General Motors

Indirect Material Manager

General Motors • $104K — $154K *
St Catharines, ON L2M 0A2In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of relevant experience in indirect materials management.
  • Four-year degree in relevant field or equivalent experience in an indirect material lead role.
  • Strong knowledge of indirect material policies and inventory processes in manufacturing.
  • Experience managing contractors and engagement with hourly employees in a plant setting.
  • Demonstrated effective communication skills with leadership and plant personnel.
  • Strong analytical and project management capabilities.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and experience with inventory systems like SAP.

Responsibilities

  • Manage indirect materials operations across three Canadian plants, focusing on safety and inventory optimization.
  • Directly manage and develop 2-3 indirect material leaders, fostering accountability and operational excellence.
  • Standardize reporting and problem-solving routines across indirect material operations.
  • Ensure fulfillment of plant indirect material requirements to support various operational teams.
  • Oversee purchase requests, tracking deliveries, and managing material shortages.
  • Drive inventory optimization through data analysis and process improvements across multiple plants.
  • Collaborate with suppliers to enhance lead times and improve delivery performance.

Benefits

  • Paid time off including vacation, holidays, and leave for pregnancy and adoption.
  • Healthcare, dental, and vision benefits with wellness incentives.
  • Life insurance plans for you and your family.
  • Retirement savings support through a Defined Contribution Pension plan.
  • GM Vehicle Purchase Plan for employees, family, and friends.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Indirect Material Manager

Vacancy Status

Yes - This posting is for an existing vacancy within the organization and is open to new applications. (Backfill)

AI Disclosure

As part of the application process, Artificial Intelligence will be used in the hiring process for this role

Onsite - This role is categorized as onsite. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to [Location] on a full-time basis.

Indirect Material Manager

Job Description

The Indirect Material Manager is responsible for leading indirect materials operations across three Canadian manufacturing plants while directly managing an Indirect Material Leader at each site as well as overseeing a 3rd Party Team at each site. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for plant indirect materials execution, inventory optimization, production support, safety, cost performance, team development, and cross-functional alignment. The position is expected to operate as an onsite people leader and build a high-performing organization that delivers consistent results across multiple plant locations.

This leader will work closely with plant leadership, maintenance, engineering, facilities, finance at each site as well as purchasing, suppliers, and third-party partners to ensure indirect material availability, minimize risk to production, improve inventory health, and drive continuous improvement. The role also requires strong leadership in change management, standardization, and technology adoption across the Canadian plants, including support for AI-enabled tools, data visibility, and process improvements.

Key responsibilities
  • Manage indirect materials operations across three Canadian plants with accountability for safety, people, inventory, cost, quality, responsiveness, and customer support.
  • Directly manage and develop 2-3 indirect material leaders, building a culture of accountability, engagement, coaching, and operational excellence.
  • Standardize expectations, leader routines, reporting, and problem-solving disciplines across indirect material.
  • Ensure plant indirect material requirements are fulfilled to support maintenance, facilities, manufacturing engineering, and production operations.
  • Oversee the approval and creation of purchase requests, confirmation of purchase orders, delivery tracking, and indirect material shortage escalation management.
  • Partner with plant teams and Master Data Management to support indirect material at each plant.
  • Drive inventory optimization through safety stock reviews, min/max alignment, reorder point adjustments, over-max reduction, obsolete material management, and usage-based analysis.
  • Manage and lead cross-plant actions to reduce stock-outs, premium freight, excess inventory, and unnecessary new-part purchases through improved planning, repairable parts usage, and Share-the-Spare collaboration.
  • Support launch readiness and end-of-life transitions to ensure indirect material strategies align to plant needs and production continuity.
  • Work with suppliers to improve lead-time performance, reduce MOQ impacts, and strengthen on-time delivery performance.
  • Manage issue resolution for critical plant support needs, including off-shift and weekend escalation planning when required.
  • Ensure compliance with internal controls, GMS standards, BPD/scorecard objectives, safety processes, and annual audit requirements at all 3 plants.
  • Lead and reinforce strong labor and contractor-management practices, including support of local agreements, employee development, performance management, and training where applicable.
  • Use data, dashboards, and digital tools to improve material visibility, decision quality, and operational execution, including Power BI, SAP/Maximo, Glean, Copilot, and related systems.
  • Champion continuous improvement and adoption of tools, processes, and problem-solving methods that improve inventory management, material visibility, and execution across the three plants.


Leadership expectations
  • Build and sustain a strong safety culture across all three sites.
  • Develop leaders and teams through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and talent planning.
  • Create strong partnerships with plant stakeholders and serve as a trusted liaison between sites, customers, and corporate partners.
  • Drive consistency in execution while balancing local plant needs and business priorities.
  • Lead through ambiguity, influence across functions, and elevate performance through clear expectations and disciplined follow-through.


Key Metrics

Success in this role will be measured through a combination of people, operational, and business metrics, including:
  • Indirect material inventory accuracy
  • Indirect material stock-outs and line-down avoidance
  • Supplier on-time performance
  • Purchase request and purchase order aging
  • Indirect materials inventory reduction
  • Premium freight performance versus budget
  • Repairable parts and Share-the-Spare performance
  • Audit and controls compliance
  • Team engagement and leadership effectiveness


Your skills and abilities

Required qualifications
  • 7+ years of relevant experience.
  • Successful completion of a Four-year degree from college or technical school; or four or more years of experience in indirect material lead role at a GM plant or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Strong knowledge of indirect material policies, inventory processes, operational excellence, and driving results in a manufacturing environment.
  • Experience managing contractors and represented hourly employees in a plant environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of leadership and plant personnel.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project-management capability.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, along with experience using plant and inventory systems such as SAP and/or Maximo.


Preferred qualifications
  • Experience leading indirect materials across multiple plants or large-scale operations.
  • Knowledge of Power BI and emerging digital tools to improve visibility, reporting, and action tracking.
  • Strong labor-relations judgment and experience partnering within unionized environments.


Additional information

This role is categorized as onsite 5 days a week. The selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $104,000.00 to $154,000.00. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position.

Benefits:

The goal of the General Motors of Canada total rewards program is to support the health and well-being of you and your family. Our comprehensive compensation plan currently includes the following benefits, in addition to many others:
  • Paid time off including vacation days, holidays, and supplemental benefits for pregnancy, parental and adoption leave.
  • Healthcare, dental and vision benefits including health care spending account and wellness incentive.
  • Life insurance plans to cover you and your family.
  • Company and matching contributions to a Defined Contribution Pension plan to help you save for retirement.
  • GM Vehicle Purchase Plan for you, your family, and friends.


THIS JOB IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RELOCATIONS BENEFITS. ANY RELOCATION COSTS WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED CANDIDATE.

GM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.
GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need gm immigration sponsorship now or in the future.This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.The selected candidate will be required to travel

About General Motors

General Motors Company engages in the manufacture and sale of cars and trucks in the United States, China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. It offers sedans, crossovers, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, coupes, sports/convertibles and hybrid vehicles, hatchbacks/wagons, and vans, as well as mini cars in India. The company also provides parts and accessories, such as iPod and MP3 compatibility, mobility accessories, performance parts, AC parts and services, and merchandise. In addition, it offers vehicle safety, security, and information services. The company provides used vehicles. It offers its products through dealers and distributors. General Motors Company was formerly known as NGMCO, Inc. and changed its name to General Motors Company in July 2009. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. It operates manufacturing facilities in India, the United States, and Canada. General Motors Company operates as a subsidiary of the United States Department of The Treasury. General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer than any other automaker, and is currently among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales. General Motors acts in most countries outside the USA via wholly-owned subsidiaries but operates in China through 10 joint ventures. GM's OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security, and information services. In 2009, General Motors shed several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, GM made an initial public offering IPOs to date and returned to profitability later that year.

General Motors Careers

Join the dynamic team at General Motors, a global leader in automotive innovation and technology. At General Motors, we offer unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career forward while contributing to a legacy of engineering excellence.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career with General Motors to drive the future of mobility. Our team is dedicated to redefining the automotive landscape through innovation and leadership in electric vehicles and sustainable solutions. By joining us, you will be part of a culture that values diversity, teamwork, and continuous professional growth.

Transform Your Career

General Motors is not just a company; it's a community where you can grow your skills alongside the best in the industry. Our leadership is committed to providing every employee—from interns to senior professionals—with opportunities for career advancement, leadership development, and diversity training.

Innovate and Lead

At General Motors, innovation is at the core of everything we do. From research and development to manufacturing, our teams work collaboratively to lead the industry with cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices. We encourage our employees to think big and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Join Our Global Team

As part of our global workforce, you will collaborate with talented individuals who are passionate about shaping the future of transportation. General Motors offers a variety of career paths in engineering, design, IT, marketing, and more. With over 155,000 employees worldwide, our network provides expansive opportunities for networking and professional development.

Internship Programs and Employment Benefits

Start your career journey with a General Motors internship, where you can apply your academic knowledge to real-world projects. Our internships provide a robust foundation in the automotive industry, with mentorship from experienced leaders. Full-time employees enjoy a wealth of benefits, including comprehensive health care, retirement plans, and performance bonuses, ensuring that your hard work is rewarded.

Explore Job Opportunities

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, General Motors offers positions that leverage your unique skills. Our hiring process is designed to identify and nurture talent, focusing on aligning your capabilities with the right opportunities for growth within the company.

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Learn more about General Motors
Size
157,000 employees
Market Cap
$46.9 billion
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
$6.4 billion
Founded
1908
5 Year Trend
-3.2%
Revenue
$122.4 billion
NASDAQ
GM
* Ladders Estimates

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