10 Supply Chain Management Careers

According to Indeed, the primary goal of this supply chain management career is to reduce costs while streamlining manufacturing efficiencies with an eye toward increasing profitability. While managing the supply chain from all vantage points, the duties of a supply chain manager include:

Logistics managers also have broad oversight responsibilities in the supply chain, but with duties that are more focused on purchasing and how a company distributes the products it makes. Some of their common duties include:

Transportation managers or transportation directors typically supervise a fleet of delivery drivers and the vehicles they use. They are responsible for creating work schedules for the drivers and planning the routes they’ll take to make sure the product arrives on time. Transportation directors also have to ensure the safe operation and reliability of all of the equipment and vehicles their drivers use, and that everything is in compliance with applicable regulations, such as those enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Logistics analysts oversee every step in the production lifecycle. They look for ways to improve processes, streamline operations and reduce manufacturing costs starting from when materials are obtained to when they leave the warehouse. Their work may also include forecasting of necessary warehousing space, vehicles, materials and personnel to ensure the company’s ability to meet consumer demand.

As detailed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), operations research analysts help organizations solve problems and make informed decisions in logistics and other areas. Their duties may include:

Purchasing managers are responsible for buying the materials and services the company needs to make its products. Their day-to-day responsibilities may include:

The production manager’s primary duties are focused on keeping a company’s production operations running smoothly. Production managers identify ways to improve their company or team’s productivity, maintain equipment and approve equipment upgrades. They also may work with other department heads to establish quality improvement goals.

Commodity managers help manufacturers reduce the cost of raw materials such as steel, grain, gasoline, lumber, plastic and minerals that are used in manufacturing processes. They help the company improve profit margins, reduce risks and solve supply chain problems by tracking and analyzing market conditions to identify the best times to buy or sell certain materials. 

Facilities managers maintain and manage the daily operations of facilities such as offices or research complexes. They inspect and maintain critical electrical, plumbing and air conditioning and heating systems and may also supervise security staff. They may also be in charge of:

Usually specializing in a particular industry, cost estimators are tasked with managing all of the elements that are needed when manufacturing a product. To do this, they collect and analyze data regarding budgets, materials and labor costs using blueprints or other related documents. They also collaborating with other professionals in the supply chain, such as engineers and purchasing or procurement managers. Their regular duties may include:

This may be an advantageous time to be thinking about a supply chain management career. The BLS projects employment of logisticians to grow 28% on a national level from 2021 to 2031, which is substantially faster than average for all occupations.1 They also project growth of 23%, on a national level, for operations research analysts during this same time period,2 attributing the increased demand for efficiency. Improvements in analytical software is also driving the increasing need for companies to hire knowledgable employees to help them make data-based decisions.

What education will you need to pursue your supply chain management career? The BLS notes that some positions may only require logisticians to hold an associate degree, but, due to the complexities of supply chains, companies typically prefer to hire workers who’ve earned at least a bachelor’s degree in logistics, supply chain management, business or a related field.

At DeVry, we offer online degree and certificate programs that can help prepare you to pursue a career in supply chain management, give you the opportunity to learn from professors who bring real-world experience to the classroom and help you develop many of the skills you’ll need to work in supply chain-dependent industries like manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and transportation.

Explore our undergraduate and graduate-level programs in Global Supply Chain Management: 

A degree or certificate in global supply chain management can prepare you to pursue careers such as logistician, purchasing manager or transportation manager. At DeVry, we can help you learn to analyze and coordinate supply chains, plan and direct transportation, purchase goods and solve logistical problems to keep supply chains running. Our online degree and certificate programs are taught using our tech-empowered learning approach, enabling you to learn on your schedule and balance your commitment to education with the other aspects of your busy life. Let’s talk about how you can get started in our next session. Classes start every 8 weeks.