So, what does a supply chain professional do, exactly? You may have seen St. Norbert College’s new supply chain management major, but you might not know about all of the possible careers that exist in that field today, from global trade to the smartphone in your pocket.
Following are insights from professionals in the industry on what they do and the incredible opportunities for SNC students in supply chain management.
The job of a demand planner is to predict how much of a product each region or individual store is going to buy. In the case of Ben & Jerry’s, demand planners are evaluating preferences in ice cream flavors and types and making sure that each grocery store and ice cream shop has what they need before the customer ever makes a purchase.
In today’s economy, this includes internal data that the company collects from all of its stores, but it may also include watching out for the next TikTok hack to understand if Cherry Garcia is having a moment this summer.
Demand planners make an average of $80,690 per year. (Indeed)
Tesla is the world’s best known electric vehicle maker, and they have long invested in owning their own supply chain so they can control the production of the batteries that fuel their cars. However, the raw minerals still need to be sourced from dozens of countries and shipped to the right factory, at the right time, and in the right quantities. The procurement and sourcing team builds relationships with mining companies to protect the stream of these raw materials and ensure that shutdowns in one part of the world don’t stop production in the gigafactories.
Strategic sourcing managers make an average of $102,391 per year. (Indeed)
Logistics managers oversee the movement of goods, optimize transportation routes, manage warehouse operations and ensure timely delivery to customers. This is especially challenging in the case of Nike’s custom sneaker shop. It’s easy to send 500 Air Jordans to a local warehouse, but it’s much harder to manage 500 custom embroidered sneakers with the buyer’s initials on each one. Logistics managers run the teams that make this process look like a magic trick.
Logistics managers make an average of $78,711 per year. (Indeed)
Have you seen those giant wind turbines across Wisconsin? GE is responsible for many of the components. However, green energy isn’t all that green unless you can also source the building materials responsibly. Graduates in this field will have logistics and climate skills and help the world’s largest companies transition to an economy that benefits all people. It’s also an excellent career niche with growing demand across most industries. Are you ready to reduce a company’s carbon footprint?
Sustainability managers make an average of $84,053 per year. (Indeed)
Apple recently expanded iPhone production to India, and many experts suspect this move was done specifically to reduce its dependence on China and mitigate the risk that future conflicts might have on production. For the political science junkies who want a career in business, supply chain risk roles are a perfect combination of The Wall Street Journal and Military Times. And, as the world gets more chaotic, these roles will be critical for nearly every international company.
Supply chain managers make an average of $87,079 per year. (Indeed)
Are you building your own brand and want to sell your own merch one day? Omni-channel logistics is about building multiple sales channels (Website, TikTok, Instagram) and seamlessly integrating that with shipping labels – and, when you’re the size of Mr. Beast, warehouses. Merchandising operations like this are worth millions, and it’s critical that things get shipped on time to keep happy fans as happy customers.
Ecommerce managers make an average of $78,529 per year. (Indeed)
Whether you're interested in logistics operations, strategic sourcing, data analytics, sustainability or international trade, the field of supply chain management offers a diverse array of career paths to explore. Each path presents unique challenges, opportunities for growth, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on global commerce.
And, as a career that can get you a job anywhere in the world, it’s great for students who don’t know what they want to do but know they want to explore.
This new supply chain management program is offered in collaboration with Rize Education to provide access to high-quality instructors and students nationwide. It links academic rigor to industry relevance to offer benefits such as:
The supply chain management program prepares students for great careers and creates networking opportunities not possible with traditional on-campus learning alone.
