Customer Supply Manager jobs
Maintaining a supply of stock is vital in retail and manufacturing. With retail, a lack of stock can result in empty shelves or inability to monopolise on promotions. In manufacturing, failure to supply vital components can bring a production line to a halt, with potentially disastrous results for supplier and manufacturer alike.
The customer supply manager’s job will be at the bare minimum to ensure that such events never happen. But it will also be about much more. It will be to ensure regular and timely delivery to meet the customer’s needs, communicate with the customer regularly to be updated on shifting needs which can either be predictable (e.g. seasonal demand or national festivals) or in reasonably short timeframes (e.g. something sparked by unseasonable weather or product recall replenishments). It will also to ensure that efficiency is built into the whole process.
Modern supply management can involve a good deal of automated ordering via direct-channel communication between sales departments, stock rooms and supplier. It is still essential to keep on top of the supply needs and manage forecasts and fine-tuning however, and since this might form only a part of the supply effort, there could be a good deal of juggling between this and the traditional means of identifying supply needs.
The skills required
With regular contact with customers an essential part of the job, the customer supply manager will need to possess first rate communication skills over any channel or face to face. Errors in ordering that are down to bad communication or overly complex instructions will not be tolerated in almost any supplier/customer relationship.
Since you might have a good deal of autonomy in the role, you’ll need to demonstrate an ability to make actionable decisions and see them through to fulfilment without constant reference to senior management. In high volume customer supply, such as in supermarkets, the supplied goods could be diverse and numerous, so you’ll need to be on top of all their stats from an early stage.
You’ll also need to be completely at ease using software solutions that are relevant to the type of supply you’ll be engaged with. A good all-round ability to pick up and master novel IT solutions will stand you in good stead, as many suppliers will have their own systems in operation.
Customer Supply Manager Jobs in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is one of several industrial powerhouses that served England’s North Sea coast during the Industrial Revolution and the age of empire, along with Hull, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland, Hartlepool and Grimsby. It is a town of over 140,000 population which has had to perform a degree of reinvention in the post-war period as the docks fell into disuse, but the chemical plant at nearby Wilton and the steelworks continue to be strong employers to this day.
To the west of the city is Stockton-on-Tees, which was one end of the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first public railway in the world. The railway had a massive effect on Middlesbrough’s economy when it was opened in 1825. The city is still well connected, with good road and rail links and Teesside Airport serving domestic and short-haul needs. With this rich mix of industries and a large population to cater for, Customer Supply Manager vacancies often emerge in Middlesbrough.
The city has a long list of notable people who hail from its street or its nearby area. A few famous names include football legends Brian Clough and Don Revie, rugby union star Rory Underwood, conjuror Paul Daniels, comedian Bob Mortimer (of Vic and Bob fame), guitarist Chris Rea and Corrie actors Thelma “Mavis Riley” Barlow and Chris “Brian Tilsley” Quinten, to name but a few. There must be something in the water!
Popular locations
Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
Cast UK’s founder members and consultants all come from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively. Cast UK is growing in this part of the UK recruitment industry, mainly because these are the only sectors we deal with, which means that many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’re tightly focused on delivering the best people to them.
People approach us for many reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating with the family, so it’s good to know that we always have the complete range of positions available nationwide.
Please see what’s available in your region and if you’ve seen something you’re interested in, do get in touch – whether it’s today or tomorrow, we might have the ideal position for you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Customer Supply Manager for your business or find you a job as a Customer Supply Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
Contact us