[Hiring] VP Global Supply Chain @UFORCE

Role Description

UFORCE is looking for a VP Global Supply Chain to build and lead a resilient, compliant supply-chain function across the US, UK and Europe. You’ll connect global sourcing strategy with the realities of production: qualified suppliers, reliable material plans and the right parts arriving when they’re needed.

This is a strategic leadership role with hands-on ownership. You’ll set global sourcing direction, build the team and establish shared standards across sites. You’ll also work directly with engineering, production and suppliers to resolve shortages and keep programmes moving.

A key part of the role is establishing the US supply chain and connecting it to global planning. Your work will make supply risks visible earlier, strengthen supplier performance and help UFORCE scale without every site having to solve the same problems alone.

What you’ll do

• Build category and supplier strategies that balance cost, quality, lead time and resilience across countries and programmes.
• Establish the US supply chain: qualify suppliers, put sourcing and logistics arrangements in place, and build material plans aligned with programme and production milestones.
• Create a cross-site view of material readiness, critical shortages and recovery plans, with clear owners and timely escalation.
• Identify single-source, long-lead and capacity constraints, and put dual-sourcing, buffer-stock or supplier-development plans in place where needed.
• Lead commercial negotiations, introduce supplier scorecards and hold partners accountable for delivery, quality and corrective actions.
• Establish consistent supplier qualification, traceability and counterfeit-part avoidance controls, working with Quality, Legal and Export Compliance on applicable requirements and specialist decisions.
• Connect demand, bills of materials, supplier lead times and production schedules through a practical sales and operations planning rhythm, supported by shared enterprise resource planning standards and reliable data.
• Define the global team structure, hire and develop people, and establish clear responsibilities and ways of working with site supply-chain leads.
• Use agreed baselines and targets to improve supplier delivery, material availability, lead times, inventory performance and landed cost.

Qualifications

• Experience leading sourcing and supply-chain activity across multiple countries or manufacturing sites, with measurable delivery, cost or resilience improvements.
• A strong understanding of complex hardware manufacturing and the connection between engineering changes, material availability and build schedules.
• A track record of identifying supplier risk and implementing practical mitigations that protected production.
• Experience translating demand and production priorities into credible material plans, including sales and operations planning or an equivalent cross-functional process.
• Strong commercial judgement and negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve supplier quality, delivery or capacity issues while maintaining long-term relationships.
• Experience building or significantly improving a supply-chain function in a growing organisation, rather than only operating an established system.
• Experience building, developing and leading teams across locations, setting shared standards and delivering through site stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of supplier assurance, traceability and applicable export controls, including UK and EU military and dual-use requirements and ITAR/EAR awareness.
• A hands-on approach, clear prioritisation and the judgement to act quickly when production is at risk.
• Willingness to travel regularly across the US, UK and Europe.
• Eligible for Security Clearance.

Nice to have

• Defence, aerospace, maritime, automotive, robotics or other complex hardware supply-chain experience.
• Experience establishing a US supplier base or supply-chain operation and integrating it with UK or European operations.
• Experience with Ukrainian or Eastern European suppliers and cross-border logistics.
• Experience implementing or harmonising enterprise resource planning systems across sites.
• CIPS, APICS/ASCM or an equivalent professional qualification.