Imagine working at the forefront of innovation in fluid-flow technology, with over 1,400 colleagues across the globe, and contributing to a legacy of excellence that spans eight manufacturing facilities on four continents. Armstrong Fluid Technology is more than just a leader in our industry; we are a community of the brightest and most creative minds, driven by a shared mission to engineer the future and safeguard our planet.
As part of our team, you'll be immersed in an environment that fosters growth, creativity, and collaboration. Here, you'll have the opportunity to push boundaries, tackle exciting challenges, and develop cutting-edge solutions that promote energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Every day offers the chance to make a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable future, driving innovations that help lower global carbon footprints. Together, we’re creating a legacy that goes beyond business—one that’s changing the world for the better.
In this role, the Supply Chain Manager manages the supply chain team—driving procurement execution, material planning, and supplier performance to ensure on-time delivery, inventory optimization, and system efficiency, while developing people capabilities that support Armstrong’s operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
Key Accountabilities
Strategic & Analytical Thinking
- Forecasting demand and planning capacity while balancing cost, speed, and risk
- Making data-driven decisions using KPIs (inventory turnover, fill rate, lead time, OTIF)
- Seeing the end-to-end flow — not just their own link in the chain
- Adjusting to market shifts, tariffs, or supply shocks
- Driving continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma mindset)Financial Acumen
- Understanding cost structures — procurement, warehousing, transportation, inventory carrying costs
- Making trade-off decisions that protect margins without hurting service levels
Ensure On-Time Delivery (OTD) and Procurement Execution
- Drive on-time delivery (OTD) as a top-level KPI, aiming for high performance across all suppliers and value streams.
- Oversee timely procurement by ensuring buyers act on purchase requisitions promptly and in correct quantities & Focus on LT on deliveries
- Conduct daily shortage and backlog reviews with planners and buyers to ensure a continuous flow of production orders.
- Lead a daily cadence meeting with the entire buyer-planner team to review order releases, past dues (quantity and dollar value), and commodity-specific challenges.
- Monitor and support adherence to consignment agreements for critical parts such as castings and impellers sourced through partners like the Regional Supply Chain team.
Lead Material Planning and Inventory Optimization
- Review Material Requirement Planning (MRP) signals regularly and coordinate material fulfillment by collaborating with suppliers and aggregating demand when feasible.
- Coordinate closely with global demand planners to align inventory and safety stock levels with forecasts.
- Optimize safety stock strategies, drive inventory turnover improvements, and enforce just-in-time (JIT) principles across Armstrong facilities and supplier sites.
- Lead efforts to improve forecasting precision and production order releases with internal planners, ensuring readiness aligned with capacity and customer expectations.
- Have CFT approach on new product launches and enhance material procurement plans accordingly.
Monitor and Improve Supply Chain Performance
- Develop and sustain delivery performance tracking systems using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) methodology to drive continuous improvement.
- Track and analyze key supply chain metrics such as lead times, order handling cycle times, and fill rates to enhance operational performance.
- Collaborate with customer service and sales teams to improve lead times and streamline the quote-to-fulfill cycle.
- Monitor global trends, disruptions, and risks to adapt supply chain strategies using tools like dual sourcing, supplier localization, and logistics optimization.
Strengthen Supplier Management and Accountability
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships through regular performance reviews, scorecards, and compliance checks.
- Conduct supplier audits and implement continuous improvement initiatives based on audit findings and operational KPIs.
- Collaborate with sourcing and supplier teams to proactively assess capacity constraints and implement delivery assurance strategies.
- Structure and assign supplier ownership clearly among buyers and planners by value streams, reducing overlap and improving accountability.
- Enforce ISO-compliant procedures for purchasing and planning functions to maintain quality and process integrity.
Lead and Develop Buyer-Planner Teams
- Supervise a team of buyer/planners categorized by product families and value streams.
- Clarify ownership of supplier portfolios by aligning responsibilities to specific value streams, reducing overlap and improving accountability.
- Drive transformation initiatives to realign team structure for better performance tracking and supplier relationship management.
- Conduct coaching, training, and performance reviews to build capability in ERP tools and supply chain analytics.
- Provide mentorship and day-to-day guidance to buyer-planners to improve performance and ownership.
Implement and Optimize Supply Chain Systems
- Lead the implementation of Kinaxis for advanced planning capabilities, guiding cross-functional teams through integration and change management.
- Monitor and correct LN ERP workflows and master data issues to ensure planning and execution systems are synchronized.
- Automate routine supply chain tasks and enhance system capabilities to improve forecast accuracy, planning responsiveness, and operational agility.
- Ensure that all systems are aligned to support dynamic planning requirements and real-time visibility into supply performance.
Integrate Supply Chain in New Products, Projects, and Regions
- Collaborate with engineering, sales, and program teams to support new product introductions (NPIs), phase-outs, and engineering change orders.
- Lead supply chain integration for new regional markets and strategic projects, ensuring timely sourcing, logistics setup, and compliance alignment.
- Participate in SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning) processes with commercial teams to align inventory and demand.
- Streamline and optimize the New Change Process (NCP) to improve supply chain responsiveness to product lifecycle changes.
People Management
- Coaching and motivating warehouse, procurement, and logistics staff
- Delegating effectively across multiple sites or shifts
- Conflict resolution between departments (e.g., sales wants more stock, finance wants less)
- Building long-term supplier partnerships, not just transactional deals
- Managing multiple stakeholders — internal teams, 3PLs, customers, regulators
Problem-Solving Under Pressure
- Handling disruptions (supplier delays, demand spikes, logistics failures) quickly and calmly
- Root-cause analysis rather than just firefighting
- Building contingency plans and backup supplier networks
Communication & Negotiation
- Negotiating pricing, terms, and SLAs with vendors and suppliers
- Translating operational issues into business language for senior leadership
- Aligning sales, procurement, warehousing, and finance teams who often have conflicting priorities
What We’re Looking For
To thrive in this role, you should bring:
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree Mechanical/Electrical/industrial engineering or Masters in business administration, supply chain management, operations management shall be an additional advantage.
- 10-15 years of demonstrated experience in supply chain, procurement and logistics functions in a configured manufacturing environment.
- Preferred to have the following:
- APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
- Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
- Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) – from ISM
- Prior experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, ideally LN or similar such as SAP, CMS etc.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, with advanced data organization and analytics capabilities in Excel and Power BI.
- Exposure to supply chain planning platform like Kinaxis.
Technical Skills
- Excellent understanding of materials planning and inventory management principles.
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and experience in implementing process improvement initiatives.
- Knowledge of cost reduction and supply optimization initiatives.
- Knowledge of Lean or Six Sigma methodologies is considered an asset
- Knowledge of commodity costing & rich supplier Base locally/globally.
- Good understanding on Manufacturing processes.
Soft Skills
- Demonstrated success in leadership experience managing teams or cross-functional projects
- Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis.
- Capability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, suppliers and team members.
Why Armstrong Fluid Technology?
By joining us, you’ll become part of a global community dedicated to pushing the boundaries of fluid-flow technology while upholding Armstrong's commitment to sustainability. You’ll have endless opportunities to learn, grow, and make a significant impact on the world. Together, we'll build tomorrow’s solutions today.