Supply Chain Recruitment

What Are Supply Chain Jobs?

Supply chain jobs involve the transfer of goods and materials from manufacturers and suppliers through to retail outlets and ultimately customers. This branch of the retail sector is also known as logistics or distribution.

As a supply chain manager, you would be responsible for planning and organising the entire process. Supply chain job opportunities also exist lower down the ladder, from clerk to supervisor level.

As well as retail companies, you could work in the supply chain for a variety of organisations, for example a logistics contractor specialising in shipping goods on behalf of other companies.

Typical Tasks for Supply Chain Jobs include:

• Planning delivery timetables,
• Monitoring stock levels using computer databases,
• Tracking the movement of goods through depots,
• Overseeing the ordering and packaging process ready for dispatch and the arrival of shipments.
• Monitor performance and make sure targets are met, and
• Look at ways to improve the supply network.
• You would also be responsible for managing clerical, administrative and warehouse distribution staff, and
• Deal with staff recruitment and training.

Skills and Personal Qualities required in Supply Chain Jobs:

• Good planning skills
• The ability to motivate and lead a team
• Good spoken and written communication skills
• Good problem-solving and numeracy skills
• Attention to detail
• Confidence in using computer packages, such as spreadsheets and databases
• The ability to work under pressure to deadlines
• Good geographical knowledge
• Speaking a European language might also be very useful.

Qualifications

At Supply Chain management level, your main direct route is a foundation degree or BTEC HNC/HND. A specific degree in logistics, international transport, supply chain management, transport management and geography would be the optimum choices.

As you'd expect, entry qualification requirements below management level are less stringent. It's also possible to start as a transport clerk, for example, and work your way up to supervisor and then manager.

Career Path

Supply Chain jobs can be entered through a company’s graduate training programme in Supply Chain Management, the most relevant foundation degrees are in logistics, transport management, geography, international transport and supply chain management itself. Other ways of progressing include working your way up from an entry level role, such as a transport clerk and gaining more on the job responsibility through supervisory roles. There are also further qualifications that can be studied in Distribution, Warehousing and Storage Operations to NVQ level 3 and Integrated Logistics Support to level 4.

To progress towards becoming a supply chain manager through a company’s graduate recruitment program can take anything between a few months and a couple of years. Obviously, the higher your qualifications, the quicker you’ll advance in to a more advanced supply chain job.

Salary

Starting salaries for Supply Chain jobs tend to be from £18,000 to £22,000 per year. With experience this rises to between £25,000 and £35,000 per year.

Senior Supply Chain Managers can earn up anything from £50,000 to £85,000.

For more information contact us freephone 0800 9553108 oremail recruitment@corkgrfifiths.co.uk