Supply Chain Managers
Direct or coordinate production, purchasing, warehousing, distribution, or financial forecasting services or activities to limit costs and improve accuracy, customer service, or safety. Examine existing procedures or opportunities for streamlining activities to meet product distribution needs. Direct the movement, storage, or processing of inventory.
Also known as: Auto Parts Manager (Automotive Parts Manager), Demand Planning Manager, Global Supply Chain Director, Global Supply Chain Manager, Inventory Control Supervisor, Inventory Manager, Inventory Supervisor, Logistics Supervisor, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
- Diagram supply chain models to help facilitate discussions with customers.
- Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
- Meet with suppliers to discuss performance metrics, to provide performance feedback, or to discuss production forecasts or changes.
- Document physical supply chain processes, such as workflows, cycle times, position responsibilities, or system flows.
- Develop or implement procedures or systems to evaluate or select suppliers.
- Design or implement plant warehousing strategies for production materials or finished products.
- Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
- Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
- Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
- Analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success.
- Participate in the coordination of engineering changes, product line extensions, or new product launches to ensure orderly and timely transitions in material or production flow.
- Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
- Design or implement supply chains that support business strategies adapted to changing market conditions, new business opportunities, or cost reduction strategies.
- Design or implement supply chains that support environmental policies.
- Design, implement, or oversee product take back or reverse logistics programs to ensure products are recycled, reused, or responsibly disposed.
- Evaluate and select information or other technology solutions to improve tracking and reporting of materials or products distribution, storage, or inventory.
- Identify opportunities to reuse or recycle materials to minimize consumption of new materials, minimize waste, or to convert wastes to by-products.
- Review or update supply chain practices in accordance with new or changing environmental policies, standards, regulations, or laws.
- Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
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In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
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Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
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Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.