Five Hot Jobs for Master’s in Supply Chain Management

Master’s in Supply Chain Management Jobs

• Inventory Management Supervisor
• Procurement Administrators
• Supply Chain Manager
• Supply Chain Planner
• Procurement Analyst

Entry-level jobs in supply chain management are open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree. All the higher level jobs require a master’s degree because these positions may involve multi-million dollar logistical operations. Simple mistakes and misunderstandings can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so industry standard certification is usually required for managerial positions.

Inventory Management Supervisor

Inventory management supervisors provide shipping support and documentation processing for domestic and international logistics. They provide client support for update, quotation and information requests. They must follow each client’s unique standard operating procedures for logistical communication and decision making. They may work for shipping and warehousing departments, but they may also work for third party logistics (3PL) service providers. Inventory management supervisors may interact with freight forwarders, warehouse managers, customs brokers and overseas global service providers. They must have strong fiscal, analytical and organization skills. They also need to have the ability to prioritize tasks and translates data into meaningful insights.

Procurement Administrators

Procurement administrators review requisitions submitted by departments in order to determine the most cost-effective and appropriate procurement tools. They may issue purchase orders, service contracts, commercial agreements and bid documents. Procurement administrators accurately prepare and complete required documentation based on client requirements and government guidelines. They may negotiate contract conditions and agreement terms with vendors and third party logistics providers. Procurement administrators prepare detailed and complex reports regarding need analysis, market research and user specifications. They may assist with training staff in procurement activities and procedures.

Supply Chain Manager

Supply chain managers are usually responsible for the development and management of ordering, scheduling, forecasting, inventory management and accounting reconciling tasks. They may source and screen additional core suppliers if needed. Supply chain managers define inventory targets, forecasting schedules, inventory management goals and physical inventory evaluation schedules. They lead supplier negotiations, manage sourcing activities, maximize supplier performance, implement sourcing tactics and improve supply chain performance. Supply chain managers may develop strategies to lower costs, mitigate risks, analyze markets, prepare contracts, streamline operations and understand industry conditions.

Supply Chain Planner

Supply chain planners execute production schedules that support client orders. This means they deal with the procurement of raw materials from global suppliers. They maintain strong communication relationships with key suppliers, vendors, shippers and manufacturers to confirm and track orders and schedules. They monitor open, late and delayed purchase orders to ensure on-time deliveries. Supply chain planners proactively report product and material availability issues. They revise forecast and planning data based on changing market, supply and customer conditions. Supply chain planners’ inventory management duties include order reporting, inventory parameters, shipment tracking and obsolescence tracking.

Procurement Analyst

These logistics professionals build cost models to support sourcing decision and create supply and demand models to forecast inventory levels. They provide logistical oversight by communicating monthly market, inflation, deflation and customs clearance activities. They may be responsible for qualifying new suppliers, preparing contractual bids, managing inventory levels and communicating with official stakeholders. Procurement analysts often troubleshoot, investigate and resolve billing issues, inventory miscounts and invoice discrepancies. They may be involved in sales, production, inventory, management and warehouse planning.

A supply chain management degree will also create opportunities to work as routing, materials and business operations managers. Other jobs include planning analyst, inventory control technician and distribution director.

Related Resource: The 20 Best Online Master's in Supply Chain Management Programs