What does it take to run one of the world's largest airlines? Whose snacks do customers enjoy most in flight? How much of everything does the airline need to order? How does Delta engage only the best partners to help do it all? Delta's Corporate and Operations Supply Chain Management (SCM) organization plays a key role in elevating every aspect of the business.

SCM ensures a continuous supply of cost competitive, quality goods and services or commodities to meet Delta's business needs. This team partners with countless businesses to create overall sourcing strategies, delivering consistently positive results year-in and year-out. The SCM team is growing, and you could be a part of it.

"We are undergoing a transformation in the way we work with our stakeholders and our suppliers," said Heather Ostis, V.P. – Supply Chain Management. "Over the past few years, our investment has required new and innovative ways of approaching partners to ensure that we are getting the best value for Delta."

After the 2010 merger with Northwest Airlines, the SCM team played a key role in working through bankruptcy toward Delta's industry-leading status today. When the airlines first merged, the team combined tens of thousands of contracts to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in savings each year – 2019 will follow suit. More recently, SCM has been crucial in the industry-leading international Main Cabin refresh.

Niteen Suresh, Managing Director – Supply Chain Management, explained that "safety is always our number one priority and it's important to ensure that our vendors are capable of following the best-in-class safety practices that are core to the Delta culture. It keeps all of our stakeholders, customers, employees and suppliers as safe as possible."

To make sure Delta works with the most sustainable, most beneficial vendors, SCM uses an extensive vetting process. Sustainability is one of the key factors they use to evaluate suppliers in sourcing projects. Whether it's reducing and eliminating single use plastics or ensuring ethical practices in supplier and subcontractor workplaces, sustainability remains at the forefront.

Suppliers are an extension of the Delta family. Seeking diversity and promoting inclusion among employees, customers and communities, as well as business partners, is fundamental to Delta's core values. That's why SCM seeks to utilize the products and services of qualified small, minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs). The team is always looking for opportunities to partner with or develop relationships with these businesses. Recently, Delta started flying with Brown Estate products on board, Napa's first and only black-owned winery.

Delta has also committed to becoming a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an exclusive group of corporate brands that spend a minimum of $1 billion annually with certified diverse-owned businesses. Learn more here about Delta's commitment to supplier diversity and working with hundreds of MWBEs.

As Delta continues to enhance the customer experience, SCM plays a key role in making sure the airline continues to innovate and improve. This ongoing transformation and addition of 40 new SCM positions represents Delta's commitment to elevating every aspect of the business. From catering to the IT data center to sourcing onboard snacks to finding the right vendors for the Fly Delta app, the SCM team has a direct impact on the customer experience.

"I always ask people about the products they use in their Delta experience because it is a direct reflection of what we do. It's a treat to watch our work in SCM create a better airline for our people and our customers," Ostis said.

Do you think you would fit well into the Supply Chain Management team? Learn more about the new openings in this evolving department on our career page.