Materials Manager – Manufacturing

Qualdoc; Marietta (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualdoc is seeking a Materials Manager for a hands-on leadership role in our Marietta, OH manufacturing operation. You will lead the Buyer Planner team, drive material availability, inventory performance, supplier metrics, and MRP/ERP planning to support on-time delivery.

The role requires coordinating with project management, sales, engineering, production, quality, and logistics to optimize supply planning, reduce risk, and improve inventory turns.

Qualifications

• Progressive supply chain experience with 7–10+ years
• Experience supervising buyers/planners
• Experience in electromechanical/industrial manufacturing
• Advanced ERP/MRP experience (SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS)
• Strong Excel and data-analysis skills

Responsibilities

• Lead Buyer Planners and supervise team
• Align material plans with project schedules and ship dates
• Escalate material shortages affecting production
• Support SIOP and demand planning with sales
• Develop supplier strategies and mitigations
• Lead make/buy analysis and provide leadership recommendations
• Monitor inventory turns and working capital

Skills

Supply planning leadership

Inventory management

ERP / MRP systems

Supplier management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis with Excel

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

APICS CPIM/CSCP or ISM C.P.M./CPSM certification

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Infor

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Materials Manager – Manufacturing

Location:Marietta, OH
Job Type:Full-Time, Direct Hire
Travel:Up to 20% for supplier visits, sourcing reviews, industry conferences, and occasional customer engagement

Position Overview

We are seeking aMaterials Managerto lead supply chain and material-planning activities within a manufacturing operation. This role oversees the Buyer Planner team while managing material availability, inventory, supplier performance, purchasing, and MRP/ERP planning.

The position combines hands‑on operational leadership with strategic supply chain planning. The Materials Manager will work closely with project management, sales, engineering, production, quality, and logistics to support delivery schedules, reduce supply risk, and improve inventory performance.

Team Leadership

• Supervise, coach, and develop Buyer Planners through regular performance reviews, one‑on‑ones, mentoring, and cross‑training.
• Assign workloads based on commodities, projects, volume, and team capabilities.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor inventory and purchasing KPIs.
• Ensure Buyer Planners effectively use ERP/MRP systems for purchasing, planning, item data, and exception management.
• Identify team skill gaps and support professional development, includingAPICS CPIM and CSCPcertification.
• Maintain coverage plans to ensure projects and supplier relationships remain supported during absences or turnover.

Material Planning & Project Support

• Align material plans with project schedules, production requirements, and committed ship dates.
• Participate in project kickoffs to reviewBOMs, long‑lead materials, supply risks, and material availability.
• Provide supply‑chain input for lead‑time commitments and order acknowledgements.
• Lead escalation of material shortages that could affect production or delivery.
• Review the project portfolio regularly and identify actions needed to protect delivery commitments.
• Ensure quick‑ship and configure‑to‑order programs have appropriate finished goods and material availability.

Sales & Demand Planning

• Provide Sales with material lead times, supplier capacity information, and supply‑risk assessments during quoting.
• Participate inSales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP)activities.
• Use sales pipeline and demand information to anticipate material requirements and engage suppliers early.
• Support customer‑specific stocking programs, blanket orders, and consignment inventory arrangements where applicable.
• Communicate supply constraints clearly when proposed delivery dates are not achievable.

Strategic Supply Management

• Develop positioning strategies for critical or long‑lead materials.
• Manage inventory planning for components such asspecialty breakers, bus assemblies, power electronic modules, custom enclosures, and transformers.
• Identify single‑source and sole‑source risks and develop mitigation plans involving dual sourcing, safety stock, supplier‑managed inventory, and LTAs.
• Support commodity strategies using supplier performance, consumption, and demand data.
• Implement approved supplier agreements, pricing frameworks, and contract requirements.
• Lead facility‑levelmake/buy analysisand present recommendations to leadership.
• Monitor commodity pricing, supply constraints, geopolitical conditions, and tariff impacts that may affect cost or availability.

Inventory Management

• Own inventory performance, includinginventory turns, excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory, days of supply, and working capital.
• Work toward a target of10 inventory turns per yearwhile maintaining material availability.
• Lead monthly E&O reviews and coordinate disposition through supplier returns, project redeployment, or write‑off recommendations.
• Establish inventory policies covering safety stock, reorder points, lot sizes, and cycle counts.
• Lead the annual physical inventory process and reconcile results.
• Balance inventory investment, material availability, and working capital using data‑driven decisions.

Supplier Management

• Track supplier performance usingon‑time delivery (SOTD), quality/PPM, lead‑time accuracy, and responsiveness.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews with key suppliers and establish measurable improvement plans.
• Escalate supplier issues that threaten production continuity.
• Partner with Quality Engineering onSCARs, root‑cause analysis, corrective actions, and closure.
• Support qualification of new suppliers in coordination with Quality Engineering and Application Engineering.
• Negotiate or overseepricing agreements, blanket purchase orders, and long‑term agreements (LTAs).
• Maintain supplier agreements and related information within the ERP system.

ERP / MRP & Data Management

• Own supply‑chain data accuracy for the facility, includingitem masters, BOMs, supplier lead times, and planning parameters.
• Establish ERP usage standards and eliminate off‑system purchasing and planning workarounds.
• Review MRP output and correct issues involving parameter drift, demand signals, and BOM accuracy.
• Partner with IT and ERP administrators on system improvements, reporting, and configuration changes.
• Promote accurate system data as a foundation for effective supply‑chain decisions.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare weekly supply‑chain dashboards covering:
  • Material availability
  • Shortages
  • Supplier SOTD
  • Inventory turns
  • E&O exposure
  • Present monthly KPI reporting with trends, root‑cause analysis, and forward‑looking risks.
  • Lead improvements involving ERP parameters, supplier lead times, receiving, inventory, and material flow.
  • ApplyLean and 5Sprinciples to warehouse and stockroom operations.
  • Evaluate supply‑chain performance against industry standards and develop improvement plans.

Success in this role will be evaluated using metrics including:

• Inventory Turns:Target of 10 turns/year.
• Material On‑Time Availability:Target of 98% by required‑on‑floor date.
• Supplier On‑Time Delivery:Target of 95% of PO lines delivered by promise date.
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV):Favorable or neutral versus standard cost.
• Excess & Obsolete Inventory:Reduce E&O quarter‑over‑quarter and address items over 90 days.
• Shortages:Prevent production interruptions caused by avoidable material shortages.
• Supplier Quality:Improve incoming quality/PPM and close SCARs within 30 days.
• Strategic Material Positioning:Maintain agreed safety levels for critical long‑lead materials.

• Bachelor’s degree inSupply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
• 7–10+ years of progressive supply chain experiencein manufacturing, including at least 3 years supervising or leading buyers, planners, or Buyer Planners.
• Experience managing material planning and procurement in anelectromechanical, electrical equipment, or industrial manufacturingenvironment.
• Power distribution industry experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced experience withERP/MRP systems, such asSAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS, or comparable platforms.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve MRP planning issues.
• Demonstrated success improving inventory turns while maintaining or improving material availability.
• Experience managing supplier performance, includingQBRs, SCARs, and supplier development.
• Ability to balance daily shortage management and team leadership with strategic sourcing, inventory, and supply‑risk planning.
• Strong cross‑functional experience withproject management, sales, engineering, production, and finance.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain supply‑chain issues clearly to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency withMicrosoft Excel and data‑analysis toolsfor inventory, spending, and supplier reporting.

• APICS CPIM or CSCP, orISM C.P.M. or CPSMcertification.
• Experience with power distribution products includingPDCs, STSs, RPPs, switchgear, UPS systems, and related electromechanical components.
• Familiarity withUL, ANSI, NEMA, NEC, and IEC standardsrelevant to power distribution equipment.
• Experience developing commodity strategies forbreakers, bus duct, transformers, enclosures, and power electronics.
• Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Beltcertification.
• Experience leading Kaizen events in supply chain or warehouse environments.
• Experience withVMI, consignment inventory, supplier‑stocked buffers, blanket POs, or call‑off programs.
• Experience with import compliance, customs, and international suppliers.

• Supply Chain Leadership
• Buyer & Planner Development
• Strategic Sourcing & Material Positioning
• Supply Risk Management
• MRP/ERP Systems & Data Governance
• Inventory Optimization
• Supplier Performance Management
• Project‑Based Material Planning
• Demand Planning & Capacity Awareness
• Escalation & Issue Resolution
• Continuous Improvement
• Cost & Commercial Management
• Executive Reporting

• On‑site position; remote or hybrid work is not available.
• Regular presence in manufacturing, warehouse, and receiving areas.
• Exposure to moderate noise, industrial equipment, and electrical assemblies.
• Up to20% travelfor supplier visits, sourcing reviews, industry conferences, and occasional customer engagement.
• Must be available to address escalated supply‑chain issues outside standard business hours when production continuity is at risk.
• Ability to walk manufacturing areas, access storage locations, and participate in physical inventory activities.