaser (CPP) professional designations are strongly preferred, as well as advanced knowledge of MRP systems, with the understanding of how system data affects desired outcomes; experience with the Visual Manufacturing ERP System.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.

WHY THIS IS A COMPELLING OPPORTUNITY:

• An ability to be part of a rapidly growing, market-leading company in an attractive industry with a tremendous team and culture.
• Opportunity to partner at the beginning of the investment period with a very well-respected and highly supportive investor group seeking to continue to build the Company organically and through M&A for many years before a potentially lucrative liquidity event.
• This is a key position in a mission-critical role that will be a key part of the senior leadership team developing Company strategy and executing to grow the business.
• Significant wealth creation opportunity is available through equity investment and incentives.

COMPENSATION:

Compensation will be commensurate with experience, including a competitive base salary, bonus opportunity, and competitive benefits package. The finalist candidate will be expected to invest in the Company alongside the current private equity ownership and senior management team and will also benefit by participating in the Company’s equity incentive plan, allowing for the potential for significant wealth creation.