Robert Pavao
Summary
Results-driven Supply Chain Director with 20 years of progressive leadership across medical device, life science, automotive, government, and industrial sectors. Proven success in building and transforming local and global supply chain operations to drive financial performance, streamline complexity, and support successful product launches. Expert in leading large-scale turnarounds, optimizing cost structures, and implementing data-driven strategies to restore profitability and elevate service levels. Strategic and hands-on, with deep expertise in regulatory compliance, vendor management, and international logistics. Recognized for building resilient supply networks, solving complex operational challenges, and aligning supply chain systems with business growth initiatives—especially in high-compliance and high-impact environments.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Supply Chain Management
Primo Medical Group
06.2023 - 09.2025
- Leading full-spectrum supply chain operations in a medical device manufacturing environment, ensuring regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and supply continuity.
- Architected and implemented a new SIOP framework, boosting forecast accuracy by 25% and synchronizing demand planning with procurement and production.
- Negotiated long-term strategic supplier agreements, delivering $1.2M in annualized savings and improving on-time delivery (OTD) performance.
- Revamped supplier onboarding and risk evaluation processes, cutting vendor-related non-conformances by 40%.
- Improved In-House Utilization of CNC Machine Shop by 40%, lowering fixed overhead by 25% and in-sourced $10MM of products.
- Scaled Supply Chain during a “hockey stock revenue growth” period of $50MUSD.
- Rolled out supplier performance scorecards and quarterly reviews, driving enhanced accountability and supplier engagement.
- Spearheaded supply chain readiness for multiple new product launches, ensuring sourcing, regulatory compliance, and production timelines were met.
- Oversaw $20M in CAPEX investments for cleanroom expansion and equipment upgrades to support long-term growth.
- Recruited and developed a new 8-person supply chain team, building foundational capability and bench strength.
Director of Purchasing and Materials
Primo Medical Group
06.2022 - 06.2023
- Directed purchasing, planning, and inventory control across the enterprise, aligning procurement strategies with production and financial goals.
- Reduced inventory carrying costs by 18% through refined purchasing practices and improved supplier alignment.
- Qualified multiple alternate suppliers for critical components, reducing supply risk and improving lead time resilience.
- Improved demand planning accuracy and material availability through enhanced safety stock policies and forecasting tools.
Senior Director of Supply Chain
Taco Comfort Solutions
04.2011 - 05.2022
- Oversaw $80M+ in annual spend for global supply chain operations, supporting highly engineered HVAC systems.
- Led global sourcing and logistics optimization efforts across U.S., Europe, and Asia—cutting freight costs by 22%.
- Deployed integrated S&OP processes, reducing planning cycle times and improving inventory availability.
- Developed KPIs and dashboards for purchasing, planning, and logistics, enhancing transparency and accountability.
Senior Director of Operations
TracRac, Inc.
07.2007 - 11.2010
- Championed a Kaizen-driven culture across plant operations, leading over 30 cross-functional improvement events that increased overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 18% and reduced downtime by 25%.
- Implemented continuous improvement frameworks using Kaizen and lean methodologies, resulting in a 12% reduction in production waste and a 15% improvement in process cycle times.
- Trained and mentored leadership and frontline teams on Kaizen practices, fostering a culture of accountability and innovation that led to sustained year-over-year operational gains and higher employee engagement scores.
Purchasing Agent
Amtrol, Inc.
08.2004 - 07.2007
Senior Buyer, Automotive Sensors Division
Sensata Technologies (formerly Texas Instruments)
06.2000 - 08.2004
Education
Master of Business Administration -
Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business
Wellesley, MA07.2013
Bachelor of Science - Business Management, Operations
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA01.2000
Skills
- Global Supply Chain Strategy
- Cost Optimization & Turnarounds
- New Product Introduction (NPI)
- Supplier Contract Negotiation
- Regulatory Compliance (FDA, DoD, ISO 13485)
- International Logistics & Trade
- Strategic Sourcing & Procurement
- ERP/MRP Systems (SAP, Oracle, Epicor, NetSuite)
- S&OP / Demand Planning
- Risk Mitigation & Business Continuity
- Supplier relationship management
- Logistics optimization
- Material requirements planning
- Supply chain analytics
- Warehouse management
- Cost reduction
- Staff management
- New vendor setup
- ERP systems proficiency
- Purchasing oversight
- International purchasing
- Multi-plant experience
- Customer service
- Attention to detail
- Reliability
- Team collaboration
Certification
- Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) – Accenture, 2003 – 2004
- APICS Certification in Planning and Detailed Scheduling – Bay Group, 2001 – 2002
Languages
Spanish
Limited Working
Portuguese
Limited Working
Timeline
Director of Supply Chain Management
Primo Medical Group
06.2023 - 09.2025
Director of Purchasing and Materials
Primo Medical Group
06.2022 - 06.2023
Senior Director of Supply Chain
Taco Comfort Solutions
04.2011 - 05.2022
Senior Director of Operations
TracRac, Inc.
07.2007 - 11.2010
Purchasing Agent
Amtrol, Inc.
08.2004 - 07.2007
Senior Buyer, Automotive Sensors Division
Sensata Technologies (formerly Texas Instruments)
06.2000 - 08.2004
Bachelor of Science - Business Management, Operations
Bridgewater State University
Master of Business Administration -
Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business
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