Head – Supply Chain Management

Job Title: Head  – Supply Chain Management (Sheet Metal)

Job Location: Delhi

Work Model: WFO

Role Focus: Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Supplier Development, Cost Optimisation, and Program Management for Sheet Metal and Body-in-White (BIW) Components.

Total Experience: 20+ years

Relevant Experience:

20+ years of overall experience, preferably with substantial experience in automotive OEMs, specifically in sheet metal sourcing, strategic procurement, supplier development, and supply chain management.

Candidate Location:

Extensive experience in strategic sourcing and procurement of sheet metal components, BIW assemblies, fabricated parts, stampings, and welded structures.

Strong expertise in supplier identification, evaluation, selection, commercial negotiations, and supplier performance management.

Experience in cost optimisation, Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE), should-cost modelling, and design-to-cost initiatives.

Proven expertise in supplier development, capacity planning, manufacturing process validation, and production readiness.

Experience in New Product Development (NPD), program sourcing, tooling development, and Start of Production (SOP) readiness.

Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, including stamping, press tools, laser cutting, robotic welding, and fabrication.

Experience in material planning, inventory optimisation, supplier scheduling, logistics coordination, and supply continuity.

Ability to collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and other cross-functional teams.

Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, analytical capabilities, and stakeholder management experience.

Automobile OEMs – Preferred.

Automotive Component Manufacturing.

Automotive Sheet Metal and BIW Manufacturing.

Automotive Engineering and Manufacturing.

B.Tech / B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Automobile Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.

Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Procurement, or Business Administration.

Candidates with experience in automobile OEMs are preferred.

Strong hands-on experience in sheet metal sourcing, BIW components, supplier development, and automotive manufacturing programs is essential.

Education mode acceptance and any specific regular education requirements are to be confirmed.

Certifications in Strategic Sourcing and Procurement.

Supply Chain Management certifications.

Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certifications.

Value Engineering and Cost Optimisation certifications.

Project or Program Management certifications.

The Head – Supply Chain Management (Sheet Metal) will lead strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier development, cost optimisation, and supply chain operations for sheet metal components and Body-in-White (BIW) assemblies within the automotive manufacturing environment.

The role involves developing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, driving cost reduction initiatives, and ensuring supplier readiness for new product development and mass production. The individual will work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and other cross-functional teams to ensure cost competitiveness, product quality, timely component availability, and uninterrupted manufacturing operations.

Develop and execute sourcing strategies for BIW assemblies, fabricated parts, sheet metal components, structural reinforcements, cross-members, brackets, mounting structures, and related subassemblies.

Lead supplier identification, evaluation, selection, negotiations, contracting, and ongoing performance management.

Drive sourcing activities for sheet metal, steel grades, high-strength steel, aluminium structures, stampings, laser-cut parts, welded assemblies, and fabricated components.

Establish competitive sourcing strategies through localisation, dual sourcing, make-versus-buy analysis, and supplier consolidation.

Negotiate long-term supply agreements, commodity contracts, tooling costs, capacity commitments, and commercial terms.

Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost competitiveness, quality, delivery performance, supplier capability, and supply chain resilience.

Drive annual cost reduction initiatives through Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE), design-to-cost, should-cost modelling, strategic negotiations, and process improvements.

Optimise material utilisation, scrap levels, production yield, tooling investments, logistics costs, and supplier conversion costs.

Collaborate with Engineering teams to reduce BIW weight and component costs without compromising structural integrity, safety, durability, or manufacturability.

Establish cost benchmarks for raw materials, fabricated components, welding assemblies, and tooling.

Monitor commodity price movements and implement appropriate cost-management strategies.

Identify opportunities for supplier productivity improvement, material cost reduction, and total cost of ownership optimisation.

Build, develop, and manage a competitive supplier ecosystem for BIW components, sheet metal parts, and fabricated assemblies.

Lead supplier capability assessments covering stamping, press tools, laser cutting, CNC machining, robotic welding, fixture design, dimensional control, and assembly processes.

Drive supplier capacity planning, process validation, production readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Ensure supplier readiness across prototype, pilot production, and mass-production phases.

Establish strategic supplier partnerships to support localisation, manufacturing innovation, and future product platforms.

Monitor supplier performance against quality, cost, delivery, capacity, and operational excellence targets.

Work with suppliers to resolve capability gaps, manufacturing bottlenecks, and production-related challenges.

Lead sourcing activities from concept and prototype stages through engineering validation, production validation, and Start of Production (SOP).

Ensure supplier nomination, tooling development, sample approvals, process validation, and capacity readiness are aligned with program milestones.

Participate in cross-functional reviews covering design freeze, engineering changes, Bill of Materials (BOM) cost, tooling status, and launch readiness.

Ensure timely resolution of supplier-related issues during prototype builds, production trials, and manufacturing ramp-up.

Integrate supplier risk assessments and sourcing decisions into product development and launch plans.

Coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and suppliers to ensure smooth program execution and timely launch.

Track sourcing deliverables, tooling timelines, component approvals, and supplier readiness against program schedules.

Ensure uninterrupted supply of BIW components and sheet metal parts to manufacturing facilities.

Lead demand planning, material planning, inventory optimisation, supplier scheduling, and logistics coordination.

Establish appropriate inventory strategies for long-lead-time tooling, imported materials, critical components, and production ramp-ups.

Drive improvements in On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance, lead times, inventory turns, schedule adherence, and supply continuity.

Develop and implement contingency plans to manage capacity constraints, supplier disruptions, and raw-material shortages.

Collaborate with manufacturing and logistics teams to align supply plans with production requirements.

Establish performance monitoring mechanisms to identify supply risks and drive corrective actions.

Competitive sourcing strategies and improved procurement performance for sheet metal and BIW components.

Achievement of annual cost reduction and VA/VE targets.

Development of a robust and capable supplier ecosystem.

Timely supplier nomination, tooling development, and production readiness for new product programs.

Improved supplier quality, delivery performance, and manufacturing capability.

Effective inventory management and uninterrupted supply to manufacturing operations.

Successful coordination of sourcing and supplier-related milestones through SOP.

Reduced supply chain risks, improved operational efficiency, and stronger supplier partnerships.

Strategic Sourcing and Procurement

Automotive Sheet Metal Sourcing

Body-in-White (BIW) Components and Assemblies

Supplier Development and Supplier Relationship Management

Commercial Negotiations and Contract Management

Cost Optimisation and Cost Reduction

Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE)

Should-Cost Modelling and Design-to-Cost

Automotive Manufacturing Processes

Stamping, Fabrication, and Welding Processes

Tooling Development and Management

New Product Development (NPD)

Program Sourcing and SOP Readiness

Supplier Capacity Planning and Industrialisation

Material Planning and Inventory Optimisation

Supply Chain Risk Management

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management

Automobile OEM Experience

High-Strength Steel and Aluminium Component Sourcing

Localisation and Dual-Sourcing Strategies

Make-versus-Buy Analysis

Supplier Consolidation

Manufacturing Process Improvement

Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma

Commodity Price Management

Logistics Cost Optimisation

Production Ramp-up and Launch Management

Advanced Supplier Performance Management

Project and Program Management

Candidates should have 20+ years of overall professional experience.

Prior experience in automobile OEMs is strongly preferred.

Direct experience in sheet metal sourcing, BIW components, automotive procurement, and supplier development is essential.

Candidates should have demonstrated experience in cost optimisation, supplier negotiations, tooling management, and new product launch support.

Experience coordinating with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and suppliers during product industrialisation is highly desirable.

Strong leadership, commercial decision-making, and stakeholder management capabilities are required.