Supply Chain Recruitment & Executive Search Specialists
Sigma Search delivers supply chain recruitment and executive search for ASX-listed companies, multinationals and global brands across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and ANZ. Every search is principal-led by Jon-Paul Hilton, so the person who takes your brief is the person who delivers your shortlist - no junior hand-offs.
A supply chain recruiter built on precision and speed
Generalist agencies tend to treat a Supply Chain Director role like any other vacancy: advertise, screen whoever applies and hope the right person happens to be looking. The problem is that the best supply chain leaders rarely are. They're in the middle of a network redesign, running a Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cycle or taking cost out of a DC footprint, and they only move when someone who understands that work makes a compelling case.
After more than 20 years of building relationships across FMCG, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Life Sciences, 3PL and Infrastructure, Sigma Search already knows who those people are, how they're regarded and what it would take to move them. The result is a shortlist that arrives faster, fits better and holds up at final interview, because every candidate has been assessed by a specialist who speaks the language of OTIF, working capital and forecast accuracy - not simply matched on keywords. You can see the full process on our How We Work page.
of our placements above $200K are retained engagements, delivered across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Jon-Paul's retained process was night and day compared to working with agencies on contingent. We saw higher-calibre candidates, deeper market intelligence, and a hire that's still thriving two years later.
How our supply chain executive search works
So what does a good search actually look like? In 20+ years of executive search, the ones that land well all follow the same five steps. Each step is calibrated against the operational numbers that matter to your business, not just a job title.
That’s the difference between executive search supply chain leaders take seriously and a database trawl.
01 · Briefing
My first question is always the same. What does success look like in 12 and 24 months?
For example, lifting DIFOT from 91% to 97%, taking $15m out of inventory, or getting a stalled Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process to the point where sales and operations sign off on one number. Those outcomes become the brief.
02 · Market mapping
We map the talent pool across your competitors and adjacent sectors, from FMCG and Retail through to Pharma, Manufacturing and 3PL. You see who’s out there, how they’re regarded and what it would take to move them.
Bear in mind the map is valuable market intelligence in its own right, even if you end up promoting from within.
03 · Direct, confidential headhunting
The strongest supply chain leaders sit firmly in the hidden job market. They’re mid-way through a network redesign or a peak season, not scrolling job boards.
I approach every candidate personally and discreetly. A credible, specific conversation about the role gets a response. A generic InMail doesn’t.
04 · Rigorous assessment
Every candidate is interviewed in depth against the success profile, and we test the numbers behind each claim. Improved forecast accuracy? By how much, over what timeframe and across how many SKUs?
By the final interview, you should be in no doubt as to what each candidate actually delivered.
05 · Shortlist delivery
You receive a tight shortlist, usually within 4-6 weeks, with written profiles, a side-by-side comparison against the brief and salary expectations benchmarked against our ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026.
I then manage the offer, the counter-offer risk and the resignation, and stay in touch through the first months in the role.
A search is only as good as its brief. Agree the two or three numbers that really matter before the first candidate is approached.
Executive & senior supply chain roles we place
So who do we actually place? Here’s a snapshot. Salaries are average base plus super from our ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026.
Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO)
Enterprise-wide ownership of plan, source, make and deliver, often with P&L accountability and board exposure. Average package: $310K ($280K-$400K), with incentives usually on top.
VP Supply Chain
Regional or ANZ leadership inside a global business, typically driving a transformation agenda across multiple sites and countries. VP / Director Supply Chain averages $260K ($240K-$320K).
Supply Chain Director
End-to-end accountability for service, cost and working capital, often leading teams of 100 to 500+ across planning, procurement, manufacturing and distribution.
Head of Planning
Owns demand, supply and inventory planning. Look for real systems depth (SAP IBP, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder or o9) and a measurable record on forecast accuracy and stock cover.
S&OP & IBP Leaders
Run the S&OP or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) cycle that gets sales, finance and operations behind one plan. It’s the role most businesses underestimate.
Demand & Supply Planning Managers
Forecast accuracy, inventory optimisation and working capital performance.
Retail & FMCG Supply Chain Recruitment
Retail and FMCG supply chains really test a leader. You’re balancing thousands of SKUs, promotional peaks and stores, DCs and online orders all drawing on the same stock. Get demand planning wrong and you’re either carrying weeks of excess stock cover or explaining empty shelves to the commercial team.
So what do I look for? Leaders who can show the numbers. For example, lifting forecast accuracy at SKU level, cutting weeks of stock cover without hurting availability, or redesigning a DC network so stores and eCommerce run off one inventory pool. Be sure to ask how they handled their last major promotion or peak, and what they changed afterwards.
In my experience, the best Retail & FMCG supply chain leaders are as comfortable with the commercial team as they are in the DC.
Supply chain recruitment across Sydney, Melbourne & ANZ
Supply Chain Recruiter Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane
Sydney is home base, and the market really splits in two. Head office roles (CSCO, VP Supply Chain and Head of Planning) sit in the CBD, North Sydney and across the North Shore. Operational leadership sits in the industrial corridors of Western Sydney, around Moorebank, Eastern Creek and Kemps Creek.
Every edition of our Sydney Supply Chain Market Report from February to June named Western Sydney as the highest-volume zone for logistics and warehouse roles. For you, that means competition for proven operators is real, so don’t be afraid to move quickly when the right person appears.
Further afield, we run searches in Melbourne and Brisbane and place leaders across New Zealand. The approach doesn’t change with the postcode. You deal with me from the first brief to the final shortlist. That’s what supply chain executive search should be: principal-led, data-backed and specialist.
Recent supply chain searches
A snapshot of recent retained supply chain recruitment mandates, each led end to end by Jon-Paul.
Vice President, Supply Chain
Group General Manager, Supply Chain
Head of Supply Chain
See the full detail behind these searches in our Search Showcase, or read why senior hires are best handled through retained search.
Sydney Supply Chain Market Report
ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026
Which Supply Chain Roles Will AI Replace First?
Supply chain executive search FAQs
What is supply chain executive search?
It’s a research-led, usually retained approach to hiring senior supply chain leaders, such as a CSCO, Supply Chain Director or Head of Planning. Rather than advertising, we map the market and approach proven leaders directly, most of whom aren’t actively looking. Every candidate is then assessed against the outcomes your business needs.
How long does a supply chain executive search take?
Most searches deliver a qualified shortlist within 4-6 weeks of the briefing. That allows time to map the market properly, approach passive candidates and assess each one in depth, rather than rushing a list together. From there, the timeline depends on your interview process and the candidate’s notice period. Bear in mind that CSCO and General Manager roles often carry three-month notice periods, so plan for that.
Why use a specialist supply chain recruiter rather than a generalist agency?
A specialist already knows the talent pool and speaks the language of OTIF, S&OP and working capital. Before moving into executive search, I worked as a Supply Chain Manager, so I bring hands-on technical expertise to every brief. I know what good looks like in a planning team or a DC operation, and I can tell a strong operator from a good interviewer. That means a better-calibrated shortlist. It also means candidates take the approach seriously, which really matters when you’re trying to move someone who isn’t looking.
What do supply chain executives earn?
According to our ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026, a Chief Supply Chain Officer averages $310K base plus super ($280K-$400K), a VP or Director of Supply Chain $260K and a Head of Supply Chain $230K. Short-term incentives usually sit on top. See the guide for full figures by role.
Hiring a senior supply chain leader?
Have a confidential conversation with Jon-Paul about your role, the current market in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, and what it will take to secure the right person.