Materials Lead

Keystone Distinction Group; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Keystone Distinction Group in Rockford, IL, seeks a Materials Lead to oversee day-to-day planning, procurement, and inventory control for precision aerospace manufacturing. You will drive SIOP processes, optimize material flow, and partner across Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to improve supplier performance and on-time delivery.

The role requires 3–5 years in materials management with strong ERP/MRP and Excel skills, plus experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in materials management, supply chain, purchasing, or production planning.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or manufacturing.
• Strong ERP/MRP experience (Epicor, Infor, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent).
• Strong analytical and Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute production material plans aligned with customer demand and master production schedules.
• Manage MRP recommendations and ensure timely release of purchase orders and manufacturing orders.
• Analyze excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and develop reduction plans.
• Establish inventory policies including safety stock and reorder points.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and supplier agreements.
• Develop strategic supplier relationships focused on quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Coordinate daily material availability with production scheduling.
• Lead shortage meetings and establish recovery plans.
• Support engineering changes and material transitions.
• Ensure material transactions are completed accurately within the ERP system.

Skills

ERP/MRP proficiency

Excel proficiency

Analytical skills

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Epicor

Infor

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Job Summary

The Materials Lead is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day planning, procurement, inventory control, and material flow required to support our precision aerospace manufacturing operations. This role will ensure material availability while optimizing inventory, improving supplier performance, and supporting on-time delivery to our customers. The Materials Lead will work cross-functionally with Operations, Production, Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Finance to execute Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) process while driving continuous improvement throughout the supply chain.

Major Responsibilities:

Materials Planning

• Develop and execute production material plans aligned with customer demand and master production schedules.
• Manage MRP recommendations and ensure timely release of purchase orders and manufacturing orders.
• Analyze excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and develop reduction plans.
• Establish inventory policies including safety stock and reorder points.

Purchasing and Supplier Management

• Manage procurement of raw material, machined components, outside processing, hardware, and indirect materials.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and supplier agreements.
• Develop strategic supplier relationships focused on quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness.

Production Support

• Coordinate daily material availability with production scheduling.
• Lead shortage meetings and establish recovery plans.
• Support engineering changes and material transitions.
• Ensure material transactions are completed accurately within the ERP system.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Productivity Projects focused on supplier performance improvement and Purchase Price Variance (PPV) savings.
• Improve inventory turns and cash utilization.
• Reduce supplier lead times.
• Improve supplier on-time delivery.
• Standardize planning processes across locations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
• Inventory Turns
• Inventory Accuracy
• Supplier On-Time Delivery
• Supplier Quality Performance
• Material Shortage Reduction
• MRP Action Completion
• Working capital reduction

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in materials management, supply chain, purchasing, or production planning.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, precision machining, or manufacturing.
• Strong ERP/MRP experience (Epicor, Infor, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent).
• Strong analytical and Excel skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in aerospace, defense, medical device, or precision manufacturing.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement experience.
• Experience supporting AS9100 manufacturing environments.
• Government contracting or defense industry experience.

Minimum Competencies:

• Aerospace or highly regulated industry experience preferred.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage supplier relationships and cross-functional projects effectively.
• Knowledge of inventory planning, supplier performance metrics, and strategic sourcing principles.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.