Materials Manager

Materials & Inventory Manager

Role: Owner of Inbound Flow & Inventory Accuracy

Primary Purpose

The Materials & Inventory Manager owns the accuracy, availability, and flow of all materials required to support production. This role leads Purchasing, Receiving, and Order Entry to ensure materials are ordered correctly, received accurately, and available on time to support uninterrupted production FLOW.

This position is accountable for eliminating material shortages, reducing purchasing inefficiencies, and maintaining a clean, reliable inventory system that production can trust.

Core Responsibilities

1. Purchasing Ownership

• Own all purchasing activity across the business
• Establish disciplined purchasing cycles to eliminate excessive daily ordering
• Align purchasing with production demand and stocking strategies
• Manage vendor performance (lead time, quality, responsiveness)
• Drive cost control through consolidation, volume, and smarter ordering practices

2. Inventory Control & Accuracy

• Own inventory accuracy across all systems and physical locations
• Eliminate negative inventory, duplicate transactions, and recurring discrepancies
• Implement and maintain stocking programs for high-use items
• Ensure inventory levels support production without excess or shortage
• Lead cycle counts, variance resolution, and inventory audits

3. Receiving & Material Integrity

• Ensure all incoming material is received, verified, and entered accurately and immediately
• Enforce standards for quantity, part matching, and documentation
• Eliminate receiving errors that impact inventory or production
• Maintain clean, organized material flow from dock to inventory

4. Material Flow & Production Readiness

• Ensure all materials are available before jobs are released to production
• Coordinate with scheduling and production to align material readiness with workload
• Eliminate material-related delays and shortages that disrupt FLOW
• Maintain clear visibility of material status for active and upcoming jobs

5. Order Entry Coordination

• Ensure order entry is accurate and aligned with inventory and purchasing requirements
• Eliminate errors that create downstream material or production issues
• Maintain clean system data to support scheduling, purchasing, and reporting

Team Leadership

• Directly manage Purchasing, Receiving, and Order Entry functions
• Set clear expectations for accuracy, speed, and accountability
• Train and develop team members to follow standardized processes
• Hold team accountable to performance metrics and daily execution
• Eliminate gaps, confusion, and redundancy between functions

Process & System Discipline

• Establish and enforce standard processes for purchasing, receiving, and inventory transactions
• Ensure all material movement is accurately and consistently reflected in the system
• Identify and eliminate root causes of inventory errors and process breakdowns
• Maintain clean, reliable data that supports decision-making and financial accuracy

Success Looks Like

• No material shortages delaying production
• Purchasing is planned, not reactive
• Inventory is accurate and trusted across the business
• Receiving is clean, fast, and error-free
• Production has what it needs, when it needs it
• Management is not pulled into day-to-day material issues

Leadership Expectations

• Own the outcome — no excuses, no surprises
• Be proactive, not reactive
• Drive discipline, structure, and accountability
• Identify problems early and solve them permanently
• Operate with urgency while maintaining accuracy

Profile of a Top Performer

• Strong operator with experience in purchasing, inventory, or supply chain
• Highly organized, disciplined, and detail-oriented
• Able to lead people while also owning systems and processes
• Comfortable making decisions and enforcing standards
• Relentless about accuracy, flow, and continuous improvement