Supply Chain & Materials Manager – Manufacturing

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain & Materials Manager to lead material planning, purchasing, inventory, and supplier performance for a manufacturing operation. This is an on-site leadership position responsible for keeping materials aligned with production and project requirements while improving inventory performance, supplier reliability, and supply chain resilience.

What You'll Do

• Team & Materials Planning Lead, coach, and develop Buyer Planners while establishing clear performance expectations and KPIs
• Balance workloads across commodities, projects, and production requirements
• Ensure Buyer Planners effectively use ERP/MRP systems for purchasing, planning, item master maintenance, and exception management
• Support professional development, cross-training, and certification opportunities such as APICS CPIM and CSCPM
• Maintain coverage plans to ensure continuity during absences and staffing changes
• Production & Project Support Partner with Project Managers to align material availability with project schedules and production release dates
• Provide material availability and lead-time information to support realistic customer commitments
• Lead shortage escalations and coordinate corrective actions with suppliers and internal teams
• Review the active project portfolio regularly and align material critical paths with project schedules
• Support configure-to-order (CTO) and quick-ship programs through appropriate inventory and material planning
• Sales & Demand Planning Provide Sales with supply chain input on material availability, supplier capacity, and realistic lead times before commitments are made
• Participate in Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) activities
• Use sales pipeline and backlog information to anticipate material requirements and reduce supply risk
• Support customer-specific stocking programs, blanket orders, and consignment inventory arrangements
• Strategic Supply Management Develop positioning plans for critical and long-lead materials
• Manage inventory strategies for components such as specialty breakers, bus assemblies, power electronic modules, custom enclosures, and transformers
• Identify single-source and sole-source risks and recommend mitigation strategies, including dual sourcing, safety stock, supplier-managed inventory, and LTAs
• Support commodity strategies using supplier performance, consumption, and demand data
• Execute approved supplier and commodity strategies at the facility level
• Lead facility-level make/buy analysis and provide recommendations to supply chain and operations leadership
• Monitor commodity pricing, supply constraints, geopolitical risks, tariffs, and other factors affecting material cost or availability
• Inventory Management Own facility inventory performance, including inventory turns, excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory, days of supply, and working capital
• Drive toward a target of 10 inventory turns per year
• Lead monthly E&O reviews and coordinate disposition actions such as supplier returns, project redeployment, and write-off recommendations
• Establish inventory policies covering safety stock, reorder points, lot sizing, and cycle counts
• Lead the annual physical inventory process
• Balance inventory investment, material availability, and working capital using data-driven decisions
• Supplier Performance Manage supplier performance using on-time delivery (SOTD), quality/PPM, lead-time accuracy, and responsiveness metrics
• Conduct quarterly business reviews with key suppliers and establish measurable improvement plans
• Escalate supplier issues that could affect production continuity
• Partner with Quality Engineering on SCARs, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and supplier qualification
• Negotiate or oversee pricing agreements, blanket purchase orders, and long-term agreements (LTAs)
• ERP/MRP & Reporting Maintain accurate ERP/MRP data, including item masters, BOMs, supplier lead times, and planning parameters
• Establish consistent ERP usage standards and eliminate off-system planning workarounds
• Review MRP output and resolve issues involving parameter drift, demand signals, BOM accuracy, and planning logic
• Partner with IT and ERP administrators on system improvements, reporting, and configuration changes
• Prepare weekly supply chain dashboards and monthly KPI scorecards for leadership
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives involving ERP optimization, supplier lead-time reduction, dock-to-stock improvements, and inventory reduction
• Apply Lean principles, including 5S, throughout receiving, warehouse, stockroom, and material-handling processes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus
• 7-10+ years of progressive supply chain experience in manufacturing, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or team lead role overseeing buyers, planners, or Buyer Planners
• Experience managing material planning and procurement in an electromechanical, electrical equipment, or industrial manufacturing environment
• Power distribution industry experience strongly preferred
• Advanced proficiency with ERP/MRP systems, including SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS, or comparable systems
• Ability to diagnose and resolve MRP planning issues, not simply report them
• Demonstrated success improving inventory turns while maintaining or improving material availability, with the ability to quantify previous results
• Experience managing supplier performance programs, including QBRs, SCARs, and supplier development
• Ability to operate effectively at both tactical and strategic levels
• Strong cross-functional experience working with project management, sales, engineering, production, and finance
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate supply chain information into actionable recommendations
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools for inventory, spend, and supplier performance reporting

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification
• ISM C.P.M. or CPSM certification
• Experience with power distribution products such as PDCs, STS, RPPs, switchgear, UPS systems, and associated electromechanical components
• Familiarity with UL, ANSI, NEMA, NEC, and IEC standards relevant to power distribution equipment
• Experience developing commodity strategies for breakers, bus duct, transformers, enclosures, and power electronics
• Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt experience
• Experience leading kaizen events in supply chain or warehouse environments
• Experience with VMI, consignment agreements, supplier-stocked buffers, and blanket PO/call-off arrangements
• Experience with import compliance, customs, and international supplier management

Core Skills

• Supply Chain Leadership & Team Development
• Strategic Material Positioning & Risk Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• MRP/ERP Mastery & Data Governance
• Inventory Optimization
• Supplier Relationship & Performance Management
• Project-Aligned Material Planning
• Demand Sensing & Capacity Awareness
• Escalation & Crisis Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Commercial & Cost Management
• Executive Communication & Reporting

Work Environment

• On-site position; not remote or hybrid
• Daily presence on the manufacturing floor is required
• Regular work in production, warehouse, and receiving areas with exposure to moderate noise, industrial equipment, and electrical assemblies
• Up to 20% travel for supplier visits, strategic 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
• Must be physically able to walk manufacturing areas, access storage locations, and participate in physical inventory activities