Materials Manager

Job Description Job Description DIRECT HIRE | MATERIALS AND WAREHOUSE MANAGER | MANUFACTURING | Sycamore, IL area | A well-established industrial manufacturer with large-scale operations is hiring a Materials and Warehouse Manager to own the execution and sustainment of a newly redesigned internal material flow and warehouse system. This is a first-shift, salaried exempt role reporting to senior operations leadership. For the right candidate — someone with real manufacturing floor experience and a track record of holding cross-functional teams accountable to process — this is an opportunity to take full ownership of a high-visibility operational initiative in a facility that has already done the hard work of building the infrastructure. * Anticipate $70K-$90K base salary * Full suite of benefits: Health/Dental/Vision, 401K, PTO/Vacation, Holidays * M-F, 1st shift Overview: * Serve as the on-floor authority for all internal material flow processes — from inbound receipt through production staging and back out to shipping — ensuring every transaction, location assignment, and movement happens exactly as designed * Conduct daily floor audits to verify physical material locations match system records; identify discrepancies, document findings, and drive resolution with the responsible teams * Become the plant-level subject matter expert on RF scanning equipment and ERP transaction workflows — troubleshoot scanner issues, manage equipment upkeep, escalate systemic failures, and ensure no department works around the process * Hold cross-functional stakeholders accountable to material flow standards without direct supervisory authority — schedule process review meetings, document recurring failures, and escalate patterns through the appropriate management chain * Identify root causes of transaction errors, location mismatches, and material handling deviations; implement and track corrective actions * Partner with production, quality, inventory control, and logistics to eliminate ad hoc material handling practices and sustain the discipline of the new system * Own the warehouse floor map and location structure — maintain accuracy, enforce correct usage, and identify needed updates as operations evolve * During the first 90 days: complete a full assessment of current warehouse organization, material flow gaps, and safety conditions; establish baseline accountability standards and build cross-functional working relationships Preferred Skills/Experiences: * 8-12+ years of experience in materials management, warehouse operations, or material flow leadership within a manufacturing environment * Demonstrated experience in a production/manufacturing setting — understanding of WIP, in-process material staging, and how materials move through a fabrication or assembly environment is required * Experience in locations-based warehouse management within an ERP system; D365 (Microsoft Dynamics 365) experience strongly preferred** * Proven track record of implementing or sustaining scanning/barcoding systems and RF scanner operations in a manufacturing context * Experience driving accountability and process compliance across departments without direct authority over those teams * History of reducing inventory discrepancies, improving transaction accuracy, and sustaining warehouse organizational standards * Comfortable conducting physical audits and using data to drive operational conversations with peer-level and senior stakeholders * Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations management, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered EEO