To become a supply chain project manager, you should fulfill many requirements. Therefore, this article will guide you about supply chain project manager, responsibilities, educational qualifications, skills, and salaries.
Table of Contents
Who is the supply chain project manager
The supply chain project manager plays a crucial role during the project life cycle and provides strategic support for process development effectively and efficiently. Typically, they work with the local and global IT, finance, manufacturing, and supply chain teams. So, they need to be able to see the big picture of the project and understand all the aspects of the supply chain.
Furthermore, supply chain project managers should have a unique and necessary set of skills that makes them well-suited for this role. Moreover, that will help them handle multiple projects at once. However, it can be a big challenge if they spread across different industries or geographies.
Supply chain project managers work closely with their cross-functional teams to ensure project completion, timeline, and scope requirements. Furthermore, they should communicate regularly with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a successful execution program. So, they perform a vital role in the business world because they play unique job roles instead of others.
What does a supply chain project manager do in a project?
Supply chain project managers closely work with the project’s manufacturing operations and raw material procurements. According to that, you should develop plans for purchasing goods and monitor tasks effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, you should keep an eye on the improvement of new technologies for inventory management.
Typically, you should negotiate with wholesalers and suppliers to ensure they get the best quality materials for their projects at a fair price. Furthermore, you need to ensure you receive the right amount of project materials you order and examine the quality of the items to determine whether they meet company requirements and standards. Read More: What is supply chain project management
Supply chain project manager | Responsibilities
To become a supply chain project manager, you need experience in inventory, manufacturing, and operations management. Here are some common responsibilities of the supply chain project manager.
- Defining, planning, and coordinating project work with teams, including the activities of cross-functional teams, and ensuring project schedules are met
- Review project meetings to highlight essential updates and evaluate risks and risk mitigation plans while providing project progress to the key stakeholders.
- Communicating with the team members and groups for reprioritizing as necessary to identify changes in the project or business
- Creating and updating department budgets, including equipment costs, materials costs, labor costs, and other relevant expenses
- Reviewing and approving supplier proposals and contracts to ensure they meet company standards and requirements
- Effectively manage the flow of project materials through the supply chain by coordinating with shipping companies, warehouses, and other relevant parties involved in the process.
- Ensuring all supplier safety regulations and best practices to protect company employees and the environment
- Tracking inventory process and sourcing additional suppliers as needed for the project
- Maintaining good relationships with suppliers and addressing potential new suppliers based on price, quality, and other factors of the materials
- Determining and overseeing whether suppliers can meet project deadlines, requirements, and standards of the quality of their products or services
- Working with project teams to address, prioritize and oversee projects or activities and develop project baselines
- Ensuring the project time and resources align with business requirements and objectives
- Build and maintain effective relationships with necessary team members, stakeholders, business customers, and consultants.
- Implementing and overseeing supply chain strategies that meet company objectives and goals while optimizing risks and costs of the project or business
- Preparing essential project reports for senior management, including resource utilization, budget, and project status
- Work as a subject matter expert on supply chain management best practices and processes
Supply chain project manager | Skills
Supply chain project managers should have the following skills to perform their duties successfully.
- Communication skills
You should have strong communication skills with the team members, stakeholders, suppliers, and relevant parties. These skills will help them improve and manage the supply chain process effectively and efficiently.
- Leadership skills
As a manager, you should be responsible for ensuring its success without any delay. To ensure success, you have good leadership skills to motivate and show the right path for your team to meet project goals.
- Strong organizational skills
As a supply chain project manager, these skills are vital for managing a supply chain project effectively and efficiently. According to that, you must be able to plan projects, coordinate tasks, prioritize demands, and identify issues as they arise.
- Technical knowledge
Having good technical knowledge is another essential skill you must have. Therefore, you must be able to handle relevant software, programs, and systems.
- Problem-solving
Problem-solving skills are essential for tracking challenges that arise during a supply chain project. Furthermore, this approach will help you think outside the box to find creative and practical solutions that meet project goals within budget, timeline, and scope.
Furthermore, you will need the following skills to become a supply chain project manager.
- Change management tool
- Software development life cycle and process design
- Supply chain and product development best practices
- MS Office package
- G Suite
- Manufacturing production processes
Supply chain project manager | Essential qualifications
To become a supply chain project manager, you will need to have the following qualifications,
Educational qualifications
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, logistics, or a relevant field
- Master’s degree in business administration (MBA)
Keep this in mind! Educational qualification requirements are different from company to company. Therefore, many recruiters prefer candidates who have a background in engineering, business, or science.
Moreover, recruiters prefer candidates who have courses such as business, finance, economics, accounting, and computer science because these are useful for supply chain project managers.
Training and experience
- Supply chain project managers typically receive a job training period of 6 months to 1 year. This training period may include learning the organization’s policies, procedures, technology, and software.
- 2-4 years experience in a project management or supply chain related field
However, this training and experience may be different from company to company.
Certificates and licenses
Supply chain project managers do not need certificates or licenses to gain employment, but it will be an added advantage for you. Therefore, many professional organizations offer certificate courses for supply chain managers. That will help them pursue their careers and earn a high salary. Here are some professional certificates to enhance your value in the job field.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate
- Supply chain certificates such as CPIM, CSCP, CAPM, CCPM, PPM or PMI
Supply chain project manager | salary
Supply chain project managers’ salaries may depend on their level of education and experience.
According to the salary.com,
- The average global Supply Chain Project Manager salary in the United States – $118,396
- Typically, the salary range falls between $104,296 and $137,622
Conclusion
Supply chain project managers play a vital role in the business world. To become a successful supply chain project, you should fulfill the necessary educational qualifications, skills, and relevant experience. However, these requirements may vary from company to company. Further, your salary range will depend on your qualifications and more.
