Materials & Supply Chain Manager

Confidential Careers; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Careers is seeking a hands-on head of Purchasing and Materials for a precision manufacturing operation in Western North Carolina. You will own purchasing strategy, supplier relationships, planning, inventory optimization, and production support, partnering with executive leadership to improve performance.

This on-site leadership role collaborates across Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, and Customer Service to ensure material availability, reduce costs, and strengthen

Qualifications

• Experience in materials management, purchasing, supply chain, or inventory within manufacturing.
• ERP/MRP systems and materials planning expertise.
• Supplier negotiations, development, sourcing, contract management, and vendor qualification.
• Inventory optimization, forecasting, production support, and demand planning.
• Microsoft Excel and data-driven decision-making.
• Cross-functional leadership with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead purchasing, materials planning, inventory control, shipping, and supplier management for a batch/discrete manufacturing operation.
• Develop material plans based on customer demand, production schedules, inventory levels, supplier lead times, and ERP/MRP recommendations.
• Ensure raw materials, purchased components, tooling, and outside services are available to support production.
• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, terms, and long-term purchasing agreements.
• Identify and implement cost reduction, inventory optimization, and supplier improvement initiatives.
• Monitor inventory levels, inventory turns, shortages, excess inventory, and obsolete material while maintaining production continuity.
• Develop alternate sourcing strategies and reduce supply chain risk.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems to manage purchasing, planning, inventory, supplier data, and reporting.
• Analyze purchasing and inventory metrics to support better business decisions.
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve shortages, changing demand, and production constraints.
• Drive Lean initiatives and continuous improvement throughout the materials organization.

Skills

Materials management

Purchasing

Supply chain

Production planning

Inventory management

ERP/MRP systems

Supplier negotiations

Forecasting

Cross-functional leadership

Excel / data analytics

Education

APICS CPIM/CSCP/CPSM (preferred)

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Join a Stable Precision Manufacturer Where Your Decisions Directly Impact the Business

Our client is a financially stable, privately owned precision manufacturer serving leading OEM and industrial customers with highly engineered components used in demanding applications. With a reputation built on quality, operational excellence, and long-term customer relationships, the company has created an environment where employees are empowered to make meaningful contributions rather than simply maintain the status quo.

This is an opportunity to step into a highly visible leadership role overseeing the entire materials function for a growing manufacturing operation. Rather than serving as a transactional buyer, you'll own purchasing strategy, supplier relationships and negotiations, materials planning, inventory optimization, shipping operations, and production support while partnering closely with executive leadership to improve operational performance across the business.

If you enjoy solving complex manufacturing challenges, building strong supplier relationships, and driving continuous improvement, this is a role where your expertise will make a measurable impact every day.

We're looking for a hands-on leader who enjoys working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment where everyone is willing to roll up their sleeves, solve problems together, and take ownership.

This role works closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Customer Service, and executive leadership to maintain material availability, improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen supplier performance across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead purchasing, materials planning, inventory control, shipping, and supplier management for a batch/discrete manufacturing operation.
• Develop material plans based on customer demand, production schedules, inventory levels, supplier lead times, and ERP/MRP recommendations.
• Ensure raw materials, purchased components, tooling, and outside services are available to support production.
• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, commercial terms, and long-term purchasing agreements.
• Identify and implement cost reduction, inventory optimization, and supplier improvement initiatives.
• Monitor inventory levels, inventory turns, shortages, excess inventory, and obsolete material while maintaining production continuity.
• Develop alternate sourcing strategies and reduce supply chain risk.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems to manage purchasing, planning, inventory, supplier data, and reporting.
• Analyze purchasing and inventory metrics to support better business decisions.
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve shortages, changing customer demand, and production constraints.
• Drive Lean initiatives and continuous improvement throughout the materials organization.

Required Skills & Qualifications

We're looking for someone who brings a combination of strategic thinking and hands-on execution within a manufacturing environment.

Ideal candidates will have experience with:

• Materials management, purchasing, supply chain, production planning, or inventory management within a manufacturing environment.
• ERP/MRP systems and materials planning.
• Supplier negotiations, supplier development, sourcing, contract management, and vendor qualification.
• Inventory optimization, forecasting, production support, and demand planning.
• Microsoft Excel and data-driven decision-making.
• Cross-functional leadership working with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, and suppliers.

Preferred experience includes APICS certifications (CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM), Lean Manufacturing, Kanban, continuous improvement, supplier scorecards, domestic and international sourcing, metals, machined components, tubing, castings, fabricated products, and engineered components.

Candidates with experience in precision machining, CNC machining, fabricated metals, industrial components, automotive suppliers, aerospace manufacturing, hydraulics, valves, fittings, OEM manufacturing, heavy equipment, or other engineered product manufacturers are strongly encouraged to apply.

Location

This on-site opportunity is located in Western North Carolina, approximately 40 minutes east of Asheville. The region offers an outstanding quality of life, combining the affordability and pace of a smaller community with convenient access to Asheville's restaurants, arts, entertainment, and the outdoor recreation that makes the Blue Ridge Mountains one of the country's most desirable places to live.