This is an exciting opportunity for someone wishing to apply their extensive supply chain management experience and knowledge in a dynamic hands-on manufacturing environment, producing a world class product.   Ricardo supplies over 4,000 engines per year for McLaren’s range of sports and super cars from its Shoreham Technical Centre in West Sussex. This role is key in supporting the ongoing supply of this engine in a production environment.

Job Description

As a Supply Chain Lead reporting into the Supply Chain and Commercial Manager you will be responsible for liaising with a mature supply chain and the co-ordination of processes to ensure a seamless supply of powertrain products to the customer. Key responsibilities will include:

Managing a complex multicommodity global supply chain spanning niche volumes through to multi-national automotive conglomerates
Recruitment, management and development of the supply chain team
Lead and delivery of supply chain cost saving initiatives, including re-sourcing where necessary
Liaising closely with the customer on their demand schedules and flowing these through supply chain
Managing integration of new suppliers/ components into production
Managing the implementation and development of a new ERP and planning   system
Managing the inventory levels of the operation to within budget
Leading purchase contract negotiations to maximize component cost control and savings
Managing the purchase and supply of parts and engines within a growing aftermarket business to a third party provider
Ensuring continuity of supply to the end customer at all times
Working collaboratively with wider Ricardo SCM/Procurement functions to strive for standardisation of supply chain processes to achieve a ‘best in class’ and consistent way of working across the group

Relevant Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

Significant experience in (preferably automotive) Supply Chain management and will demand the highest standards in quality, efficiency, delivery performance and value for money. 
The ability to quickly assess critical issues affecting the supply chain and provide an appropriate management response
Communication skills to interface with internal departments and external service providers at all levels in order to foster collaborative practices
A hands-on approach, leading by example
The ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines
Experience in developing and implementing ERP systems (preferably Infor LN)

Personal Attributes

Essential to this role would be:

Good planning and commercial skills
The ability to motivate and lead a team
Excellent spoken and written communication skills
Clear logical thinker with the ability to understand, prioritise and solve complex problems
Strong attention to detail
Confidence in using ERP systems such as BAAN / SAP or an equivalent
Membership of an appropriate professional body is desirable