Assistant Materials Manager

Yanfeng • Louisville, KY

4d

About The Position

The Assistant Materials Manager leads daily materials operations to ensure uninterrupted material flow across raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, and shipping. The role maintains inventory accuracy and transactional discipline in ERP/MRP systems, monitors inventory performance, reduces inventory costs, and identifies material-consumption trends and supply risks that could affect production schedules.

The position supports customer production schedules and automotive delivery expectations by coordinating with Production, Scheduling, and Supply Chain teams, monitoring inbound deliveries and supplier performance, and escalating material constraints and discrepancies. It also supports launches, engineering changes, value analysis/value engineering initiatives, and production ramp-ups by ensuring material readiness and inventory alignment.

The Assistant Materials Manager oversees warehouse operations, material handling, storage, and inventory movement. The role improves warehouse layout and material flow, ensures FIFO, traceability, containment, and customer-specific requirements, coordinates with logistics and transportation partners, and advances warehouse safety, housekeeping, organization, and visual management.

Requirements

• 5–7+ years of progressive experience in materials, supply chain, inventory control, logistics, or warehouse management.
• At least 1–3 years of experience in automotive manufacturing, preferably in a Tier 1 supplier environment.
• Proven experience leading materials teams in a fast-paced manufacturing operation.
• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• High attention to detail and a disciplined approach to inventory accuracy and process execution.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic manufacturing environment.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and data analysis tools.
• Ability to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers, and all levels of plant leadership.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed to suppliers, customer locations, and manufacturing facilities.
• Ability to work additional hours during launches, inventory events, customer escalations, or other business-critical situations.
• Ability to work in an industrial manufacturing environment, including occasional climbing, lifting, and extended periods on the production floor.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field (listed as preferred).
• Experience supporting automotive OEM customers and customer-specific delivery requirements.
• Knowledge of MRP/ERP systems, inventory management tools, and warehouse management processes.
• Experience with launches, engineering changes, production ramp-ups, and supply chain troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kanban systems, PFEP, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily materials operations across raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, and shipping.
• Maintain inventory accuracy through inventory controls, cycle counting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Promote accurate inventory transactions and disciplined use of ERP/MRP systems.
• Monitor inventory turns, obsolete and excess inventory, scrap, and inventory variances.
• Develop strategies to reduce inventory costs while maintaining customer service and production continuity.
• Analyze material consumption and identify supply risks that could affect production schedules.
• Ensure material availability for customer production schedules and automotive delivery requirements.
• Coordinate with Production, Scheduling, and Supply Chain teams to align materials with changing demand.
• Monitor inbound deliveries and supplier performance to minimize shortages and production disruptions.
• Lead escalations involving supplier constraints, material shortages, and inventory discrepancies.
• Support launches, engineering changes, VA/VE initiatives, and production ramp-ups through materials readiness and inventory alignment.
• Oversee warehouse operations, material handling, storage strategies, and inventory movements.
• Optimize warehouse layout, material flow, storage utilization, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with FIFO, inventory traceability, product containment, and customer-specific requirements.
• Partner with logistics providers and transportation teams on inbound and outbound material movement.
• Improve warehouse safety, housekeeping, organization, and visual management systems.
• Travel as needed to suppliers, customer locations, and manufacturing facilities.
• Work additional hours during launches, inventory events, customer escalations, or business-critical situations.

Benefits

• Medical and prescription coverage
• Dental insurance
• Vision coverage
• HSA and flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) with 6% matching contributions and immediate 100% vesting
• Company-paid life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Wellness and discount programs
• Development programs, continuous learning, mentorship, and volunteerism opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed