The primary role of a Supply Chain Specialist is to add value to Swagelok Northern California’s supply chain through cost savings initiatives, supplier relationship management, supplier selection and development, risk mitigation, and planning and forecasting. The Supply Chain Specialist is responsible for ensuring that material is available at the right time to meet internal and external customer requirements.
Key to this role is ensuring quality material and/or parts are procured so they are available on-time and at the right cost to support Sales and Production needs that meet our customer’s requirements.
The Supply Chain Specialist is primarily responsible for sourcing products from assigned suppliers/commodities, tracking/managing supplier metrics, and maintaining the Approved Supplier List (ASL) and Supplier/Item Master system data.
Key Responsibilities
Supplier Relationship & Performance Management
- Manage assigned suppliers and commodities to achieve service, quality, cost, and delivery objectives.
- Develop and execute supplier improvement plans and recovery actions when performance gaps exist.
- Regularly track, evaluate, and report supplier quality and performance benchmarks and risks associated with the preferred supply base selection (On-Time Delivery, Lead Times, Capacity, etc.).
- Support supplier qualification, onboarding, and Approved Supplier List maintenance.
Strategic Sourcing & Cost Management
- Obtain quotes and evaluate supplier proposals.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, and commercial terms with suppliers.
- Identify and implement cost reduction opportunities.
- Support supplier selection decisions based on quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and risk.
Planning & Inventory Management
- Analyze MRP signals, forecasts, and production schedules or authorized purchase requests, as required.
- Plan and manage purchase orders.
- Minimize material shortages, excess inventory, and obsolescence.
Supply Risk & Business Continuity
- Ensure the timely resolution, communication, and mitigation of PO issues, invoice discrepancies, returns, quality problems, etc.
- Assess, prioritize, and mitigate supply chain risks affecting business continuity.
- Recommend alternate sources and recovery strategies based on cost, quality, delivery, and risk considerations.
Continuous Improvement & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Finance, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Sales.
- Lead supply chain improvement and Lean initiatives that improve supplier performance, inventory effectiveness, and operational efficiency.
- Encourage and coordinate early supplier involvement in highly technical and/or complex new product part designs using the suppliers’ expertise to optimize quality and manufacturability.
Skills, Competencies, Education, & Work Experience
Skills & Competencies
- Supply Chain Planning & Inventory Management. Utilizes MRP, forecasting, inventory analysis, and demand planning principles to ensure material availability while minimizing excess inventory and obsolescence.
- Supplier Relationship Management. Develops productive supplier relationships that improve supplier performance, responsiveness, collaboration, and long-term business outcomes.
- Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation. Evaluates sourcing options, negotiates pricing and commercial terms, and identifies opportunities to improve cost, quality, and service performance.
- Data Analysis & Decision Making. Analyzes supplier, inventory, and operational data to identify trends, assess risk, and support data-driven decision making.
- Risk Management & Problem Solving. Identifies supply chain risks and develops mitigation strategies while applying structured problem-solving techniques to resolve supplier and operational issues.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration. Works effectively with Sales, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to align supply chain activities with organizational objectives.
- Effective Verbal & Written Communication. Communicates supplier expectations, business requirements, performance concerns, and project updates clearly and professionally.
- Continuous Improvement. Identifies opportunities to improve supply chain processes, reduce waste, improve service levels, and enhance operational effectiveness through continuous improvement methodologies.
- Systems & Technology Proficiency. Proficient in ERP/MRP systems, Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and supply chain technologies used to support planning, purchasing, and supplier management.
Education & Work Experience
Required:
Required:
- Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university and 4+ years related experience in distribution or manufacturing; or equivalent combination of education and experience
Preferred:
- ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), ASCM Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), or ASCM Supply Chain Procurement Certificate, or equivalent
- Six Sigma Green Belt, or equivalent
Benefits
- 100% covered employee Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
- Up to 80% dependent coverage for Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- 401k Plan & Company Matching up to 4%
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Competitive Pay
- Generous PTO
- Paid Holidays
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Gym Membership Reimbursement up to $50/month
- Professional Coaching