“The supply chain function at nVent is an exciting place to be as there is always a lot to learn about the entire value chain. I love our open and transparent interactions, not just within our own team, but also with the teams in other functions we partner with to solve complex problems.”

We recently had the opportunity to gather insights from Vineetha Jayaram, a global supply manager for nVent’s Electrical & Fastening Solutions (EFS) business segment. She is responsible for leading global categories related to metal shapes, castings, machining and outside processing. Vineetha leads a team that identifies and implements commodity strategies that drive high-impact initiatives to improve sourcing efficiencies and metrics around material productivity, in-region, and dual sourcing, material availability and inventory reduction.

Supply chain roles are diverse and highly specialized, requiring various technical and soft skills, including data analysis, presentation delivery, contract negotiation, relationship building, vendor management, critical thinking and problem-solving. As a woman leader in the supply function, she feels there is diversity within the industry depending on the role and level of responsibilities. However, she acknowledges that more women leaders in higher levels are required so that newer entrants to the industry can see the possibilities in career growth and feel empowered.

Vineetha has been with nVent for nearly eight years and is in the process of expanding her team due to rapid business growth. She is looking for leaders who are hard-working, committed to team success and eager to generate impact. For those interested in pursuing a career in supply management, here are three things you need to know about leaders in this space:

1. They adopt an agile, growth mindset to be adaptable while delivering results
2. They collaborate with large teams to solve complex, critical problems
3. They drive levers for supply chain resilience to maintain business profitability

How is supply management critical to the success of nVent?

Our supply teams are responsible for driving key commodity strategies based on supply markets to contribute to critical organizational metrics around quality, delivery, cost and cash (QDCC) that allow nVent to grow and service its customers continually. We align supply chain activities based on unique business needs to drive value across plants, product lines and segments using the process of continuous improvement.

What is the culture like within supply management teams at nVent?

Our culture is engaged with purpose, high on empathy and offers a lot of flexibility. We operate in a diverse work environment focused on learning, teamwork and accepting each other’s perspectives and backgrounds to achieve results. We encourage collaboration and adopt a growth mindset based on continuous improvement principles. We appreciate bold ideas and critical thinking to find better solutions to the unique supply chain problems in the current market environment.

Which of the six nVent values are most lived out by supply management teams?

• Accountability for Performance – Supply leaders are held to the highest standards to attain goals around mitigating inflation, achieving productivity savings, managing inventory impact and minimizing disruptions in the supply chain to meet primary business objectives.
• Customer First – We operate on the principle of putting our customers’ needs first in our decision making process for our primary responsibilities – whether it is designing critical supply chains, managing strategic supplier partnerships or implementing key commodity strategies.
• Innovation and Adaptability – Supply teams are passionate about learning such as obtaining new perspectives, ideas and methods to optimize our sourcing processes and tools and strategies with the objective to have best-in- class practices that will benefit the supply ecosystem and elevate organizational performance.

What is the best part of working in Supply Chain at nVent?

The supply chain function at nVent is an exciting place to be as there is always a lot to learn about the entire value chain. For example, information and material flow between suppliers, regions, and nVent locations. There are also different manufacturing processes to discover and critical partnerships that need to be managed effectively to ensure we can meet our customer commitments. I love our open and transparent interactions, not just within our own team, but also with the teams in other functions we partner with to solve complex problems.

Why should someone consider joining nVent as a supply chain leader?

This is a great time to join nVent as a supply chain leader as we expand our global presence with multiple opportunities to manage critical projects and teams to strengthen our organization. There are multiple opportunities to learn and grow as a leader in multiple functional areas: supply management, demand planning, production planning and more. There is also a strong focus on career development at nVent with access to training, conferences, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and growth assignments based on business needs and performance.

Visit our Careers page to explore our open supply chain roles and learn how you can bring bold ideas, be authentic and build the future of a more sustainable and electrified world.