Supply Chain Manager

Supply Chain Manager | Bochum, Germany

Up to €90,000 per annum + ESOP

We have partnered with a deep-tech scale-up in Bochum who manufacture machinery for the semiconductor industry. The company is now moving from small-batch to volume manufacturing and supply chain strategy is central to making that transition work.

They are looking for a Strategic Supply Chain Manager who will focus on the handful of suppliers that matter most, rather than managing every order. You will build lasting partnerships with the top five or six, and put second sources in place where the business is exposed.

• Develop and roll out a scalable supply chain strategy for the move from small-batch to mass production
• Negotiate strategic partnerships with key suppliers of complex, technically demanding components (optics, precision mechanics, fluidics, controls and electronics)
• Identify and qualify alternative suppliers and second sources, and strengthen supply chain resilience
• Work with R&D and Production on make-or-buy decisions, and bring suppliers in early in development
• Improve cost, quality, inventory levels and delivery reliability
• Set up the spare parts and service supply for systems installed at customer sites
• Define KPIs and reporting, with some controlling responsibility alongside
• Ensure compliance with export control, customs, RoHS/REACH and supply chain due diligence requirements
• Report directly to senior management and work across engineering, production, quality and service

• Several years in strategic supply chain management, procurement or operations, ideally in high-tech or small-batch manufacturing
• A degree in industrial engineering (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), supply chain, business administration or similar. A strategic consulting background would also be of interest
• Strong analytical skills, with enough technical understanding to work as an equal with engineers
• A hands-on mindset: you build structure where there is none and pitch in day to day
• Fluent German and English, and willingness to travel for supplier visits

• Semiconductor equipment experience (SEMI standards, cleanroom requirements)
• Experience building supply chain structures in a scale-up

• A strategic role with direct access to senior management and real influence on how the company scales
• Up to €90,000 base salary, plus ESOP