Overview:
The Materials Manager is responsible for leading inbound material flow, inventory control, warehousing, and internal material handling operations within the manufacturing facility. This role ensures the timely receipt, storage, movement, and delivery of raw materials, components, packaging, and indirect materials to support uninterrupted production. The Materials Manager develops processes, leads warehouse and material handling teams, and drives continuous improvement initiatives that improve inventory accuracy, warehouse efficiency, material flow, safety, and operational performance.
Job Category: Salary Exempt
Department: Manufacturing
Reports To: Sr. Manager Inventory Planning
Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm, additional hours as needed.
Responsibilities:
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Oversee all receiving operations, including scheduling, unloading, inspection, and system transactions.
- Coordinate with suppliers, transportation providers, procurement, and production planning teams to ensure timely material availability.
- Monitor inventory investment, warehouse operating costs, and inventory-related KPIs while identifying opportunities to reduce working capital and improve cost efficiency.
- Ensure compliance with receiving procedures, quality requirements, and inventory control processes.
- Manage dock utilization, yard management activities, and material staging processes.
- Lead warehouse operations, including storage, put-away, replenishment, cycle counting, and inventory optimization.
- Maintain accurate inventory records through ERP system and physical controls.
- Establish and monitor inventory accuracy metrics and corrective action plans.
- Ensure compliance with inventory management policies, FIFO/FEFO requirements, and material traceability standards.
- Develop and maintain efficient material flow strategies from receiving through production consumption.
- Manage material handlers, forklift operators, warehouse associates, and team leaders.
- Ensure timely replenishment of production lines and point-of-use inventory locations.
- Optimize warehouse layouts, storage methods, and material movement processes.
- Implement lean material handling practices to reduce waste, travel time, and non-value-added activities.
- Support line-side delivery, kitting, milk-run, Kanban, and other inventory replenishment programs.
- Partner with Production, Planning, Quality, and Procurement teams to ensure material availability.
- Identify and mitigate material shortages that could impact production schedules.
- Lead, coach, and develop warehouse and material handling personnel.
- Establish performance expectations and accountability measures for the team.
- Conduct performance reviews and support employee development initiatives.
- Promote a culture of safety, quality, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
- Analyze material flow, labor utilization, space utilization, and productivity metrics.
- Implement process improvements that reduce costs, improve service levels, and increase operational efficiency.
- Maintain safe operation of forklifts, material handling equipment, and warehouse facilities.
Strategic Knowledge & Experience –Broad experience in materials management, inventory control, warehousing, transportation, production support, demand fulfillment, and continuous improvement within a manufacturing environment. Demonstrated ability to optimize material flow, inventory accuracy, warehouse
operations, and service levels through effective use of ERP systems, operational metrics, and process improvement methodologies.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership techniques, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Leadership Talent and Development- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop material team members by establishing performance expectations and conduct regular coaching sessions and annual performance evaluations. Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.
Safety and Compliance- Champion a safe working environment by ensuring compliance with company safety policies and best practices in addition to maintaining 5 s principles and high standards of housekeeping.
Understand Core Performance Metrics Establish, monitor, analyze, and drive improvement in key materials management and warehouse performance indicators, including inventory accuracy, inventory turns, material availability, receiving performance, dock-to-stock cycle time, warehouse productivity, space utilization, order accuracy, inventory carrying costs, safety performance, and service levels to production operations. Utilize data and operational metrics to identify trends, implement corrective actions, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
WORKING CONDITIONS / EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE
Qualifications:
Working Conditions: This position requires accessing all areas in the plant Physical Demands: Regularly required to stand or sit and move about the facility. Walking Warehouse floors, climbing stairs, exposure to manufacturing environment, interaction with forklifts/material handling equipment.
Education and Formal Training:
Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related field.
- APICS/ASCM certifications (CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD), Lean Six Sigma certification, or equivalent professional certification preferred
Experience:
- Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in materials management, supply chain, warehouse operations, inventory control, logistics, or manufacturing operations.
- Demonstrated experience with inventory planning, materials management, warehouse operations, receiving, and transportation management.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Superior organization skills and attention to detail.
- Thorough understanding of Lean Manufacturing, 5s, Kaizen, inventory optimization, and warehouse best practices.
- Strong knowledge of ERP systems and advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word Applications.
Materials and Equipment Used:
- Office Equipment, Database & Query Software, ERP Software, Procurement Software - SAP system.
