Supply Chain Manager
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Department: Supply Chain
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
Employment Type: Full-time
About the Opportunity
Professional Search Group has partnered with a growing aerospace and defense manufacturer in the search for a Supply Chain Manager. This position will lead the day-to-day supply chain operations at the organization’s California headquarters, including procurement and purchasing, materials and production planning, logistics, and shipping and receiving.
The Supply Chain Manager will lead and develop a growing team that includes purchasing clerks, planners, and the Shipping and Receiving Manager. This leader will improve supplier performance, control costs, strengthen warehouse and inventory accuracy, and maintain a reliable flow of materials to meet customer demand. The role may also provide purchasing support to a smaller Texas operation as needed.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on, proactive leader with strong negotiation skills and experience developing team members, building or streamlining departmental structures, and managing supply chain operations within aerospace and defense manufacturing. Experience sourcing metals—particularly spring wire, tubing, metal-stamping materials, CNC-machined components, and outside processing—is highly desirable.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage daily supply chain operations for the California facility, including procurement and purchasing, materials and production planning, logistics, shipping and receiving, and coordination with manufacturing operations.
- Lead, coach, and develop managers, purchasing clerks, planners, and other assigned team members, fostering accountability, capability, and consistent execution.
- Manage local purchasing activities, including purchase-order execution, supplier follow-up, expediting, sourcing support, operational supplies, and coordination with internal stakeholders.
- Negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, lead times, and supplier terms; establish and develop long-term agreements with key suppliers when appropriate.
- Provide purchasing support for the organization’s smaller Texas operation as business needs require.
- Align materials planning, inventory availability, and production schedules with customer requirements while minimizing shortages, excess inventory, and operational disruptions.
- Oversee shipping and receiving to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant movement of inbound materials and outbound customer shipments.
- Improve supplier performance in quality, delivery, responsiveness, cost, and risk mitigation.
- Manage inbound transportation, freight coordination, intercompany transfers, and outbound customer shipments.
- Ensure cost-effective shipment execution while maintaining service levels, delivery commitments, and applicable compliance requirements.
- Collaborate with production, quality, engineering, sales, finance, and operations leaders to resolve supply constraints and improve end-to-end performance.
- Identify and implement process improvements across purchasing, planning, receiving, warehouse flow, supplier communication, and logistics.
- Maintain awareness of aerospace and defense customer expectations, supplier controls, documentation requirements, and relevant purchasing and logistics practices.
- Develop contingency plans and other measures to reduce risks associated with supply chain disruptions.
- Support cross-functional process improvements, special projects, and business assignments as needed.
- Follow 5S practices and support lean-manufacturing initiatives and all applicable safety policies and procedures.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Supervise and develop assigned managers, purchasing clerks, and planners. The position may also provide functional guidance to employees involved in planning, receiving, inventory control, logistics, and purchasing activities.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
- At least 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, procurement, logistics, materials planning, production planning, or manufacturing operations.
- Demonstrated supervisory, people-management, or team-leadership experience.
- Aerospace and defense industry experience strongly preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong experience in procurement and purchasing, logistics, shipping and receiving, warehouse management, and materials and production planning within a manufacturing environment.
- Metals-procurement experience required. Experience purchasing spring wire, tubing, metal-stamping materials, CNC-machined components, outside processing such as heat and surface treatments, and related manufacturing commodities is highly desirable.
- Excellent negotiation skills, including experience building supplier relationships, identifying cost-reduction opportunities, and negotiating long-term agreements.
- Proactive, hands-on leadership style with a strong sense of urgency, follow-through, and ability to resolve problems and remove roadblocks.
- Strong coaching, communication, and leadership abilities, including experience developing less-experienced team members and establishing disciplined operating practices.
- ERP/MRP experience required; experience with M1 is highly desirable.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook.
- CPIM, CSCP, CPSM, or a related supply chain or procurement certification is a plus.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical requirements described below represent those necessary to perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, kneel, and crouch for extended periods.
- Ability to lift, gather, or distribute materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
- Regular exposure to moderate-to-high noise levels, fumes, airborne particles, and moving or rigid mechanical components within a manufacturing environment.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Professional Search Group and its client value diversity of culture, background, experience, and thought. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.