Hire the best Heads of Supply Chain in Germany matched in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.
For supply planning, procurement alignment, logistics control, and ERP-driven process improvement across complex networks. Find vetted, available supply chain leaders fast and with precision.
About the role
What they run
A Head of Supply Chain owns the flow from supplier to customer. In freelance settings, this often means stepping into a live operation, stabilizing priorities, and making decisions that keep planning, sourcing, warehousing, and transport aligned.
- Demand, supply, and inventory planning
- Procurement and supplier coordination
- Warehouse, logistics, and transport oversight
- KPI reviews, service levels, and exception handling
- Process fixes across planning, operations, and finance
Core skills
Strong Heads of Supply Chain connect strategy with day-to-day control. They understand how service targets, working capital, lead times, and capacity constraints interact.
- S&OP and integrated business planning
- ERP fluency, often SAP, especially in manufacturing and distribution
- Data analysis in Excel, Power BI, or similar tools
- Supplier management and risk handling
- Clear leadership across cross-functional teams
Typical projects
Companies bring in a freelance Head of Supply Chain when they need experienced leadership without a long hiring cycle. This is common during restructuring, plant ramp-ups, supply disruption, ERP change, or when internal teams need a steady interim lead.
In Germany, the role is especially relevant in industrial companies, automotive supply networks, consumer goods, and e-commerce operations where planning discipline and reliable execution matter every day.
Tools and methods
The best people in this role work with both process and numbers. They do not just report issues. They set rhythms, define responsibilities, and push decisions through the organization.
- S&OP cadence and scenario planning
- Stock policy, safety stock, and service-level logic
- Supplier scorecards and escalation routines
- Warehouse and transport performance reviews
- Root-cause analysis and continuous improvement
What good looks like
A strong Head of Supply Chain is calm under pressure and direct with stakeholders. They can lead planners, buyers, logistics partners, and production teams without losing sight of the bigger picture.
They are practical, not theoretical. They spot gaps in planning logic, identify bottlenecks fast, and improve execution without creating more process than the business can use.
When to hire one
Bring in a freelance Head of Supply Chain when the business needs immediate ownership, an objective outside view, or extra capacity for a critical change. They are a good fit when the permanent team is overloaded or when a senior role is open and operations cannot wait.
The best engagements start with a clear scope: stabilize service, improve inventory, reset planning, or lead a transformation. That keeps the work focused and the handover clean.
Meet FRATCH Heads of Supply Chain
Daniel Despa
Consultant
Last position:
Consultant at Carl Zeiss GmbH & Deloitte Consulting
- Developed critical specifications, navigating technical and business requirements.
- Led the project through its complex phases.
- Orchestrated and supported the Integration Testing Cycle (ITC) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
- Implemented robust test methodologies and systematically documented and addressed findings contributing to pre-GoLive readiness.
- Ensured flawless implementation and enabled effective trainer training.
- Conducted unit and functional tests.
- Facilitated alignment between development and business goals.
- Provided transparent progress reports and maintained documentation quality.
- Developed Fiori apps for inventory management and material staging status.
Stefan Weiß
Head of SCM Organization and Local S4H Implementation
Last position:
Head of SCM Organization and Local S4H Implementation at Aakamp GmbH
- Comprehensive analysis of the site in terms of organization and processes, information and data flow, creation of a fit/gap analysis for S4H implementation, optimization of the entire supply chain including production planning and related QM activities
- Modules: SD, MM, PP, QM, EWM, EPPDS, S&OP
- Designing and holistically transforming the goods flow concept
- Establishing a Kanban system
- Increasing posting accuracy in the legacy system by 75%
- Creating a planning matrix for prioritizing production orders based on optimized production sequence or urgency
- Analyzing the product portfolio by revenue, volume, EBITDA to optimize purchasing costs (-17.5%), production utilization (+27.5%) and working capital (+32.8%)
- Leading and restructuring the organization to optimally prepare for the S4H implementation, including training and hands-on instruction from C-level to shop floor
- Preparing data using AI and introducing sanity checks to prevent and quickly resolve errors across all production areas
Lilia Baough
Head of Global Supply Chain Management
Last position:
Head of Global Supply Chain Management at tado° GmbH
- Lead and manage a team of 8 professionals across Strategic Procurement, Demand Planning, Sales & Operations Planning, Industrial/Quality Engineering, and Logistics, fostering collaboration and driving high performance.
- Oversee Electronic Manufacturing Partners in Asia and 3PL partners in EU Sales & Operations Planning and the UK, ensuring efficiency and timely delivery in all supply chain operations.
- Negotiate contracts with suppliers and partners to secure improved payment terms, enhanced credit limits, and favorable conditions.
- Implement new 3PL partnerships, optimising logistics and service levels.
- Led the RFQ process for EMS partners in the EU.
- New product introduction (NPI) production ramp-ups, managing 5 simultaneous product launches and ensuring smooth transitions from RFQ development to production over 1M devices.
- Drive margin improvement through strategic BOM cost negotiations, frame agreement implementation, and logistics cost optimisation with yearly Lean Six Sigma outcomes +1.5M$ savings.
- NetSuite (Oracle cloud solution)
Bruno Lesseur
Interim Manager / Director Supply Chain Management / Consultant
Last position:
Interim Manager / Director Supply Chain Management / Consultant
- Implementation and management of the end-to-end S&OP process
- Creation and continuous improvement of the KPI system including reporting to monitor supply chain management performance
- Identification and implementation of process improvements for cost savings and complexity reduction
- Further development and optimization of supply chain management
- Project management of smaller projects within the scope of work (e.g. profile and interface adjustments)
- Targeted and motivating leadership and development of the team, coaching employees
- Close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure optimal delivery capability
- Initiation and leadership of strategic projects (e.g. digitization, process optimization)
- Preparation and validation of board presentations
Ulrike Bertrand
Managing Director Supply Chain; Interim and Change-Management
Last position:
Managing Director Supply Chain; Interim and Change-Management at Moving Supplies GmbH
- End-to-end process interim executive in SCM, CPO, CRO, COO, S&OP
- Implementation of transformation within producing companies
- Demand planning, purchasing development of integrated S&OP management planning processes
- Process and method management
- ‘Anti-siloing’ in the process chain: sales-purchasing-supply chain-manufacturing-logistics-customer
- ERP SAP: AM, SD, MM, PP, WM, QM, TM, IBP
- BPMN, Signavio, Confluence, Jira
Ralf Zschieschang
Head of Supply Chain Management & Customer Service
Last position:
Head of Supply Chain Management & Customer Service at Siteco GmbH
Responsible for leading Customer Service and Supply Chain functions including Order Management, Export Sales Coordination, Global Shared Service Center, Supply Chain planning, production planning and logistics
Business Process Owner for Supply Chain Management and Sales and Operations Planning
Designed, implemented and improved central processes and applications
Implemented and monitored global KPIs for delivery reliability, delivery capability, logistics productivity and inventory management
Member of the leadership transformation team responsible for revising the process landscape after carve-out from the Osram Group
Successfully reintegrated logistics into the Siteco Group and increased logistics productivity by 16% per working hour
Maintained delivery capability above industry average during the COVID-19 crisis
Jochen Kuhm
Global Head of Supply Chain, Planning & Logistics
Last position:
Global Head of Supply Chain, Planning & Logistics at vetsak GmbH
Outsourcing and relocation of all warehousing and fulfillment via a tender process within 8 months
Design and implementation of a lean planning and supply chain structure
Strategic expansion of the supplier network by implementing a multi-source strategy
Concept and implementation of a new, strategically aligned product nomenclature
Established a supply chain team
Reduced a backlog of about one third of annual revenue
Increased actual revenue by 225% within one year
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Heads of Supply Chain statistics
Typical experience
23 years
Average project duration
2.8 years
Certifications per freelancer
1
Top business areas
Operations, Supply Chain Management, Project Management
Top industries
Manufacturing, Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical
Most common languages
German, English, Spanish
Bachelor's degree or higher
86%
Master's degree or higher
29%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Heads of Supply Chain & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to know more? Check out our simple guide about FRATCH
A Head of Supply Chain oversees the end-to-end flow of materials and products. The work usually covers planning, procurement, logistics, inventory, and service-level control. In practice, that means solving daily exceptions while also improving the operating model behind them.
A freelance Head of Supply Chain makes sense when the company needs someone to step in quickly, lead a transition, or stabilize a strained operation. It is also a strong option for transformation work, short-term cover, or a gap between leaders. You get senior ownership without waiting for a long hiring process.
Look for strong planning logic, cross-functional leadership, and solid data handling. A capable Head of Supply Chain should understand S&OP, inventory policy, supplier management, and the link between operations and finance. In many German companies, SAP knowledge is also important because it affects planning and execution every day.
A Supply Chain Manager often runs a defined part of the function, while a Head of Supply Chain owns the wider system and the decision-making around it. Compared with an Operations Director, the focus is usually more on planning, sourcing, inventory, and logistics than on the full production or site agenda. Titles vary by company, so the real scope matters more than the wording.
Many parts of the role can be done remotely, especially planning reviews, KPI analysis, and supplier coordination. But a Head of Supply Chain often needs at least some on-site time to understand warehouse flow, meet internal teams, and handle sensitive stakeholder situations. In Germany, a hybrid setup is often the most practical option.
This role is common in manufacturing, automotive supply chains, consumer goods, wholesale, and e-commerce. A Head of Supply Chain is also valuable in businesses with high product variety, tight delivery promises, or complex supplier networks. The more moving parts there are, the more useful senior supply chain leadership becomes.
Ask for concrete examples of problems they solved, not just the systems they used. A strong Head of Supply Chain can explain how they improved service, reduced fire-fighting, or created a planning process that people actually follow. Look for clear thinking, calm communication, and evidence that they can lead both analysis and execution.
A freelancer should expect a role with real ownership and close contact with operations, finance, procurement, and logistics. The best assignments are clear about the goal: stabilize, improve, or lead change. If the scope is vague, a Head of Supply Chain should clarify decision rights, key stakeholders, and the handover plan before starting.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
