Materials Manager

Lear Corporation•Detroit, MI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of the Materials team, the Materials Manager will be responsible for leading end-to-end materials and inventory management, optimizing inventory accuracy, ensuring compliant and efficient material flow from customer to supply base, controlling freight costs, and developing a high-performing materials team aligned with organizational goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, logistics, or related field.
Seven (7) to ten (10) years of Materials Management experience in the automotive industry, including Product Launch experience.
Strong knowledge of inventory control, logistics, material planning, and EDI systems
Demonstrated leadership and team development experience
Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier environment
Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement principles
ERP/MRP system experience (SAP or similar)

Responsibilities

Optimize inventory levels and Days on Hand (DOH) using PFEP while minimizing excess and obsolete materials.
Maintain organized material flow for receiving, storage, and line-side replenishment.
Oversee cycle counting to quickly identify and resolve inventory variances.
Manage engineering changes through cross-functional coordination and proper system updates.
Partner with Finance to forecast material costs and month-end inventory.
Lead semi-annual physical inventories with acceptable variance results.
Analyze customer release data to predict and address capacity constraints.
Manage customer portal communications and release confirmations.
Communicate release changes to suppliers and verify their ability to meet requirements.
Maintain complete EDI compliance for inbound and outbound data accuracy.
Ensure adherence to internal audit standards and external requirements (SOX, TS16949, ISO14001).
Own and report materials KPIs, driving continuous improvement and corrective action plans.
Collaborate with Corporate Logistics to execute optimal inbound freight networks and routing.
Align release systems with logistics routing to improve supplier and carrier performance.
Manage premium freight with strict cost-recovery expectations.
Improve packaging efficiency to reduce freight and storage costs.
Audit freight invoices to prevent incorrect billing.
Communicate plant and corporate goals through regular staff meetings and updates.
Ensure proper staffing (planners, schedulers, drivers, analysts) and maintain positive employee relations.
Build a high-performing materials team - targeting 90% “A players” supported through quarterly reviews and performance tracking.