Supply Chain & Materials Operations Manager

Job Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire

• Pay: Starting at $95,000/year (higher compensation available based on experience)
• Travel: Up to 20%

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain & Materials Operations Manager to lead material planning, purchasing, inventory management, and supplier performance for a manufacturing operation that supports both quick-turn and custom-built projects.

This hands-on leadership role combines strategic supply chain planning with daily operational execution. The ideal candidate will be comfortable leading a Buyer/Planner team, collaborating across departments, and developing supply chain strategies that keep production moving while optimizing inventory investment.

Primary Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Buyer Planner team.
• Assign workloads and monitor performance across purchasing and planning activities.
• Conduct coaching sessions, performance reviews, and employee development planning.
• Promote cross-training and support professional certifications such as APICS CPIM or CSCP.
• Ensure team coverage during vacations, absences, or staffing changes.

Materials Planning & Production Support

• Oversee material planning for active manufacturing projects.
• Coordinate with Project Managers to align material availability with production schedules.
• Participate in project kickoff meetings to review BOMs, identify long-lead components, and evaluate supply risks.
• Lead material shortage investigations and implement recovery plans before production is impacted.
• Support configure-to-order (CTO) and engineered-to-order (ETO) manufacturing programs.

Sales & Demand Planning

• Partner with Sales during quoting activities to provide realistic material lead times.
• Participate in Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) meetings.
• Monitor demand forecasts and backlog trends to improve purchasing decisions.
• Support customer-specific inventory programs, blanket orders, and stocking agreements.

Strategic Supply Chain Management

• Develop sourcing strategies for long-lead and high-risk materials.
• Maintain inventory plans for critical electromechanical components including breakers, transformers, bus assemblies, custom enclosures, and power electronic modules.
• Identify single-source risks and recommend mitigation strategies including dual sourcing, safety stock, vendor-managed inventory (VMI), supplier-managed inventory, and long-term agreements (LTAs).
• Support commodity strategy implementation and make/buy evaluations.
• Monitor market conditions including pricing trends, tariffs, supplier capacity, and supply chain disruptions.

Inventory Management

• Manage inventory performance including inventory turns, excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory, working capital, and days of supply.
• Develop inventory policies including safety stock, reorder points, lot sizing, and cycle counting.
• Lead physical inventory activities and reconcile inventory results.
• Balance production requirements with inventory investment objectives.

Supplier Performance

• Measure supplier performance using on-time delivery, quality (PPM), lead time accuracy, and responsiveness.
• Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with strategic suppliers.
• Coordinate Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs) with Quality Engineering.
• Support supplier qualification activities and negotiate pricing agreements, blanket purchase orders, and long-term contracts.

ERP / MRP Management

• Maintain ERP and MRP planning accuracy, including item masters, supplier lead times, BOMs, and planning parameters.
• Ensure procurement and planning activities are completed within ERP systems.
• Analyze MRP outputs to identify planning issues and improve data accuracy.
• Partner with IT to improve reporting and supply chain system performance.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare supply chain dashboards covering inventory, shortages, supplier performance, and material availability.
• Present monthly KPI reports and improvement plans to leadership.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on inventory optimization, supplier performance, ERP efficiency, warehouse operations, and material flow.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and 5S principles where appropriate.

Performance Metrics

Success in this position may be measured using metrics such as

• Inventory turns
• Material availability for scheduled production
• Supplier On-Time Delivery (SOTD)
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
• Excess & Obsolete (E&O) inventory reduction
• Production shortages caused by material availability
• Supplier quality performance (PPM)
• Strategic inventory readiness for long-lead materials

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field
• 7+ years of progressive supply chain experience in manufacturing
• At least 3 years leading buyers, planners, or Buyer Planner teams
• Experience supporting electrical, electromechanical, industrial, or similar manufacturing environments
• Advanced knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, IFS, or similar platforms
• Strong understanding of inventory planning, procurement, supplier development, and material management
• Experience improving inventory performance while maintaining production support
• Experience leading supplier performance programs including QBRs and SCARs
• Strong Microsoft Excel and data analysis skills
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS CPIM, CSCP, ISM C.P.M., or CPSM certification
• Experience supporting power distribution products including PDCs, STS, RPPs, switchgear, UPS systems, or similar equipment
• Knowledge of UL, ANSI, NEMA, NEC, and IEC standards
• Experience with commodity management for electromechanical components
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt
• Experience with VMI, consignment inventory, supplier-stocked programs, blanket purchase orders, or import compliance

Work Environment

• On-site position within a manufacturing facility
• Daily interaction with production, warehouse, and receiving operations
• Ability to walk manufacturing areas and participate in inventory activities
• Up to 20% travel for supplier visits, sourcing reviews, and industry events
• Availability to respond to critical supply chain issues that may occur outside normal business hours