Sr. Materials Manager

Senior Materials Manager – Manufacturing

Location: Des Plaines, IL
Salary: $110,000–$125,000 Annual Bonus
Schedule: Full-Time, On-Site

We are seeking an experienced Senior Materials Manager to lead materials planning, purchasing, inventory control, production planning, and supply chain activities within a growing manufacturing operation. This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who understands how materials flow through a manufacturing environment and can balance inventory, production requirements, supplier performance, customer demand, and cost. The successful candidate will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Sales, Quality, and Finance and will have the opportunity to grow into a future Director of Materials position.

Candidates with experience in custom manufacturing, high-mix/low-volume, make-to-order, or engineered products are strongly preferred. Experience with any of the following is particularly relevant:

Sheet metal fabrication • Metal stamping • CNC machining • Welding/fabrication • Machined components • Industrial equipment • Electrical/electronic assemblies

Key Responsibilities

• Lead purchasing, production planning, scheduling, inventory control, and materials activities.
• Manage and develop buyers, planners, inventory, and warehouse/materials personnel.
• Drive the S&OP/SIOP process, partnering with Sales and Operations to align forecasts, inventory, capacity, and production requirements.
• Develop production and material plans using ERP/MRP systems.
• Optimize inventory levels while maintaining strong customer service and on-time delivery.
• Manage supplier performance, pricing, lead times, quality, and delivery.
• Develop strategic sourcing and alternative supplier strategies.
• Monitor inventory turns, shortages, excess/obsolete inventory, supplier performance, and other key materials KPIs.
• Partner with Operations on capacity planning and production scheduling.
• Improve ERP/MRP processes, data accuracy, and planning effectiveness.
• Support domestic and international sourcing initiatives.
• Identify supply-chain risks and develop contingency plans.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to material flow, inventory, planning, and supplier performance.
• Develop team members and establish processes that support continued company growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• 7 years of progressive materials, supply chain, purchasing, or production planning experience in manufacturing.
• Previous Materials Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Production Control Manager, Planning Manager, or similar leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of MRP/ERP-driven manufacturing environments.
• Experience with purchasing, inventory control, production planning, scheduling, and supplier management.
• Strong understanding of forecasting, demand planning, inventory optimization, and S&OP/SIOP.
• Experience managing and developing employees.
• Demonstrated success improving inventory, supplier performance, on-time delivery, or manufacturing efficiency.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
• Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement experience preferred.
• APICS/CPIM/CSCP certification is a plus.

Labor Solutions, LLC is a leader in the professional, temporary, and direct hire industry throughout the Midwest area. Our clients range from individual entrepreneurs to large corporations, and while we are big enough to serve Fortune 100 companies, we are small enough to stay nimble in an always-changing market.

Thank you!