The job of a supply chain leader looks different than it did a few years ago. Artificial intelligence is taking over parts of the work. A new tariff can quickly change what it costs to buy from a supplier. A conflict or trade restriction in one part of the world can hold up parts and production somewhere else. Through all of it, teams are being asked to roll out new systems while keeping daily operations running.

Technical supply chain knowledge is still the foundation. Following are six additional qualities that hiring teams should look for in selecting supply chain leaders:

A working understanding of AI and data. AI is already handling parts of procurement and supply chain work, including demand forecasting and purchase order matching. Newer tools are being used to create and analyze requests for quotation.

As more routine work gets automated, a leader needs to know where AI helps the team get more done and where it can create risk. That means understanding what data goes into a system, and being willing to question what comes out. AI can work through large amounts of information quickly. The context comes from people who know the company's suppliers, processes, customers and priorities, and a good leader makes sure that context is part of the decision.

The same applies to any new technology. Getting a system set up and running is the first step. After that, people have to use it correctly; processes have to support it, and the right data has to flow through it. Teams also need help understanding how the system changes their day-to-day work. A leader who understands both the technology and the operation can make those pieces work together.

Awareness of how tariffs and geopolitics affect sourcing. When tariffs change, the cost of sourcing from a certain country or supplier changes with them. Leaders need to understand what that does to landed cost, and how it changes the math on different sourcing options.

To do that well, they need to know their supply base. A company that buys heavily from one region might need other suppliers ready if conditions change. Finding and qualifying those suppliers takes time, so a good supply chain leader starts that work before a disruption forces the decision.

Existing supplier relationships matter here, too. Moving production or switching suppliers can create its own operational problems. Working with a current supplier to see what options it has, including changes further down its own supply chain, can be part of the answer.

Low-ego leadership that listens to the people doing the work. The people who run a process every day often know it best. Someone who works on the same process eight hours a day can usually tell you where the delays are, which steps create extra work, and what makes the job harder than it needs to be. A leader who asks those employees and listens to the answers can find problems that might not show up in a report.

This matters even more when a company brings in new technology or changes a process. Employees are often the first to spot problems with a new system. Leaders need to be open to that feedback, and willing to make changes when the process falls short of what it was meant to do.

Transparency and clear expectations from the start. Many supply chain leaders step into roles where there’s already a lot to fix. Systems might need work, processes inconsistent, and different teams might have different priorities. When the company is upfront about all of this, the new leader has a realistic place to start.

This starts before the person is hired. People on the hiring side can want different things from the new leader. One person is focused on cutting costs, while another cares most about supplier risk, inventory or building out the team. A clear six-month roadmap gets everyone to agree on what the new leader needs to accomplish, and which priorities come first.

Be open with candidates, too. Senior supply chain leaders want to know what problems they would actually be taking on. Talking about those problems honestly gives both sides a clear picture of the role.

Communication, emotional intelligence, and the ability to work across teams. Supply chain decisions affect people all over the company. A procurement decision can change the numbers finance is working with and the materials operations has on hand. Planning affects inventory levels and customer service. Logistics can hold up production or delay orders that sales has promised. A supply chain leader has to explain those connections clearly and work with people whose priorities differ from theirs.

That takes communication skills and emotional intelligence. Leaders need to understand where other teams are coming from, work through disagreements, and build enough trust that everyone is working toward the same goal. This is especially important when the leader has no direct authority over the people involved. For a supply chain initiative to work, finance, engineering, sales, IT or operations might need to change how they do something.

Adaptability and the ability to plan for different scenarios. Supply chain conditions can change fast. Tariffs shift, suppliers run into trouble, demand moves, and new technology changes how processes work. Leaders need to be comfortable working through different options and changing course when new information comes in.

That could mean qualifying a new supplier, changing the sourcing strategy, adjusting inventory or rethinking a process. It also means knowing when the current plan still works, and when a change would cause more problems than it fixes. That kind of judgment comes from knowing the operation well enough to see how one decision affects the rest of the supply chain.

Strong supply chain leaders combine operational and technical knowledge with judgment and people skills. With AI taking on more routine work, that matters even more. Tariffs and geopolitical changes have made supplier strategy and risk management a bigger part of the role. Bringing in new technology takes a leader who understands people and processes as well as systems.

Communication runs through all of it. The right supply chain leader understands the work, listens to the people doing it, works well with other teams, and can make a call when the answer is unclear. Leaders with those skills help a supply chain team adjust to change and keep the business running.

Friddy Hoegener is co-founder and head of recruiting at SCOPE Recruiting.