Supply Chain Director Recruiters for CPG
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A supply chain director at a consumer packaged goods company is judged on a number the retailer calculates, not one the company chooses. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Manufacturing only
- We reach people who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
The hiring decision
What makes this hire work on your plant floor?
A supply chain director at a consumer packaged goods company is judged on a number the retailer calculates, not one the company chooses. Service levels, fill rates and fines for missed windows shape the whole role. Add a long tail of SKUs, seasonal promotions, a network of co-manufacturers and a planning system that must balance them, and you have a job where analytical skill and diplomacy are equally important. We recruit directors who have run that kind of network, not those who have optimized one factory.
We ask how the candidate manages on-time in-full performance, chargebacks and customer scorecards. We look for someone who has negotiated with a retailer, understood the penalties and changed internal behavior to fix recurring misses.
Many portfolios carry too many items. We screen for people who have led rationalization, set minimum run rules and worked with sales to decide which variants earn their complexity.
Before an introduction
What do we check before you interview?
Co-manufacturer network oversightWe probe for contract structures, quality and capacity governance, cost transparency and the ability to move volume between partners when one falls short. Integrated planningWe check for experience with the planning platform, forecast accuracy discipline and how the candidate ran a monthly cycle that actually changed decisions.
Co-manufacturer network oversight
We probe for contract structures, quality and capacity governance, cost transparency and the ability to move volume between partners when one falls short.
Integrated planning
We check for experience with the planning platform, forecast accuracy discipline and how the candidate ran a monthly cycle that actually changed decisions.
Working with regulated product lines
We ask how supply chain supported compliance and handled holds or withdrawals.
Cost-to-serve and network economics
We ask how the candidate analyzed freight, warehousing and production costs by customer and product, and whether the insight changed a pricing, packaging or distribution decision. We want someone who treats service and cost as one conversation.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
Direct search
Where are qualified people working now?
We look at supply chain directors and senior planning, logistics or sourcing leaders at household, personal care, pet food, nutraceutical and cosmetics companies. Operating at a similar level of SKU variety and retailer pressure is more important than the exact category.
We also approach network and customer supply leaders at larger consumer companies who want broader ownership, operations leaders from co-manufacturers who know the other side of the table, and retail supply chain veterans who understand the customer's expectations.
We also look at logistics and customer supply leaders at third-party providers who serve consumer brands, because they have seen many networks and understand which design choices tend to hold up.
We pay special attention to people who have lived on both sides of the co-manufacturing relationship, such as brand-side supply leaders who once worked at a contract producer, because they negotiate with realism and spot capacity claims that do not hold up.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Working with regulated product lines. Personal care, OTC, pet food and cosmetics bring different rules, such as lot traceability and recall readiness. Co-manufacturer network oversight. The director must select, audit and manage outside producers. Integrated planning. S&OP, demand planning, inventory targets and production scheduling need to align.
- Working with regulated product lines. Personal care, OTC, pet food and cosmetics bring different rules, such as lot traceability and recall readiness.
- Co-manufacturer network oversight. The director must select, audit and manage outside producers.
- Integrated planning. S&OP, demand planning, inventory targets and production scheduling need to align.
The search
How the search runs?
We start by understanding your portfolio, customer mix, network design, planning maturity and the areas where service or cost are suffering. That clarifies whether the role is about stabilizing, redesigning or scaling. We approach candidates directly and ask them to walk through a service crisis, a network change or a co-manufacturer failure.
Agree the brief
We start by understanding your portfolio, customer mix, network design, planning maturity and the areas where service or cost are suffering. That clarifies whether the role is about stabilizing, redesigning or scaling. We approach candidates directly and ask them to walk through a service crisis, a network change or a co-manufacturer failure.
Approach relevant people
We report back on how they think about trade-offs and cross-functional influence. We then support interviews with commercial and operations leaders, gather references from partners across sales and manufacturing, and manage the offer and expectations. We are candid with candidates about where the pressure sits in your business, including retailer relationships, seasonal peaks and the partner base. That helps them judge fit before they invest their time in interviews.
Qualify the work and support the hire
We help you separate what you need from what you wish for. Some companies need a network architect, while others need a service level turnaround leader, and the best candidate for one can be the wrong choice for the other. After interviews, we gather references from retailer-facing colleagues, planners and co-manufacturer contacts when appropriate. We also support negotiation on scope, reporting line and team structure, since those details often decide whether a director can succeed.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
Which manufacturing settings need this role?
- Food Manufacturing
- Beverage
- Meat, Poultry & Protein
- Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
- Packaging
- Plastics & Rubber
- Metals & Fabrication
- Automotive (OEM, Tier 1, Tier 2)
- EV & Battery Manufacturing
- Aerospace & Defense
- Medical Devices
- Pharmaceutical & Biotech Manufacturing
- Chemicals & Specialty Materials
- Electronics & Electrical Manufacturing
- Semiconductors
- Building Products & Construction Materials
- Industrial Machinery & Equipment
- Energy & Power Equipment
- Paper, Pulp & Forest Products
- Textiles & Nonwovens
What should you know about questions about Supply Chain Director, CPG searches?
How is your fee set?
The fee is a percentage of the first-year base salary of the hired director, agreed in writing before the search begins. There is no upfront fee.
Do we only pay on a hire?
Yes: You pay only when you hire someone we introduced. We ask how the candidate manages on-time in-full performance, chargebacks and customer scorecards.
Can the search be kept confidential?
Yes: We describe the company by category and size until you approve disclosure, which matters when the director's exit has not been announced. We ask how the candidate manages on-time in-full performance, chargebacks and customer scorecards.
Do you contact people who are not looking?
Yes: Senior supply chain leaders are generally employed and busy. We approach them directly and discreetly.
How does relocation work at the director level?
We address it early, because many CPG supply chain leaders are tied to certain metros. We explore remote-hybrid arrangements, travel to plants and co-manufacturers and relocation support.
Would a VP of logistics, planning or operations be a fit?
Possibly: If they have managed service levels, SKU complexity and external partners, the title matters less. We evaluate the actual scope and tell you where a candidate would stretch.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
What should you know about start your Supply Chain Director, CPG search?
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
What should you know about hiring guidance for this work?
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get before interviewing?
1. Search CalibrationYou get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone. 2. Market MappingYou get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy.
1. Search Calibration
You get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone.
2. Market Mapping
You get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy. We identify the kinds of plants and teams where people already handle comparable equipment, processes and operating demands.
3. Professional Contact Intelligence
You get a way to reach working people directly. We check professional contact routes and approach candidates discreetly, without making your plant or vacancy public unless you approve.
4. Persistent Personalized Outreach
You get individual conversations about the actual opening. We explain the work, shift and location, ask whether a move makes sense, and follow up without pretending every person is interested.
5. Live Candidate Qualification
You get evidence of fit before spending interview time. We talk through decisions, equipment, results and reasons for moving, then distinguish direct experience from skills that would need support.
6. Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get a focused short list with the information behind it. We explain motivation, practical constraints and concerns, support interviews, and keep offer decisions with your hiring team.
What should we discuss first?
What should we settle first about Supply Chain Director, CPG?
We also approach network and customer supply leaders at larger consumer companies who want broader ownership, operations leaders from co-manufacturers who know the other side of the table, and retail supply chain veterans who understand the customer's expectations.
What should you know before sending supply chain director, cpg?
When do you pay a recruiting fee?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The signed recruiting agreement sets the fee basis and payment terms. Sending an opening does not itself commit you to a fee or an exclusive arrangement.
How long does it take to see a short list?
We discuss the search conditions before describing a realistic next step. Shift, location, equipment match and the candidate's reasons for moving all matter. We do not promise a shortlist date before understanding the opening.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We ask what is driving the move before introducing a candidate. We discuss what might change if the current employer offers more money or a different job. Your team still decides whether that person's motivation fits the opening.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not bill hourly for a standard permanent search, repost a job-board ad as a search, or supply high-volume general labor. Retainers are not the default. Any different arrangement must be agreed in writing.
Read the contingency fee terms · Review Supply Chain Director, CPG