Supply Chain Specialist – Strategic Projects (SBT) v Brno – Královo Pole, Česko

Purpose of the Role

The Supply Chain Specialist – Strategic Projects is responsible for leading and coordinating supply chain activities within strategic dual sourcing and supplier transfer projects.

The role ensures successful implementation of new or alternative supply sources while maintaining material availability, customer commitments and business continuity. It provides end-to-end coordination across Purchasing, Planning, Inventory Management, Warehouse and Logistics and ensures that all required supply chain processes, systems, parameters and material flows are ready for implementation.

A key part of the role is to drive change across functions, establish sustainable end-to-end processes and ensure successful transition from project implementation into standard operations.

Key responsibilities

Dual Sourcing & Supplier Transfer Projects

• Lead and coordinate Supply Chain workstreams within dual sourcing, supplier transfer and supplier change projects.
• Develop and execute supply chain implementation plans for onboarding new or alternative suppliers.
• Coordinate supply chain readiness across Purchasing, Planning, Inventory Management, Warehouse, Logistics and other relevant functions.
• Define project milestones, dependencies, risks and actions and ensure timely execution of supply chain deliverables.
• Proactively identify supply continuity risks and develop appropriate mitigation and contingency plans.
• Ensure material availability and minimize disruption to customer deliveries throughout supplier transitions.
• Coordinate the transition from existing to new supply sources, including phase-in/phase-out planning and management of remaining inventory.
• Support ramp-up and stabilization of new suppliers and ensure effective handover into standard operations.

End-to-End Supply Chain Process Design

• Design and implement end-to-end supply chain processes required for new or changed supply sources.
• Assess the impact of supplier changes across the entire material flow, from supplier ordering and planning parameters through transportation, goods receipt, warehousing and inventory management to production availability.
• Ensure clear process ownership, responsibilities, interfaces and escalation paths across functions.
• Align Purchasing, Planning, Warehouse, Logistics, Quality, Engineering and other stakeholders to ensure an effective and sustainable material flow.
• Define and implement appropriate planning parameters, inventory strategies, ordering processes and logistics concepts for new suppliers.
• Ensure warehouse readiness, including material receiving, handling, storage and relevant master data requirements.
• Drive process standardization, simplification and scalability using PPI principles.

Change Management & Implementation

• Drive change management activities associated with new suppliers, sourcing models and changed supply chain processes.
• Assess the impact of proposed changes on processes, systems, data, roles and ways of working.
• Develop and coordinate implementation plans together with affected functions.
• Ensure effective communication, stakeholder engagement, training and knowledge transfer.
• Monitor implementation and adoption of new processes and address gaps to ensure sustainable change.
• Ensure that project solutions are fully embedded into standard operations rather than remaining dependent on temporary project activities.

Cross-functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a key Supply Chain interface within assigned dual sourcing and supplier transfer projects.
• Collaborate closely with Purchasing, Strategic Sourcing, Planning, Quality, Engineering, Operations, Warehouse, Logistics, Finance and other relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate cross-functional decision-making and alignment on priorities, timelines and responsibilities.
• Coordinate resolution of issues and escalate business-critical risks where appropriate.
• Challenge functional solutions where necessary to ensure the best end-to-end outcome for the business.
• Communicate project status, risks, dependencies and required decisions to project and functional management.

Supply Chain Risk, Inventory & Performance

• Assess supply chain risks associated with supplier changes, including lead time, capacity, logistics, inventory and supply continuity.
• Develop inventory and transition strategies that balance supply continuity, customer service and working capital.
• Monitor supplier and supply chain performance during implementation and stabilization.
• Define and track relevant project KPIs and readiness criteria.
• Identify opportunities to improve lead times, inventory levels, logistics costs and overall supply chain efficiency.
• Capture lessons learned and standardize successful approaches for future supplier transfer and dual sourcing projects.

Continuous Improvement, Systems & Data

• Drive continuous improvement activities in line with the PPI (Practical Process Improvement) Business System.
• Ensure required supplier, material, planning and logistics master data are correctly established in ERP and other operational systems.
• Ensure data accuracy and system readiness before implementation.
• Identify opportunities for process digitalization and automation.
• Ensure new and changed processes are properly documented and transferred into standard operational procedures.

Compliance

• Ensure project activities comply with applicable IMS, regulatory, quality, safety, environmental and Trade Compliance requirements.
• Support audit readiness and ensure appropriate project and process documentation.
• Ensure supplier and material changes are implemented in accordance with internal procedures and governance requirements.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Proven experience in Supply Chain, Purchasing, Planning, Logistics or related operations within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience participating in or leading cross-functional dual sourcing, supplier transfer, supplier onboarding or supplier change projects.
• Experience designing, implementing or improving end-to-end supply chain and logistics processes.
• Practical experience with change management and implementation of new processes or ways of working.
• Good understanding of Purchasing, Planning, Inventory Management, Warehousing and Logistics and their end-to-end dependencies.
• Experience with ERP systems and good knowledge of MS Office applications.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong project management and coordination skills.
• End-to-end Supply Chain mindset with the ability to understand the impact of decisions across functional boundaries.
• Ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
• Ability to identify risks, understand business impact and drive appropriate mitigation actions.
• Ability to translate project and business requirements into practical supply chain processes.
• Strong stakeholder management, facilitation and communication skills.
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience in PPI, Lean or similar methodologies.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Ability to work effectively in an international and matrix organization.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive, independent and results-oriented.
• Strong ownership and accountability for project outcomes.
• Customer and business-oriented mindset.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, complexity and changing priorities.
• Able to influence and drive change without formal authority.
• Capable of combining strategic and end-to-end thinking with hands-on execution.
• Collaborative, pragmatic and solution-oriented.
• Resilient and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment.
• Commitment to 4i Values – Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement.