Director Supply Chain & S&OP EMEA

Client:

Our client is a long-established international company with more than 120 years of history, recognized for its engineering expertise, technical innovation and long-term commitment to its customers.

With approximately 4,000 employees and 11 manufacturing facilities across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa and other key international markets, the company operates a truly global industrial footprint and serves customers across multiple demanding industry sectors.

The business specializes in the design and manufacturing of machinery and technical equipment, combining strong engineering capabilities with a highly customer-oriented approach. Its products are used across a broad range of industrial applications, requiring high standards of quality, reliability and operational performance.

As the company continues to evolve its international operations, it is strengthening its EMEA Supply Chain organization and introducing a more coordinated approach to planning, production and customer fulfilment.

The position of Director Supply Chain & S&OP EMEA will play a central role in connecting regional business needs with global supply chain priorities and establishing a more mature and consistent planning organization across the region.

Role purpose:

We are looking for an experienced Director Supply Chain & S&OP EMEA to take ownership of the regional supply chain agenda and further develop the company's Sales & Operations Planning capabilities across EMEA.

The role will be responsible for creating greater alignment between sales demand, manufacturing capacity, material availability and customer requirements, enabling the business to make faster and better-informed decisions.

The successful candidate will work across functions and countries, partnering closely with Operations, Sales, Procurement, Finance and Manufacturing leadership.

This is a highly visible leadership role for an individual who enjoys working in a complex international environment, combining strategic thinking with a pragmatic and hands-on approach to improving supply chain performance.

The position will have a strong focus on S&OP maturity, planning excellence, supply chain visibility, inventory management and cross-functional decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

S&OP & Business Planning

• Own and further develop the EMEA S&OP process, ensuring a structured monthly planning cycle across the region.
• Bring together commercial demand, manufacturing capacity, supply constraints and financial objectives into one integrated business view.
• Improve the quality of demand forecasts, capacity planning and supply scenarios to support business decisions.
• Establish clear escalation mechanisms for capacity gaps, supply risks and demand changes.
• Drive greater alignment between commercial and operational teams through fact-based planning.

Regional Supply Chain Management

• Take overall responsibility for the performance and development of the EMEA supply chain organization.
• Identify opportunities to improve service levels, lead times, inventory efficiency and supply reliability.
• Establish common standards and processes across manufacturing locations while respecting local operational requirements.
• Review the regional supply chain footprint and identify opportunities for capacity balancing and network optimization.
• Support strategic decisions regarding production allocation, sourcing and external supply.

Demand, Inventory & Capacity

• Develop a stronger understanding of customer demand patterns and market requirements across EMEA.
• Drive initiatives aimed at improving inventory turns and working capital without compromising customer service.
• Coordinate medium- and long-term capacity planning across relevant manufacturing sites.
• Anticipate potential bottlenecks and develop mitigation plans together with local operations teams.
• Improve supply chain responsiveness to changing market conditions.

Operational Improvement

• Lead selected regional supply chain improvement projects with measurable business impact.
• Identify process inefficiencies and introduce more standardized ways of working across countries.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and fact-based decision-making.
• Work with manufacturing and procurement teams to improve material flow and overall supply reliability.
• Support the introduction of best practices across the EMEA organization.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead and develop a multinational Supply Chain and S&OP organization across EMEA.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Operations, Sales, Finance, Procurement and Manufacturing.
• Act as a key advisor to regional leadership on supply chain risks, opportunities and trade-offs.
• Facilitate decision-making between functions and countries where priorities may conflict.
• Develop supply chain capabilities and strengthen the organization's planning mindset.

Data, Systems & Performance

• Further develop supply chain KPIs and management reporting across the EMEA region.
• Ensure that leadership has clear visibility of key indicators including forecast accuracy, inventory, service level, capacity utilization and supply performance.
• Work closely with IT and business teams on the development and adoption of ERP, planning and supply chain analytics tools.
• Increase the use of data and scenario analysis in operational and strategic decision-making.

Requirements:

Experience & Background

• Significant senior-level experience in Supply Chain, S&OP, Planning or Operations within an international industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing supply chain activities across multiple countries, sites or business units.
• Strong practical knowledge of S&OP / IBP, demand planning, supply planning and capacity management.
• Experience working closely with manufacturing, sales, procurement and finance functions.
• Demonstrated ability to improve planning processes, inventory performance and supply chain reliability.
• Experience leading cross-functional and international improvement initiatives.
• Good understanding of ERP and supply chain planning systems.
• Previous experience in a matrix organization or global industrial group is highly desirable.
• Experience with machinery, engineered products or other complex manufacturing environments would be an advantage.

Capabilities & Leadership Style

• Strong business-oriented supply chain leader who understands the connection between operations and commercial performance.
• Able to move between strategic topics and operational details when required.
• Excellent ability to create structure in complex and international environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach.
• Confident communicator able to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong facilitator who can bring different functions and countries towards a common decision.
• Pragmatic, resilient and solution-oriented personality.
• Comfortable working in an environment undergoing organizational and process development.
• High level of ownership, credibility and accountability.

Languages

• Fluent English is mandatory.
• EU citizenship or equivalent no restrictions employment is required

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package with performance-related bonus.
• Opportunity to join a well-established international industrial company with more than 120 years of history.
• High-impact position with significant influence over the EMEA Supply Chain and S&OP agenda.
• Opportunity to work across multiple countries and manufacturing locations.
• Hybrid working model with flexibility depending on location and business needs.
• Opportunity to lead and implement meaningful supply chain improvements across EMEA.
• Long-term career opportunities within a stable and internationally growing organization.