Head of Supply Chain & Supplier Quality

Location: Singapore (with periodic travel to supplier and manufacturing sites across Southeast Asia and the Middle East)

Engagement Type: 6-Month Consulting Assignment

Industry: Oil & Gas / Oilfield Equipment & Services

About the Role

Our client, an established manufacturer serving the Oil & Gas and Oilfield Services sector, is seeking a Head of Supply Chain & Supplier Quality to lead a focused, time-boxed initiative to strengthen its supplier management and quality framework.

This is a high-visibility engagement reporting directly to the CEO, with a dotted-line working relationship to a steering group comprising the Heads of Quality, Engineering and Operations. This structure gives the consultant the executive backing to act on findings while staying embedded in day-to-day functional realities, with clear deliverables and a defined end date.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Quality & Development

• Lead initiatives to strengthen the quality, reliability, and overall performance of key and strategic suppliers.

• Evaluate supplier capability, manufacturing processes, quality systems, operational controls, and technical maturity.

• Work directly with suppliers to identify performance gaps and implement practical, measurable improvement plans.

• Identify critical and high-risk suppliers and develop appropriate improvement or risk-mitigation strategies.

Supplier Audits & Assessments

• Lead supplier qualification, capability, and quality assessments, including on-site supplier audits.

• Evaluate supplier manufacturing facilities, quality systems, processes, and inspection and testing capabilities.

• Review supplier quality documentation, certifications, procedures, traceability, and process controls.

• Identify quality issues and drive appropriate corrective actions through to closure.

Oil & Gas Quality & Compliance

• Provide subject-matter expertise on quality requirements relevant to the Oil & Gas and Oilfield Services industry, including standards such as API Q1, API Q2, API 6A, and ISO 9001.

• Assess supplier compliance with applicable industry, customer, and regulatory requirements.

• Keep internal stakeholders and suppliers aligned with relevant industry and customer expectations, including major operator vendor qualification systems (e.g., Aramco, ADNOC).

Procurement & Supply Chain Partnership

• Work closely with Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams throughout the supplier lifecycle.

• Provide quality and technical input into supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, and development.

• Support procurement teams in evaluating supplier capability and associated business and supply chain risks.

Supplier Management Framework

• Assess the current supplier quality management approach and identify areas requiring greater structure or standardization.

• Develop practical supplier quality processes, guidelines, assessment frameworks, and reporting mechanisms.

• Establish a structured approach to supplier qualification, risk assessment, and performance monitoring.

Risk Management & Reporting

• Identify supplier and supply chain risks that could impact quality, delivery, operations, or customer commitments.

• Maintain a structured, regularly updated view of critical supplier risks and recommended mitigation actions.

• Report findings, progress, and recommendations directly to senior leadership on a defined cadence.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 12+ years of relevant professional experience, with substantial exposure to Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Energy, or related industrial manufacturing sectors.

• Proven track record evaluating supplier quality management systems, manufacturing processes, inspection and testing procedures, and certification compliance.

• Strong command of NCR management, corrective action processes (CAPA), supplier scorecards, and continuous improvement methodology.

• Demonstrated experience conducting on-site supplier audits and driving corrective actions and performance improvement directly with suppliers — not just from a desk.

• Strong understanding of supplier and supply chain risk assessment methodologies.

• Experience partnering with Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, and Quality leadership to influence supplier decisions.

• Strong analytical and reporting skills — able to interpret supplier performance data, identify trends, and present clear, actionable findings to senior management.

• Comfortable working independently in a time-boxed consulting engagement with defined deliverables, and able to build a framework others can sustain after the engagement ends.

• Ability to work collaboratively across functions and support consistent supplier quality practices across multiple organizational locations.

• Willingness to travel to supplier and manufacturing sites as required.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality Management, or a related technical discipline.

• Relevant professional certifications preferred: Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Lead Auditor, Six Sigma, or equivalent.

• Working knowledge of relevant quality management standards, particularly ISO 9001, is advantageous.

• Familiarity with Oil & Gas–specific quality standards such as API Q1 and API 6A is strongly preferred.