Senior Supply Development Manager (m/f/d)

Senior Supplier Development Manager

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Client: Leading Defense & Aerospace Organization in Saudi Arabia

Contract Duration: 12 months (with potential for permanent placement)

As a Senior Supplier Development Manager within the leading defense and aerospace organization in Saudi Arabia, you will provide strategic leadership and direction in ensuring the quality and readiness of our supply base for multiple New Product Development (NPD) programs. You will champion the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process with suppliers, internal manufacturing plants, and engineering teams to achieve on-time Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) submission and approval, meeting stringent quality targets. Your responsibilities will encompass all facets of supplier readiness, including ensuring 100% on-time PPAP, robust capacity studies, and successful Run at Rate assessments. In this role, you will also be responsible for leading and developing a team of Supply Chain Managers.

Responsibilities:

• Drive Supplier Performance Improvement: Implement Six Sigma quality tools and methodologies to continuously improve supplier performance in terms of quality, cycle time, and delivery reliability.
• Executive Stakeholder Engagement: Effectively engage and communicate with stakeholders at the C-level to align on supplier development strategies and objectives.
• Quality Expertise and Development: Coach, mentor, and develop supplier personnel and internal teams on quality methods and processes. This may include leading training sessions on relevant quality standards and tools.
• Documentation and Compliance: Plan and implement programs for the creation, retention, formatting, and distribution of critical documentation, ensuring adherence to all regulatory (e.g., ISO) and quality requirements.
• Supplier Performance Management: Establish and maintain key supplier performance metrics (covering cost, delivery, service, quality, innovation, and social responsibility) in collaboration with the sourcing team.
• Tiered Supplier Management Strategy: Collaborate closely with Commercial, Supply Chain, and Supplier partners to plan, coordinate, and deliver multiple workstreams that establish the foundational elements of a tiered supplier management strategy. This includes, but is not limited to, documented and agreed-upon contracts, freight terms, Incoterms, lead times, service level agreements, performance metrics and reviews, electronic trading interfaces and transaction flows, Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), and delivery quality standards.
• KPI Leadership and Data-Driven Improvement: Provide leadership in defining the structure of key process indicators (KPIs) and ensure the effective utilization of measurement data and results to drive alignment and achieve tangible improvements across a multi-site organization.
• Cross-Functional Improvement Projects: Lead and manage improvement projects across the organization to harmonize business processes, establish common processes for customers, enhance Quality Management System (QMS) efficiency, and ensure consistent, predictable results for customers.
• Team Leadership and Development: Build, lead, and develop a team of Supply Chain Managers, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance management to ensure the team's success in achieving supplier development objectives.
• Operational Planning and Roadmaps: Establish plans of record and capability roadmaps, providing the product management team with clear direction on operational possibilities and constraints.
• Global Organization Development: Contribute to the build-out of a global supplier development organization with centralized controls, capability development initiatives, and robust oversight mechanisms.
  
  

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Supply Chain, with a strong emphasis on supplier development and quality management within a manufacturing environment. This experience should include demonstrable success in implementing APQP, managing PPAP processes, conducting capacity assessments, and driving supplier performance improvement initiatives. Experience within the aerospace or defense industry is highly desirable.
• Significant experience in managing and developing teams, including Supply Chain Managers. This includes setting strategic direction for the team, delegating effectively, fostering collaboration, and driving professional growth.
  
  

Senior Supply Development Manager in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia