Materials Manager

About Us

Competitive Engineering (CEI) is a precision engineering and manufacturing company supporting Fortune 500 leaders in data storage, aerospace, and aviation. We move fast, develop people, and deliver consistent, reliable results. Join a dynamic team that builds parts supporting things across the globe and in outer space.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Materials Manager leads the complete materials management process, from supplier quotation through customer shipment. The role establishes an integrated plan that supports repetitive manufacturing, meets customer delivery commitments, and controls purchased material, work in process (WIP), and finished goods inventory.

The Materials Manager sets materials policies and department priorities, approves purchasing and inventory actions within company limits, and escalates exceptions affecting customer commitments or capacity. The role partners with Operations on executable schedules, Quality on release and disposition, Engineering on specifications and changes, and Finance on budgets and controls. The role does not independently override quality holds or approve changes to product specifications.

Essential Job Functions

Team Leadership and Materials Flow

• Lead and develop the Purchasing, Production Scheduling, and Inventory Control managers.
• Set clear ownership, standard work, and escalation rules for every handoff in the materials flow.

Planning and Scheduling

• Coordinate the demand and supply review with Sales, Operations, and Finance.
• Approve inventory policies and a feasible master schedule based on demand, production capacity, and supplier constraints.
• Ensure MRP and repetitive replenishment methods generate appropriate buy and make requirements.
• Govern lead times, safety stocks, lot sizes, and scheduling time fences.
• Coordinate BOM and routing accuracy with Engineering and Operations.

Supplier Management and Purchasing

• Oversee supplier sourcing, quotations, commercial agreements, purchase order controls, and supplier delivery performance.
• Approve commitments within delegated authority and escalate supply risks.

Receiving, Inventory Control, and Traceability

• Oversee receipt, stocking, line issuance, and replenishment.
• Require timely inventory transactions, controlled quality holds, accurate locations, and appropriate lot or serial traceability.
• Control inventory investment, excess, and obsolescence.
• Lead cycle count improvement and root cause correction; coordinate valuation, physical inventory, and reconciliation with Finance.

Production Support and Shipping

• Align production releases with available materials and capacity.
• Work with Manufacturing to resolve shortages, manage schedule changes, and reconcile WIP, scrap, returns, and production completions.
• Ensure released finished goods are received into inventory accurately, stored appropriately, and shipped against authorized customer orders.
• Coordinate shipment priorities and communicate delivery risks to Customer Service.

Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Review service, supplier, schedule, and inventory performance together.
• Improve lead times, material flow, and replenishment reliability; reduce avoidable expediting and premium freight.
• Be accountable for on-time customer shipments, material availability, supplier delivery, schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, and inventory turns or days on hand.
• Monitor excess inventory, premium freight, and purchase cost performance.
• Establish targets with Operations and Finance using agreed definitions and realistic baselines; balance service improvements with working capital and total cost.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated manufacturing materials leadership across purchasing, production planning, and inventory control.
• Proficiency in ERP, MPS/MRP, repetitive replenishment, and capacity planning.
• Strong supplier negotiation, financial analysis, team development, and cross-functional problem-solving skills.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR 22 CFR 120.62.