Materials Manager

Chamberlain Group; Menomonee Falls (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Chamberlain Group is seeking a Materials Manager to lead warehousing, receiving, purchasing, and supply chain planning within the Operations and Supply Chain organization. You will guide a team of buyers and analysts, drive lean inventory, optimize the MRP program, and partner with suppliers to ensure production availability and cost reductions.

The role emphasizes leadership, KPI achievement, and cross-functional collaboration to support growth and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain or operations management or related field.
• 7+ years in purchasing, planning, warehousing, or inventory management.
• 2+ years of supervisory experience; advanced ERP/MRP knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead warehousing and receiving departments, staffing, and personnel management.
• Lead purchasing buyers and supply chain analysts; set priorities and KPIs.
• Oversee receiving/warehousing, returns, and backorders processing.
• Support inventory metrics, replenishment, and stock-turn optimization.
• Develop reorder point programs and improve the MRP setup and inputs.
• Forecast demand and manage supplier relationships to ensure availability.
• Drive cost reductions through sourcing, quotes, and productivity initiatives.

Skills

Warehouse management

Inventory control

Purchasing

MRP/ERP

Data analysis

Project management

Vendor relations

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's in supply chain/ops mgmt

Master's in supply chain

CSCP/ASCM certification

Tools

SAP

Excel

Job description

Job Summary

The Materials Manager is a key leader in Chamberlain Group’s Operations and Supply Chain organization, responsible for keeping materials flowing to production across the supply chain function, excluding logistics. You will lead the warehousing and receiving teams, direct purchasing and supply chain planning through a team of buyers and analysts, and work in conjunction with the inventory manager supporting their department’s inventory metrics. Success in this role means reducing stock-outs, executing a leaner inventory strategy, and ensuring production has what it needs to run: you will support production needs and activities, support productivity initiatives to increase production throughput, and strengthen the MRP program through better inputs and set-up initiatives. If you enjoy developing teams, building strong supplier relationships, and driving measurable improvements in cost and performance, this role offers broad scope and direct impact on the business.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the warehousing and receiving departments, including daily operations, staffing, and the management of all personnel in those departments; assist the inventory department.
• Lead purchasing buyers and supply chain analysts; set priorities, review work, ensure purchasing and analytical outputs support business needs, and hit measurable KPIs.
• Oversee receiving and warehousing processes; manage return of non-conforming products, ensuring credit and replacements are processed; pull Sales Orders for backordered parts when received.
• Support the inventory department in tracking inventory on hand and managing replenishment to avoid stock-outs; support inventory metrics and target inventory turns.
• Develop and implement reorder point programs and manage execution of the MRP program; improve the MRP program through better inputs and set-up initiatives.
• Oversee demand plans based on historical usage and projected growth; forecast supply for A items, B items, and C items & differences that result to maintain adequate inventory health along with proper placement in the warehouse.
• Support company productivity initiatives and margin improvement goals; support product cost and drive year-over-year cost reductions through cost-down initiatives (e.g., e-sourcing, quoting activities).
• Implement routine ERP Item Master maintenance to ensure part-number accuracy; lead times, supplier contracts, PO’s & SS inputs.
• Analyze market and delivery conditions to determine material availability; prepare market analysis reports and review PO claims/contracts for policy compliance.
• Negotiate material costs; manage disposal of surplus materials.
• Prepare instructions regarding purchasing systems and procedures; oversee issuance of purchase orders and change notices.
• Identify sources for newly developed products and new service parts; analyze suppliers and make decisions about supplier selection.
• Establish strategic relationships with key suppliers aligned to company needs; assess supplier capability and maintain Supplier Report Cards to ensure quality, quantity, and on-time delivery (OTD).
• Monitor and report cost fluctuations; identify and establish department KPIs (sourcing, inventory, stock-outs) and report quarterly to senior management.
• Comply with health and safety guidelines and rules; managers should also ensure compliance across their teams.
• Protect Chamberlain Group’s reputation by keeping information confidential.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reading professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
• Contribute to the team effort by accomplishing related results and participating in projects as needed.

Supervision Exercised

• Supervise warehousing and receiving personnel, purchasing buyers, and supply chain analysts.
• Motivate and lead a high-performance team by attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining team members
• Drive the performance management and compensation processes by communicating job expectations, monitoring and evaluating performance, providing feedback, and facilitating employee development per the company’s policies
• Maintain transparent communication by appropriately communicating organizational information to the team through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, appropriate email, IM, and regular interpersonal communications
• Lead and motivate individuals and teams to create a workplace culture that is consistent with the CG mission, vision, and values.

Minimum Qualifications

Education/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or operations management, or related field, or equivalent experience

Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in purchasing, planning, warehousing, or inventory management
• 2 years of supervisory experience
• Advanced experience with commodities relevant to Chamberlain Group product lines

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of warehouse, receiving, and inventory control practices
• Advanced knowledge of ERP systems
• Advanced knowledge of MRP
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel)
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to analyze, synthesize, and meaningfully communicate supply chain-related information and data on a regular basis
• Must demonstrate initiative and have the ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously with minimal supervision

Other:

• Able to travel up to 10% domestically

Preferred Qualifications

Education/Certifications:

• Master’s degree in supply chain or operations management
• ASCM or CSCP certification

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proven advanced knowledge of MRP; SAP experience is preferred

Chamberlain Group wants all of its employees to succeed and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and you’ll be considered for this role regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, ancestry; marital, disabled or veteran status. We’re committed to fostering an environment where people of all lived experiences feel welcome.

Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence [e-mail].