Nter Talent, an international executive recruitment firm, was engaged by Saturn Petcare to find a Director of Supply Chain. The role had been open for more than 12 months. We filled it within 12 weeks by searching for a proven people leader and a strong culture fit, not only supply chain expertise.
At a glance
Client: Saturn Petcare
Sector: Petcare / consumer goods
Role: Director of Supply Chain
Location: Herre Haute
Time the role had been open: Over 12 months
Time to fill with Nter Talent: Within 12 weeks
Search type: Retained executive search
What made the difference: Assessing leadership and culture fit alongside technical skill
The challenge: a business-critical role open for over 12 months
Saturn Petcare needed a Director of Supply Chain, and the seat had been empty for more than a year. A vacancy at this level carries a real cost. Decisions wait, the team lacks direction, and other leaders cover the gap on top of their own roles.
The difficulty was not a shortage of supply chain professionals. Plenty of candidates had the technical background in planning, procurement, logistics and manufacturing. What Saturn Petcare needed was harder to find on a CV: a true people leader who would strengthen the team and fit a culture the business cares deeply about.
A search built on technical criteria alone was never going to find that person.
Our approach: start with the brief, search for the leader
We treated the brief as the most important stage of the search. Everything that followed depended on understanding what Saturn Petcare meant by the right person.
- A deep brief. We spent time with the hiring team to understand the role, the team this person would lead, and why earlier attempts had not produced a hire.
- Defining leadership and culture, not just skills. We agreed what good people leadership looks like at Saturn Petcare and which values and behaviours matter most. These became search criteria with the same weight as technical experience.
- A targeted international search. We approached supply chain leaders directly, including people who were not actively looking, across petcare, FMCG and adjacent sectors.
- Assessing how candidates lead. We interviewed for evidence: how each candidate had built, developed and retained teams, and how they handled pressure and change.
- A focused shortlist. We presented heavily vetteed candidates, each of whom met the technical bar and the leadership and culture criteria, with clear reasoning for each.
- Support through offer and acceptance. We managed the process through to a signed offer, keeping both sides informed and aligned.
The result: filled within 12 weeks
Saturn Petcare appointed its new Director of Supply Chain within 12 weeks of engaging Nter Talent. A role that had been open for over 12 months was filled in under a quarter of that time.
The appointed candidate brought the supply chain expertise the role demands and the people leadership and culture fit the business had been looking for from the start.
“Simon has been an absolute pleasure to work with throughout this process! He has done an excellent job maintaining communication between our team and the candidates, and his follow-up has been timely and consistent every step of the way. He has been an engaged, reliable partner from start to finish, making the entire experience seamless. We truly appreciate his professionalism, responsiveness, and collaborative approach, and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future!
Saturn Petcare – HR Business Partner
Why it worked
- We searched for the whole person. Leadership and culture were criteria from day one, not a final-interview check.
- We understood the brief before we searched. Time invested at the start meant every candidate presented was relevant.
- We went to the candidates. The best supply chain leaders are rarely applying to adverts. Direct, international headhunting reached people a job posting could not.
What this means if you are hiring a supply chain leader
If a senior supply chain role has been open for months, the cause is usually the search criteria, not the talent market. Roles stay open when the search screens for technical skills and leaves leadership and culture to chance.
Defining the leader you need, in specific and observable terms, is what turns a long-running vacancy into an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire a Director of Supply Chain?
With a well-run executive search, a Director of Supply Chain can be appointed in around 12 weeks. Nter Talent filled this role for Saturn Petcare within 12 weeks, after it had been open for more than 12 months.
Why do senior supply chain roles stay open for so long?
Most often because the search focuses on technical experience alone. Many candidates have the hard skills. Far fewer combine them with strong people leadership and a fit with the company’s culture, and those qualities need to be searched for deliberately.
What should you look for in a Director of Supply Chain beyond technical skills?
Look for evidence of people leadership: building and developing teams, retaining talent, and leading through change. Look also for alignment with your company’s values and ways of working.
How does an executive search firm assess culture fit?
By first defining the client’s culture in specific behaviours during the brief, then interviewing candidates for real examples of those behaviours. At Nter Talent, culture and leadership criteria carry the same weight as technical criteria.
When should you use a headhunter for a supply chain leadership role?
When the role is business-critical, when advertising has not produced the right candidates, or when the person you need is likely to be employed and not actively looking. Headhunters approach those candidates directly.
Does Nter Talent recruit supply chain leaders internationally?
Yes. Nter Talent is an international executive search firm and runs searches for senior supply chain and operations leaders across the UK, US and EU.
Have a leadership role that has been open too long?
Talk to Nter Talent about your search. Contact Simon Garner at [email protected] or +1 (903) 650 9814.
About Nter Talent
Nter Talent is an international executive search firm that helps companies appoint senior leaders in supply chain, operations and logistics. We find leaders who bring the right skills, lead people well and fit the culture of the business they join.
