Materials Manager

Ainsley Search Group; Arcadia Lakes (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Ainsley Search Group is seeking an experienced Materials Manager for a major automotive components manufacturer in Spartanburg County area. The role leads materials and supply chain, overseeing planning, inventory, warehouse, and material flow to support production schedules.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years in materials or manufacturing supply chain, strong SAP expertise, and a proven track record in Tier 1 automotive environments, with leadership and continuous improvement mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain or related field.
• 8+ years of materials, production control, or manufacturing supply chain experience.
• Experience in Tier 1 automotive manufacturing preferred.
• Strong SAP knowledge.
• Leadership of materials, planning, and logistics teams.
• Knowledge of MRP, inventory optimization, and production scheduling.
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing and JIT practices.
• Ability to reduce shortages and costs.

Responsibilities

• Direct plant-level materials operations to meet schedules.
• Lead production planning, inventory control, warehouse ops, and outbound shipments.
• Use SAP to monitor inventory and improve visibility across operations.
• Coordinate with purchasing, production, and customer service on shortages and changes.
• Oversee shipping/receiving and ensure accurate transactions.
• Develop employees through coaching, performance management, and training.
• Partner with plant leadership on priorities and resource planning.
• Promote safe, organized, and efficient environment aligned with quality standards.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical

Communication

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

Tools

SAP

MRP

Inventory systems

Job description

Ainsley Search Group is conducting a search for an experienced Materials Manager to join a well-established automotive components manufacturer in Spartanburg County Area.

This position will be responsible for leading the materials and supply chain functions within a large, high-volume manufacturing operation. The successful candidate will oversee production planning, inventory performance, warehouse activities, and the coordination of materials throughout the facility.

We are seeking a hands‑on leader who understands the demands of automotive manufacturing, can effectively utilize SAP to support daily operations, and has a proven ability to improve inventory performance while maintaining production efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct plant‑level materials operations, ensuring components and supplies are available to meet manufacturing schedules.
• Manage and develop a team responsible for production planning, inventory control, warehouse operations, and outbound shipments.
• Leverage SAP to monitor inventory, coordinate material requirements, and improve visibility across manufacturing operations.
• Work closely with production leadership to align material availability with daily and long‑term manufacturing schedules.
• Establish effective inventory practices to minimize excess stock, improve accuracy, and maintain appropriate supply levels.
• Identify opportunities to streamline the movement of materials throughout the facility and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
• Coordinate with purchasing, production, and customer service teams to address shortages, schedule changes, and delivery concerns.
• Oversee shipping and receiving activities to ensure accurate transactions and timely movement of incoming and outgoing materials.
• Evaluate departmental performance using inventory, scheduling, delivery, and operational efficiency metrics.
• Implement process improvements that reduce unnecessary costs, strengthen inventory control, and improve overall plant performance.
• Develop employees through coaching, performance management, and ongoing training.
• Partner with plant leadership on operational priorities, resource planning, and departmental objectives.
• Promote a safe, organized, and efficient working environment while supporting established manufacturing quality standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in materials management, production control, or manufacturing supply chain operations.
• Previous experience within a Tier 1 automotive manufacturing environment strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP required.
• Demonstrated experience leading materials, production planning, and logistics teams in a manufacturing facility.
• Solid understanding of material requirements planning (MRP), inventory optimization, and production scheduling.
• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing operations with demanding delivery requirements.
• Knowledge of just‑in‑time (JIT) manufacturing and automotive supply chain practices.
• Proven ability to improve inventory accuracy, reduce material shortages, and optimize operational costs.
• Strong leadership, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate across production, purchasing, quality, and operations departments.
• Experience with plastics manufacturing, injection molding, or related automotive components is a plus.
• Familiarity with automotive quality systems and continuous improvement methodologies preferred.