Materials Manager

Village Associates•Pulaski, WI

1d•$70,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Materials Manager is responsible for overseeing materials planning, procurement, and inventory management. This role leads a team of buyers and inventory technicians while driving continuous improvement initiatives and supporting operational performance. The Materials Manager partners closely with the Operations Manager and cross-functional teams to ensure timely material availability, cost efficiency, and supplier excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred; minimum of 5 years of relevant experience required.
At least 1 year of managerial experience in a supply chain or production environment.
Strong leadership and team development abilities.
Excellent analytical skills with experience in data evaluation and reporting.
Proven purchasing and vendor management experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and related systems.
Highly adaptable with strong organizational and multitasking capabilities.
Ability to lift 25–50 lbs. occasionally.

Nice To Haves

APICS certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary materials contact, building strong internal relationships and providing timely communication on material status.
Lead, mentor, and develop buyers and inventory technicians in partnership with the Operations Manager.
Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Sales, Estimating, and Customer Service to support production priorities and resolve material or specification changes.
Manage supplier accounts to ensure on-time delivery, quality standards, and cost competitiveness.
Evaluate supplier performance through scorecards and participate in supplier business reviews.
Build long-term supplier relationships and negotiate cost-effective agreements.
Implement commodity reviews to support supplier consolidation and cost savings.
Develop budgets and forecast purchasing trends to guide strategic decision-making.
Maintain optimal inventory levels and support cycle counts and year-end inventory activities.
Create and manage purchase orders for assigned suppliers.
Monitor material shortages and critical issues, particularly for new product launches.
Coordinate material needs for New Product Introductions (NPI) and End-of-Life (EOL) processes.
Compile and analyze product and purchasing performance data; present recommendations to leadership.
Identify process improvement opportunities and lead change initiatives.
Facilitate resolution of material and process issues by identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
Support non-conforming material and receipt exception processes.
Drive successful execution of cost reduction initiatives, including direct, indirect, and cost-avoidance efforts.
Standardize materials management processes in alignment with Operations leadership.