Materials Manager

The Senior Materials Manager is responsible for the strategic sourcing, procurement, inventory planning, and supplier management of all materials required to support manufacturing operations. This role ensures uninterrupted production by maintaining the right materials, in the right quantities, at the right cost, while protecting company cash flow and driving continuous cost improvements. The Senior Materials Manager will oversee the procurement of raw materials, proteins, ingredients, packaging, corrugate, outsourced manufactured goods, and plant-wide operational supplies. This individual will partner closely with Production, Planning, Quality, Finance, Sales, Commercialization, and Operations to ensure material availability aligns with customer demand and production schedules. Success in this role is measured not simply by purchase price, but by total business impact—including cost savings, supplier performance, inventory optimization, production continuity, and working capital management. Primary Responsibilities Strategic Procurement & Supplier Management Develop and execute sourcing strategies for all direct and indirect materials. Procure all ingredients, proteins, raw meats, packaging materials, corrugated packaging, labels, sanitation chemicals, operational supplies, and outsourced manufactured finished goods. Negotiate supplier contracts, pricing agreements, payment terms, and annual volume commitments. Build strategic partnerships with suppliers while maintaining competitive sourcing opportunities. Identify and qualify alternate suppliers to reduce supply risk and improve cost competitiveness. Conduct regular supplier business reviews and performance evaluations. Inventory & Material Planning Maintain appropriate inventory levels to support production while minimizing excess inventory and protecting working capital. Develop purchasing plans based on production forecasts, demand plans, safety stock requirements, and lead times. Monitor inventory aging, slow-moving inventory, and obsolete materials while implementing corrective actions. Balance inventory investment against production requirements and cash flow objectives. Prevent material shortages without creating unnecessary inventory exposure. Production Support Ensure all production materials are available to support scheduled manufacturing. Partner with Production Planning and Operations to proactively identify material constraints. Eliminate material-related production interruptions through effective planning and supplier management. Coordinate expedited deliveries only when operationally necessary. Support new product launches by ensuring timely availability of all required materials. Cost Management Lead annual cost reduction initiatives across ingredients, proteins, packaging, outsourced manufacturing, and operational supplies. Negotiate long-term pricing agreements and volume contracts that reduce total material costs. Evaluate commodity market trends and recommend purchasing strategies to minimize cost volatility. Identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve inventory utilization, and optimize supplier performance. Partner with Finance to validate realized procurement savings. Cross-Functional Leadership Work closely with Operations to support production efficiency. Collaborate with Quality to ensure supplier compliance and material quality standards. Partner with Commercialization on new product launches and packaging transitions. Support Finance through inventory accuracy, cost management, and purchasing analytics. Communicate material risks, supply constraints, and procurement strategies to leadership. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Performance will be measured through objective business metrics, including: Supply Reliability Zero production outages caused by unavailable purchased materials. Maintain supplier on-time delivery performance of 98% or greater. Inventory Management Maintain inventory within approved target levels. Minimize obsolete and expired inventory. Reduce emergency purchases and expedited freight. Protect working capital by preventing unnecessary inventory accumulation. Strategic Cost Savings Deliver measurable, Finance-validated cost savings. Negotiate long-term pricing agreements and volume contracts. Improve supplier payment terms and overall procurement efficiency. Maintain supplier quality and delivery performance. Develop secondary sources for critical materials. Conduct annual supplier performance reviews. Reduce procurement-related waste. Improve purchasing processes and ERP accuracy. Standardize materials where appropriate. Support continuous operational improvement initiatives. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Procurement, or related field (or equivalent experience) 7+ years of procurement, materials management, or supply chain experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or a related manufacturing environment. Experience purchasing ingredients, proteins, packaging materials, or other manufacturing raw materials. Demonstrated success negotiating supplier agreements and managing strategic vendor relationships. Strong understanding of inventory planning, forecasting, MRP/ERP systems, and purchasing processes. Experience working within ERP systems (Sage 100 experience preferred). Preferred APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification. Experience purchasing commodity-based ingredients or proteins. Experience managing outsourced manufacturing relationships. Understanding of FDA, GMP, SQF, or food manufacturing requirements. Experience leading supplier cost reduction initiatives. Core Competencies Strategic Sourcing Inventory Optimization Working Capital Management Commodity Purchasing Contract Negotiation ERP & Data Analysis Cross-Functional Leadership Problem Solving Why Join Us Youll play a critical leadership role in ensuring our manufacturing operation has the materials needed to support growth while driving meaningful improvements in cost, efficiency, and supplier performance. This is an opportunity to build a world-class procurement function that directly impacts profitability, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction. #J-18808-Ljbffr