Materials Strategy Lead — Defense & Ops

Arete Associates; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 105,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

Life and Long-Term Disability

Vision Reimbursement

Fitness Reimbursement

401(k) with company contribution (5%)

ESOP contributions (5%)

Continuing Education Assistance

Performance-based bonus opportunities

Flexible Scheduling

PTO

Job summary

Arete Associates seeks a Materials Department Lead to oversee materials operations across all locations, shaping strategy, mentoring staff, and directly influencing growth and operational excellence.

The role supports defense and commercial programs; must ensure DoD/ITAR, ISO 9001:2015 compliance, and effective collaboration with engineering, production, and finance teams. Based in Tucson, AZ or Niwot, CO as a senior, exempt, full-time leader.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in materials or procurement.
• 2+ years in leadership/management roles.
• Experience in defense contractor or aerospace manufacturing environments.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems (Costpoint, Oracle, SAP).
• Strong materials planning, inventory management, and warehouse operations.
• ITAR/EAR compliance knowledge is essential.
• Knowledge of DoD contracting, GFE handling, FAR/DFARS, and military specs.
• Analytical, organized, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain/maintain, U.S. citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop the Materials Department across all Arete locations.
• Own end-to-end materials operations: planning, procurement, inventory, warehousing, logistics.
• Develop and execute strategic materials and supply chain plans.
• Establish and maintain materials systems and procedures across programs.
• Ensure DoD, ISO, DFARS, ITAR/EAR compliance.
• Partner with Engineering, Production, Procurement, Quality, PM, and Finance.
• Implement and optimize Costpoint/ERP to support schedules and forecasting.
• Drive continuous improvement: inventory accuracy, cycle time, cost reduction.
• Manage materials budgets and EAC processes.
• Interface with customers for engagements, audits, reviews.
• Track KPIs and report to executive leadership.
• Support government and commercial programs with agility.
• Build capability: recruit, train, and career path development.
• Respond to supply chain disruptions with mitigation strategies.

Skills

Leadership

5+ years experience

2+ years management

Defense contractor experience

MRP/ERP systems

Materials planning

Inventory management

Warehouse operations

ITAR/EAR compliance

DoD contracting requirements

Strong analytical skills

DoD compliance

Clear communication

U.S. citizenship

Education

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

Tools

Costpoint

Oracle

SAP

Job description

Arete Associates seeks a Materials Department Lead to oversee materials operations across all locations, shaping strategy, mentoring staff, and directly influencing growth and operational excellence.

The role supports defense and commercial programs; must ensure DoD/ITAR, ISO 9001:2015 compliance, and effective collaboration with engineering, production, and finance teams. Based in Tucson, AZ or Niwot, CO as a senior, exempt, full-time leader.