Materials Manager

We seek a highly skilled and experienced Materials Manager to join our dynamic procurement team.

The Material Manager is responsible for end-to-end material flow performance, with direct accountability for delivery, inventory optimization, warehouse execution, and cost control. This role is measured against defined operational KPIs and is expected to proactively drive performance improvements through disciplined planning, execution, and team leadership.

This is a metrics-driven leadership role, where success is defined by achieving and sustaining target performance across delivery, inventory, safety, and labor efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

1. Delivery Performance & Customer Satisfaction

• Own On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance across all programs and customers
• Ensure material availability supports production schedules without disruption
• Drive proactive risk identification and recovery planning to prevent missed shipments
• Partner with production, planning, and suppliers to eliminate shortages

2. Inventory Management & Optimization

• Lead initiatives to reduce aged inventory and excess/obsolete stock
• Maintain optimal Days on Hand (DOH) aligned with business targets
• Balance service levels with working capital efficiency
• Drive root cause analysis on inventory imbalances (forecasting, ordering, engineering changes)

3. Warehouse Execution & Inventory Accuracy

• Ensure high inventory accuracy through cycle counting, controls, and system discipline
• Oversee all warehouse operations including receiving, storage, picking, and shipping
• Eliminate systemic discrepancies between physical and system inventory
• Standardize processes across shifts and teams

4. Expedite & Planning Discipline

• Eliminate reliance on premium freight and reactive expediting
• Drive planning stability and supplier adherence
• Ensure no expedites outside of true quality or emergency scenarios

5. Safety, 6S, and Operational Discipline

• Own incident-free performance within the materials function
• Enforce and sustain 6S standards across the warehouse and material flow areas
• Ensure all non-production materials areas meet cleanliness, organization, and audit expectations

6. Labor Efficiency & Cost Control

• Manage indirect labor within defined targets
• Optimize staffing models, shift coverage, and task allocation
• Drive productivity improvements through process and layout optimization

7. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Finance to align material strategy with plant objectives
• Support program launches, engineering changes, and volume fluctuations
• Act as an escalation point for material-related risks impacting operations

8. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and material team members
• Establish clear performance expectations tied to KPIs
• Drive accountability through structured performance management

To be a qualified candidate, you must meet the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5-10+ years in materials, supply chain, or warehouse leadership in manufacturing
• Experience in automotive or Tier 1 environment strongly preferred
• Proven track record managing to KPI-driven performance metrics

Technical Skills

• ERP systems (SAP, Plex, or similar)
• Inventory control and planning systems
• Data-driven decision making (Excel, Power BI preferred)
• RFID and 3Dscan