Materials Project Manager – Lead Sourcing & Strategy

Applied Materials, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Materials, Inc. in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a full-time professional to oversee materials planning and supplier coordination. The role focuses on forecasting engineering and manufacturing needs, supporting outsourcing decisions, and coordinating demand through MRP to minimize inventory exposure.

You will lead cross-functional teams, work with engineering to interpret requirements, and drive supplier negotiations, risk assessments, and cost optimization across key projects.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates depth and/or breadth of expertise in own specialized discipline or field.
• Interprets internal/external business challenges and recommends best practices to improve products, processes or services.
• May lead functional teams or projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity.
• Leads others to solve complex problems; uses sophisticated analytical thought to exercise judgment and identify innovative solutions.
• Impacts the achievement of customer, operational, project or service objectives; work is guided by functional policies.
• Communicates difficult concepts and negotiates with others to adopt a different point of view.

Responsibilities

• Forecasts and communicates engineering, materials, and manufacturing requirements to suppliers.
• Provides input to outsourcing decisions by performing make versus buy analysis.
• Coordinates demand signals through MRP to minimize inventory exposure.
• Leads Materials Core Team and coordinates product development process deliverables through matrix management of buyers, planners, and production control.
• Collaborates with engineering team to interpret engineering requirements.
• With limited/ no supervision, creates, releases and updates new project materials strategy.
• Sourcing: Assists in supplier price and delivery negotiations; under direct supervision may negotiate contracts as necessary.
• Utilizes the preferred supplier selection and assessment process when selecting suppliers.
• Completes supplier risk assessment on critical and unique parts.
• Monitors supplier performance (delivery, quality, cost).
• Materials: Coordinates activities around source selection, specification creation and price negotiation with appropriate team members.
• Executes commercialization (transition) materials plan).
• Manages materials change control process.
• Meets cost objectives and resolves quality issues.
• Generates and publishes Key Process Indicators.
• Tracks total landed costs targets.
• Works with engineering to identify preliminary critical parts, long-lead parts and inspection requirements.
• Assists and/ or leads in developing supplier and commodity road maps to engineering.
• Utilizes value analysis on build-to-print components in support of Should Cost analysis.
• Actively mediates and partners with quality and engineering teams to resolve supplier quality issues for assigned product groups.
• Escalate issues to Commodity Business Managers when necessary.

Job description

Applied Materials, Inc. in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a full-time professional to oversee materials planning and supplier coordination. The role focuses on forecasting engineering and manufacturing needs, supporting outsourcing decisions, and coordinating demand through MRP to minimize inventory exposure.

You will lead cross-functional teams, work with engineering to interpret requirements, and drive supplier negotiations, risk assessments, and cost optimization across key projects.