| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Supply Chain |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Head of Supply Chain |
| Direct reports | Supply Chain Manager, Distribution Manager, Materials Manager |
| Experience | 12+ years in supply chain, with several years leading operations |
General Manager Supply Chain job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: General Manager Supply Chain
Department: Supply Chain
Reports to: Head of Supply Chain
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A General Manager Supply Chain runs supply chain operations across a company's plants, warehouses and regions. They own service levels, cost and working capital for day-to-day operations, lead planning, procurement, warehousing and logistics managers, and turn the supply chain strategy into reliable execution. The role sits in senior operations leadership below the head or vice president. A good one delivers high service levels at controlled cost, keeps inventory and working capital healthy, runs a smooth end-to-end operation across sites, and builds strong managers who keep the network running.
Key responsibilities
- Run end-to-end supply chain operations across plants, warehouses and regions to plan.
- Own service levels, delivery performance and on-time-in-full for customers and plants.
- Lead planning, procurement, warehousing and logistics managers across the operation.
- Control supply chain operating cost and drive efficiency across the network.
- Manage inventory and working capital to keep them healthy and within targets.
- Drive the sales and operations planning process across demand and supply.
- Oversee warehousing, distribution and transport for reliability and cost.
- Monitor supply chain metrics and act on service, cost and inventory issues.
- Lead continuous improvement projects across the supply chain operation.
- Build, develop and retain a strong team of supply chain managers.
Requirements
- Engineering or commerce degree, with an MBA or supply chain qualification
- Long record in supply chain operations
- Experience leading multi-site supply chain teams
- 12+ years in supply chain, with several years leading operations
KRAs and KPIs for a General Manager Supply Chain
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Service level | On-time-in-full delivery meets the target across customers and plants |
| Cost control | Supply chain operating cost kept within budget and reduced towards target |
| Inventory health | Inventory and working capital kept within targets, with low aged stock |
| Planning accuracy | Supply plans meet demand with minimal stock-outs or excess |
| Continuous improvement | Deliver a set number of improvement projects with measured savings |
| Team capability | Managers developed and retained, delivering to their targets |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ERP such as SAP, Supply chain planning software, MS Excel, Warehouse management systems, Business intelligence dashboards.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Supply Chain, Vice President Supply Chain
Interview questions for a General Manager Supply Chain
- How would you improve on-time-in-full delivery across several warehouses?
- How do you reduce supply chain cost without hurting service levels?
- How do you keep inventory and working capital healthy across the network?
- How do you run an effective sales and operations planning process?
- A key plant is facing repeated stock-outs. How do you diagnose and fix it?
- How do you build and develop strong supply chain managers?
Managing a General Manager Supply Chain in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your supply chain team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a general manager supply chain do?
A general manager supply chain runs supply chain operations across a company's plants, warehouses and regions. They own service levels, cost and working capital for day-to-day operations, lead planning, procurement, warehousing and logistics managers, and turn strategy into reliable execution. They deliver high service at controlled cost across the whole network.
What is the difference between a GM and a head of supply chain?
A general manager supply chain focuses on running operations across sites reliably and efficiently. A head of supply chain leads the whole function, owning strategy, the sales and operations planning process and the operating model, usually with the GM reporting into them. The GM executes; the head sets direction and owns the function.
What qualifications do you need for a supply chain GM role?
Most supply chain general managers have an engineering or commerce degree with an MBA or a supply chain qualification, plus many years of operations experience. Deep knowledge of planning, logistics, inventory and cost, along with leadership of multi-site teams, is essential. A track record of delivering service and savings is what earns the role.