The Ideal Supply Chain Job: Picking The One That’s Right For You!
You must be thinking about what could supply chain job can get you? The simple way to understand this question is that the supply chain is the best future-proof technology field with a solid strategy and higher job satisfaction than others. There are numerous job opportunities available for a supply chain specialist. It also provides a wide variety of skill sets and interests. One of the most amazing facts about getting into this career is that it does not require a bachelor’s degree.
It is true that the people who manage, run, and plan the supply chain plays a vital role in a company’s success. It is one of the most demanding careers in this era. Many employers seek a professional supply chain to be a part of their organization and provide them with all they have. The supply chain jobs had urged in the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time supply chain had entered into a new phase of its evolution as an emerging industry.
Please read the article to learn more about supply chain jobs and how they change the world. Now we’re going to discuss what supply chain is and which supply chain job is the best fit for you. We’ll discuss what job roles best suit your experience and interests.
What is Supply Chain?
A supply chain is a network of technologies, activities, individuals, resources, and organizations intricate in selling and creating any product. It includes everything from sourcing a product from a supplier and delivering it to the end-user. The job opportunities in the supply chain are higher because every business person has not had enough time for all the necessary steps to gain profit.
Instead, he hires a supply chain specialist to look upon all the matters and supply chain of his company. Lead time is the time taken to complete the whole circle, i.e., from sourcing to delivering the product. The supply chain of a product is managed by a supply chain manager, who coordinates the processes and monitors the lead time to ensure maximum consumer satisfaction.
A supply chain is a general term that encompasses sourcing materials, coordination, and procurement, of goods and materials in the process. It can likewise incorporate reevaluating portions of the assembling, deals, or supply processes.
For instance, an automaker could reconsider the assembling of transmissions, a PC organization could purchase center processors from a provider, and many organizations will rethink their promotion and publicizing, which are all critical for the inventory network.
What are the Pillars of the Supply Chain?
Here are the main pillars of the supply chain. You must know and choose which pillar role is suitable for you in the field of the supply chain.
Planning
Supply chain experts in planning roles mainly focus on optimization, forecasting, and analysis. They only consider supply and demand and work hard to balance them through effective planning through supply chain links. The entry-level jobs for planning roles may include logistics resource planners. They have to control the inventory as well as coordinate human resources.
You may get the following jobs if you choose the planning role:
- Load Planner
- Demand Planner
- Supply and Demand Manager
- Materials Manager
- Vice President of Supply Management
- Materials Analyst
- Production Planning Manager
Production
The second pillar of the supply chain is the production role. In a production role, you must focus on the formation of the service or product itself. You can negotiate with contractors (who can choose these organizations and incorporate transactions with them if you become store network director), timetables, expense plans, creation plans, and items. Can manage testing and quality verification and stabilize end client criticism on items. Or administration.
You may get the following jobs if you choose the production role:
- Production Manager
- Quality Manager
- Principal Engineer
- Safety and Environmental Manager
- Packaging Engineer
- Maintenance Operative
Sourcing
Supply chain experts in obtaining jobs center around the inbound inventory network —assets the association needs to make and convey its item or administration. The expected responsibilities can include arranging the cost of unrefined components, building contracts and keeping up with providers, and guaranteeing bought merchandise come to the creation site, both in a good design and up to the principles of value fitting to the organization.
You may get the following jobs if you choose the sourcing role:
- Purchasing Agent
- Buyer
- Director of Supplier Development
- Technical Buyer
- Inventory Clerk
- Purchasing Manager
- Strategic Procurement Manager
- Global Sourcing Manager
- Supplier Quality Engineer
- Director of Supplier Development
Transportation
Transportation is the 4th and most important pillar of the supply chain. Transportation, delivery, and logistics experts mainly focus on the fulfillment and storage of products. They might be active material overseers, such as forklift administrators, stockroom partners, or production network examiners, planning how much stock is required and the most effective way to move it around. They may likewise be coordinated operations/distribution center administrators, who arrange contracts, execute inventory network methodologies, and guarantee wellbeing.
You may get the following jobs if you choose the transportation role:
- Vice President of Distribution
- Vice President of Logistics
- Logistics Manager
- Logistics Analyst
- Transportation Manager
- Route Optimization Manager
- Director of Global Warehousing
Why is Supply Chain Career Undeniable?
There are many reasons why the supply chain stands as one of the best career options globally. Let’s look keenly at why a supply chain career is undeniable. Here are the main reasons you must consider supply chain as your future career.
It is Cooler Than It Sounds
Supply chains have advanced and keep developing with each innovation and advancement. Current creation lines are arranged for effectiveness and furnished with mechanized, programmable robots, which thus do cutting-edge jobs for people. In like manner, the currently planned operations, transportation, and dispersion experts are doing significantly more than conveying boxes. They’re planning item development all over the store network, from the source to the last client, and all focus En-route.
In the interim, data stream experts oversee item data and request subtleties and financial information while organizing with accomplices. Obtainment officials are creating associations with providers across the globe to buy essential materials on time and at the correct cost. Request organizers join information investigation with previous experience to anticipate what’s in store quickly. Also, stock supervisors guarantee continuous creation, deals, and administration.
Supply Chain Experts are in Huge Demand
The number of supply chain jobs available now is nearly a 20-year high. It has been researched that there is a huge demand for supply chain experts in all major industries like Amazon, Flipkart, Gamble, Tesla, SpaceX, and many more.
Across all areas, supply chain experts are finding employment in no time. The more fun about this career is that it only requires industry experience. It does not require any traditional degree to get started. About 80% of the job-seekers said they quickly found supply chain employment within a month.
Competitive Salaries
Supply chain pay rates stay strong, in any event, during a worldwide pandemic. As per ASCM’s 2021 Supply Chain Salary and Career Report, the average compensation for people entering the store network is $60,000. The middle compensation is $86,000 and $90,000 for experts with APICS/ASCM accreditations. Furthermore, as a thrilling move toward variety and incorporation, the field even shut the compensation hole among people under 40.
Significantly, the production network likewise extended employment opportunity soundness during uncertain times. The overview viewed that 95% of respondents kept their positions during the pandemic, and 21% of those with a college degree and an APICS/ASCM confirmation even got an advancement.
Supply Chain is Rewarding Career
It has been recorded that industry experts love what they’re doing. About 88% of the people in the field of supply chain said that they are happy with their jobs as the supply chain is one of the most rewarding careers. 89% of the people would recommend joining the supply chain as a professional path. It is the only career that rewards you with a paid holiday. These rewarding benefits outspread the flexibility during working hours.
Moreover, supply chain careers are now shifting increasingly towards remote models. There are fewer industries that provide such facilities to their employees. You can handle all the tasks by sitting at home and getting competitive pay.
Is the supply chain the right field for a professional career?
With having supply chain experience or a BBA degree with SCM (Supply Chain Management) specialization, you can easily find your dream job. You must look and choose which job is right for you. Here are the best career options in the supply chain.
Logistician
As the name shows, logisticians are experts who work in the logistics department of the supply chain. They have job titles like logistics director, operations manager, program manager, supply chain manager, supply management expert, or even logistician. It is in the transportation role explained above.
If you choose logistician as your supply chain job, you may be employed in the following industries:
- Defense and Military
- Engineering
- Transportation and Delivery
- Software Development and Information Technologies
- Infrastructure Engineering and Design
Transportation Manager
Transportation directors or managers plan and supervise transportation tasks. They might work for a massive enterprise like Amazon or a transportation organization like Ryder. They likewise work for strategies and shipping organizations. Any organization or association that utilizes vehicles to move merchandise or convey items probably uses transportation administrators.
Transportation, the executives, can likewise be dealt with by individuals in jobs like transportation chiefs, like activities the board, armada the board, cargo the board, or traffic the executives.
If you choose transportation manager as your supply chain job, you may be employed in the following industries:
- Farming
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Travel
- Grocery
- Food Services
- Wellness and Health Products
- Departments of Transportation
Purchasing Manager
Purchasing managers, now and again called acquisition directors, regulate the exercises of an association’s buying of materials, items, and administrations. They are capable of creating associations with providers and arranging contracts.
If you choose purchasing manager as your supply chain job, you may be employed in the following industries:
- Home Building
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Hospitality
- Health Care Facilities
- Medical Supply
- Government Contractors and Agencies
- Food and Beverage Companies
Supply Chain Manager
The supply chain manager’s job is from the planning role of the supply chain. Supply chain managers commonly do what buying and acquirement directors do: working with outer providers to purchase parts and unrefined components. It’s normal to see an inventory network set of working responsibilities or titles matched with a related title like task supervisor, tasks director, coordinated operations chief, or buying leader.
As well as buying and acquisition, production network administrators examine cycles and information to work on quality and efficiencies throughout the production network — from acquiring unrefined components to shipment of completed merchandise.
If you choose supply chain manager as your supply chain job, you may be employed in the following industries:
- Automotive Companies
- Food and Beverage
- Consumer Goods
- Health Product
- Utility Companies
- Computer and Electronics Manufacturing
- Military and Government Contractors
- Materials Suppliers
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the supply chain has a considerable career demand. Every industry needs a supply chain specialist to handle all the supply management tasks. The four pillars of the supply chain are critical for career opportunities. You must look at which career option is best for you because plenty of career options are available in the supply chain.
One of the most amazing facts about supply chain jobs is that they are more rewarding, and it has the most positive response from employees. Do you still have any confusion about supply chain jobs? Leave a comment below and get your answer from Hotcerts’ professional team.