Materials Manager

• Job Category: Management , Manufacturing , Production

The Materials Manager is responsible for ensuring the availability of all materials required for production by overseeing material planning, purchasing, inventory control, warehousing, and inbound logistics. This role ensures the efficient flow of materials into and through the organization while supporting operational, financial, and customer service goals. Responsibilities include managing site-level purchasing activities, driving supplier performance, maintaining accurate ERP data, and ensuring compliance with company procurement and inventory management standards. The Materials Manager also plays a key role in aligning supply with demand through participation in planning processes, managing supply risks, and optimizing inventory and working capital.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Material Planning & Control

• Manage the material requirements planning (MRP) process based on production schedules and demand forecasts.
• Maintain accurate material forecasts and visibility of on-hand inventory.
• Identify risks related to material shortages, demand fluctuations, and long lead time items.
• Communicate material status clearly to Production, Scheduling, and site leadership.
• Participate in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or demand planning processes to ensure alignment between supply plans, production capacity, and customer demand.
• Proactively identify supply constraints and communicate impacts to operations and leadership.

Inventory Management

• Maintain optimal inventory levels to support production while minimizing carrying costs and excess working capital.
• Implement robust inventory control practices including cycle counting, safety stock strategies, ABC classification, and FIFO inventory management.
• Reduce excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory through proactive monitoring and disposition planning.
• Ensure accuracy and integrity of ERP system data (IQMS), including BOMs, lead times, safety stock levels, minimum order quantities, and reorder parameters.
• Monitor inventory performance metrics such as inventory turns, accuracy, and working capital utilization.
• Lead purchasing activities for the site, ensuring timely procurement of raw materials, packaging, and operational supplies.
• Issue purchase orders, manage acknowledgements, and ensure pricing and terms align with company standards.
• Monitor and improve supplier performance including on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, and capacity reliability.
• Manage supplier escalations and coordinate recovery plans when supply disruptions occur.
• Work closely with corporate Supply Chain and Procurement teams to align supplier strategies, sourcing initiatives, and contract compliance. Support Customer Supply Chain initiatives as required.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities through supplier negotiations, sourcing initiatives, and value engineering activities.
• Provide suppliers with demand forecasts and collaborate on capacity planning to ensure reliable supply.
• Support supplier selection, RFQ processes, and supplier performance evaluations.

Supply Risk & Continuity Management

• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks including single-source suppliers, long lead time materials, and capacity constraints.
• Develop contingency plans and alternate sourcing strategies to maintain continuity of supply.
• Monitor supplier risk factors and proactively address potential disruptions.

Warehouse & Logistics Management

• Oversee receiving, storage, material handling, and movement of materials to production.
• Ensure all warehousing processes comply with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Optimize warehouse layout, material flow, and inventory visibility to support operational efficiency.
• Coordinate inbound freight and monitor carrier performance.
• Implement process improvements to increase warehouse efficiency, accuracy, and material traceability.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Production, Scheduling, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to support operational goals.
• Participate in daily and weekly production meetings to provide material status updates and resolve supply constraints.
• Support engineering changes (ECNs) and manage material phase-in/phase-out transitions for product changes.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities by ensuring timely sourcing, inventory setup, and supply readiness for new materials.

Systems, Data & Reporting

• Maintain accuracy of ERP system data related to materials planning, purchasing, and inventory management.
• Ensure governance and integrity of supply chain master data including item masters, supplier records, BOMs, and planning parameters.
• Develop and report key performance indicators including:

o Inventory turns

o Purchase order accuracy

o Inventory accuracy

o Excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory levels

• Analyze supply chain performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives across materials planning, purchasing, and warehouse operations.
• Ensure compliance with company procurement policies, internal controls, and audit requirements.
• Support operational excellence initiatives focused on cost reduction, inventory optimization, and service level improvements.

Organizational Relationships:

• Lead and develop the materials team including buyers and warehouse personnel.
• Establish performance expectations and provide coaching and development opportunities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the supply chain team.

Experience and/or Educational Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in materials management, purchasing, or supply chain in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing site level purchasing; multi site experience is a plus.
• Strong ERP/MRP experience
• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in procurement best practices and negotiation.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and cross functional collaboration.
• Ability to interpret data and drive decisions using KPIs and metrics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Strong problem solving and root cause analysis abilities.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to work and perform what would be considered standard practices for this type of positions in the industry.

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