Materials Manager

Materials Manager

Position Summary

The Materials Manager is responsible for leading all plant materials management functions, including production scheduling, inventory control, shipping and receiving, warehousing, customer service, and material planning. This role ensures uninterrupted material flow to support production requirements, meet customer expectations, optimize inventory levels, and drive operational excellence across the plant.

The Materials Manager serves as a key member of the leadership team, partnering closely with Operations, Finance, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Corporate Supply Chain to achieve business objectives, improve performance metrics, and support customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for all materials management functions within the plant.
• Ensure the department is appropriately staffed, trained, and equipped to meet current and future business needs.
• Develop and execute annual training and employee development plans for the Materials team.
• Establish clear performance objectives, provide ongoing coaching, and support employee growth and succession planning.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations for direct reports and participate in the review process for indirect reports.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.

Materials Planning & Inventory Management

• Manage plant MRP requirements to ensure material availability while maintaining optimal inventory levels.
• Develop and execute material strategies that support customer requirements in a cost-effective manner.
• Monitor inventory performance, including accuracy, adjustments, cycle counts, and inventory turns.
• Identify opportunities to reduce excess inventory, obsolescence, and material-related waste.
• Lead efforts to minimize inventory discrepancies and shrinkage while maintaining inventory integrity.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve material management procedures and processes.

Production Planning & Customer Satisfaction

• Partner with Plant Leadership and Operations to develop production schedules and forecasts that support customer demand.
• Ensure material plans align with production requirements and inventory objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on delivery performance, inventory optimization, and customer satisfaction.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions as needed to achieve performance targets.
• Collaborate with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to proactively address supply chain challenges.

Launch & Supply Chain Management

• Work closely with Program Launch teams to ensure successful execution of new product launches, including material readiness and system implementation.
• Coordinate material planning activities to support engineering changes, new programs, and production transitions.
• Collaborate with Corporate Supply Chain Management to support plant objectives and report monthly operational performance.
• Partner with Finance to develop inventory and freight forecasts and adjust plans based on business conditions and customer releases.

Logistics, Warehousing & Operations

• Oversee shipping, receiving, warehousing, logistics, scheduling, and inventory control activities.
• Ensure efficient material flow throughout the facility to support production and customer requirements.
• Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies through Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support plant-wide operational excellence programs by integrating material management strategies into manufacturing processes.

Compliance, Safety & Quality

• Ensure compliance with company policies, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory standards, including:
  • BOS
  • ISO/IATF 16949
  • SOX
  • CTPAT
  • Federal, State, and Local regulations
• Promote a safe work environment by actively supporting Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) programs.
• Report and investigate incidents, enforce safety procedures, and ensure compliance within assigned areas.
• Protect company assets and ensure responsible use of company property and equipment.
• Work collaboratively with HSE and Manufacturing Engineering teams to maintain safe and efficient operations.

Additional Duties

• Support plant objectives through participation in strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects.
• Prepare and communicate monthly performance reports and business updates.
• Complete all company-required and customer-mandated training.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Plant Manager.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education, training, and 5 to 10 years of progressive manufacturing and materials management experience will be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in materials management, supply chain, logistics, production planning, or inventory control within a manufacturing environment.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems and demand planning processes.
• Proven success leading materials teams and driving operational improvements.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and cost reduction initiatives.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex operational data.
• Advanced inventory management and production planning knowledge.
• Strong understanding of supply chain, logistics, warehousing, and customer fulfillment processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and build strong business relationships.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgment and decision-making abilities with a proactive, results-oriented approach.
• High level of initiative, accountability, and continuous improvement mindset.