What are the responsibilities and job description for the Materials Manager position at Lanco?
Mi-Jack Products is seeking a strategic and hands-on Materials Manager to lead inventory management, material flow, warehouse operations, and materials personnel within our manufacturing facility. This role is responsible for driving inventory optimization, improving material availability, reducing excess inventory, and ensuring efficient material movement throughout the operation. The ideal candidate combines strong supply chain expertise with a servant leadership mindset and a passion for continuous improvement.
What You'll Do:
- Lead and develop materials supervisors and inventory teams, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Drive inventory reduction initiatives while improving inventory accuracy, turns, and material availability.
- Optimize material flow and delivery using ERP/MRP systems, internal planning tools, forecasting, and business intelligence data.
- Partner closely with Planning, Scheduling, Purchasing, Engineering, Production, and Supply Chain teams to improve operational performance.
- Respond proactively to engineering changes to minimize inventory obsolescence and material shortages.
- Monitor and communicate inventory-related financial impacts, including obsolescence and inflationary concerns.
- Oversee warehouse operations, including slotting strategies, bin management, storage optimization, and pick-path efficiency.
- Manage communication and issue resolution related to backorders, pricing discrepancies, damaged materials, and supplier delivery concerns.
- Establish and maintain standard operating procedures that support inventory accuracy and material movement best practices.
- Lead special projects and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance throughput and operational efficiency.
What We're Looking For:
The successful candidate will:
- Think strategically while remaining engaged in day-to-day operations.
- Use data to identify opportunities and drive decision-making.
- Build strong cross-functional partnerships across the organization.
- Lead teams through change while maintaining focus on safety, quality, and customer needs.
- Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes, inventory performance, and operational efficiency.
Required Qualifications
- High School Diploma, Associate Degree, or equivalent experience.
- 5 years of experience in supply chain, purchasing, inventory management, materials management, or related operations.
- Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems in a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing teams and developing employees.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Management, or a related field.
- 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, purchasing, inventory management, and ERP systems.
- Experience within a large-scale OEM or heavy equipment manufacturing environment.
- Experience using Power BI or other data visualization and reporting tools.
COMPENSATION/BENEFITS: We foster a collaborative team environment that values innovation and encourages creative solutions to drive positive organizational impact. Our employees are the key to our success and help us stand out from our competitors. The final compensation offer may vary based on factors such as experience, education, skills, and location. We offer competitive pay, paid time off, and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan.
Lanco is an equal opportunity employer. All employment-related decisions, including but not limited to hiring, compensation, promotion, discipline (including termination), evaluation, training and development opportunities, etc., are made without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender-related identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, military status, protected disability, citizenship, genetic information or any other category protected by applicable law.