Materials Manager

Interactive Resources; Buena (NJ); Presencial; USD 90.000 - 130.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Interactive Resources in New Jersey seeks a Materials Manager to oversee procurement, supplier relationships, and supply chain operations for a manufacturing facility. The role ensures timely, cost-effective materials, equipment, and services to support production and plant efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing procurement, supplier negotiations, inventory management, and strategic sourcing, with preference for plastics or high-volume environments.

Formación

• Minimum 5 years in purchasing, procurement, or materials management in manufacturing.
• Proven supplier management, contract negotiations, and cost reduction track record.
• Strong understanding of inventory control, material planning, and production needs.
• Experience managing multiple suppliers and competing operational demands.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Responsabilidades

• Manage purchasing for raw materials, resins, packaging, MRO, and services.
• Develop strategies to optimize cost, quality, delivery, and supplier reliability.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and payment terms with suppliers.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities via strategic sourcing and bidding.
• Ensure timely procurement to support production schedules.

Conocimientos

Procurement management

Supplier negotiations

Inventory management

Strategic sourcing

Cost reduction

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Problem solving

Organizational skills

Educación

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

Herramientas

ERP/MRP systems

Purchasing analytics

Descripción del empleo

Materials Manager

Location: New Jersey

Schedule: Full-Time | Onsite, Monday–Friday

Industry: Manufacturing

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Materials Manager to oversee procurement, supplier relationships, and supply chain operations for a manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

This position plays a critical role in ensuring the timely and cost-effective availability of materials, equipment, and services necessary to support production demands and overall plant efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing procurement, supplier negotiations, inventory management, and strategic sourcing. Experience in plastics injection molding, packaging, or high-volume manufacturing environments is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Procurement Management

• Manage purchasing activities for raw materials, resins, additives, colorants, packaging materials, MRO supplies, spare parts, equipment, and outside services.
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies that optimize cost, quality, delivery, and supplier reliability.
• Negotiate supplier pricing, contracts, payment terms, and purchasing agreements.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, and supplier negotiations.
• Ensure timely procurement of materials and services to support production schedules and operational requirements.

Supplier & Vendor Management

• Establish, develop, and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international suppliers as applicable.
• Evaluate supplier performance based on quality, pricing, delivery, responsiveness, and reliability.
• Identify, qualify, and develop alternative suppliers to minimize supply chain disruptions.
• Resolve supplier-related issues involving material shortages, delivery delays, pricing discrepancies, and quality concerns.
• Monitor market conditions, material availability, and pricing trends to support informed purchasing decisions.

Inventory & Supply Chain Operations

• Partner with Production, Scheduling, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Finance to align purchasing activities with operational needs.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess stock, shortages, and carrying costs.
• Support production planning, new product introductions, engineering changes, and changing material requirements.
• Identify potential supply chain risks and implement contingency plans to ensure business continuity.
• Improve purchasing processes, supplier accountability, and overall supply chain efficiency.

Cost Control & Process Improvement

• Analyze purchasing trends, supplier costs, and material expenditures to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop strategies to reduce procurement costs without compromising product quality or production schedules.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier documentation, and pricing agreements.
• Collaborate with plant leadership to improve procurement practices, inventory accuracy, and operational performance.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing operation.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, materials management, or supply chain operations within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success in supplier management, contract negotiations, strategic sourcing, and cost reduction.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, inventory control, material planning, and production requirements.
• Experience managing multiple suppliers, purchasing priorities, and competing operational demands.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and respond quickly to changing business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience in plastics, packaging, or high-volume manufacturing.
• Knowledge of resin markets, colorants, packaging components, tooling, MRO procurement, and outside processing.
• Experience with supplier qualification, inventory optimization, and supply chain risk management.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and purchasing analytics.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, CPM, or APP are a plus.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a proactive, hands-on materials management professional who understands the demands of a manufacturing environment. This individual will possess strong business judgment, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to balance cost savings with quality, supplier performance, and production continuity.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership, builds dependable supplier partnerships, anticipates supply chain challenges, and works effectively with plant leadership to keep operations running smoothly.

Work Environment

This is a 100% onsite position New Jersey, requiring regular collaboration with plant personnel and visits to production, warehouse, receiving, maintenance, and tooling areas.