Material Manager

The Materials Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end materials planning function to ensure optimal inventory levels uninterrupted production and alignment with customer demand. This role drives strategic planning initiatives improves supply chain performance and partners cross-functionally with Operations Procurement Sales and Finance to balance service cost and working capital.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the materials planning team across multiple sites.
• Own portions of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) materials alignment to ensure supply meets demand.
• Establish and manage inventory strategies including safety stock reorder points and lead time optimization.
• Drive continuous improvement in material flow inventory accuracy and planning processes.
• Partner with Procurement to ensure supplier performance meets service cost and lead-time expectations.
• Work with Finance to establish plant-level production budgets aligned with demand forecasts capacity constraints and cost targets.
• Coordinate with Operations to align production schedules with material availability.
• Analyze demand variability and implement mitigation strategies to minimize stockouts and excess inventory.
• Monitor and report key performance indicators (KPIs) such as service levels forecast accuracy and obsolescence.
• Lead capacity and constraint planning related to materials availability.
• Ensure ERP/MRP system integrity and drive enhancements to planning tools and processes.
• Support new product launches transitions and discontinuations from a materials perspective.
• Develop contingency plans to mitigate supply chain disruptions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to reduce spoilage excess and obsolete inventory.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Operations Business or related field (MBA preferred).
• 812 years of experience in materials planning supply chain or operations within a manufacturing environment.
• 35 years of leadership experience managing teams and/or multi-site responsibilities.
• Strong expertise in MRP/ERP systems (e.g. SAP Oracle JD Edwards).
• Proven ability to lead S&OP or integrated business planning processes.
• Deep understanding of inventory management demand planning and supply planning concepts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven mindset.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership abilities.