Materials Manager
Quick Facts
Median Salary$100,426
Most Common EducationBachelor's degree
Projected 10-Year Growth+3.63%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
A Materials Manager manages materials purchasing and inventory and coordinates incoming materials with production schedules. May supervise materials analysts. Looks for ways to streamline materials purchasing and inventory and implement cost savings
Core Tasks:
- Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
- Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
- Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
- Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
- Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
- Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
- Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
- Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
- Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
- Analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success.
- Meet with suppliers to discuss performance metrics, to provide performance feedback, or to discuss production forecasts or changes.
- Design or implement supply chains that support business strategies adapted to changing market conditions, new business opportunities, or cost reduction strategies.
- Monitor suppliers' activities to assess performance in meeting quality or delivery requirements.
- Monitor forecasts and quotas to identify changes and predict effects on supply chain activities.
- Participate in the coordination of engineering changes, product line extensions, or new product launches to ensure orderly and timely transitions in material or production flow.
- Design or implement plant warehousing strategies for production materials or finished products.
- Design, implement, or oversee product take back or reverse logistics programs to ensure products are recycled, reused, or responsibly disposed.
- Identify or qualify new suppliers in collaboration with other departments, such as procurement, engineering, or quality assurance.
- Develop or implement procedures or systems to evaluate or select suppliers.
- Document physical supply chain processes, such as workflows, cycle times, position responsibilities, or system flows.
- Diagram supply chain models to help facilitate discussions with customers.
- Evaluate and select information or other technology solutions to improve tracking and reporting of materials or products distribution, storage, or inventory.
- Identify opportunities to reuse or recycle materials to minimize consumption of new materials, minimize waste, or to convert wastes to by-products.
- Design or implement supply chains that support environmental policies.
- Review or update supply chain practices in accordance with new or changing environmental policies, standards, regulations, or laws.
What to expect as a Materials Manager
1Earn a Bachelor's degree
48% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Materials Manager related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
711 openings for Materials Managers
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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