DescriptionMaterials Manager - Edison, NJ (Mechoshade)
This is an onsite role.
Job Summary
The purpose of this position is to identify and deliver best practices in materials management to ensure high levels of customer service while optimizing inventory investment. The scope of the role is to focus on ensuring local plant execution while optimizing inventory utilization across the multi-plant network. Responsibilities include planning, scheduling, inventory control, receiving, and materials distribution operations. The position requires a drive for continuous improvement while ensuring compliance to documented policies and procedures. The person shall provide leadership and change management skills to move the culture and team to high levels of performance while fostering a collaborative environment.
Job Responsibilities
Basic
- Direct Material Buyer/Planners’ activities to enable the plant operation to execute to or above customer expectations while optimizing inventory, plant priorities, and freight expense.
- Drive high adherence to system utilization to optimize the use of MRP functionality and reporting tools to enable an efficient workflow in Planning and Scheduling buying processes.
- Communicate effectively with all team members including cross-functional teams, internal customers, and external suppliers.
- Control inventory levels within specified goals at the SKU and aggregate level while developing strategies to improve inventory turns and PFEP alignment.
- Manage supplier performance in Power BI and work with Procurement to cooperatively improve supplier performance and collaboration.
Customer Service (40%)
- Ensure materials are available to support customer requirements while minimizing freight costs.
- Monitor and mitigate material shortages; identify and implement corrective actions.
- Ensure the team keeps system material availability dates updated and accurate.
- Monitor capacity requirements both short- and long-term.
- Ensure and communicate overall product line customer service levels.
- Manage the backlog by facility to ensure service and utilization objectives are achieved.
- Maintain 95% on time shipment service
Inventory Control (30%)
- Work with Procurement on reducing lead times, minimums, and price break quantities.
- Ensure buyer/planners provide forecasts to major suppliers.
- Follow up on rejects to ensure they are expeditiously dispositioned.
- Continuously look for inventory optimization opportunities.
- Monitor and report aged inventory to identify opportunities to reduce and prevent excess.
- Set, monitor, and report line responsibility for inventory levels.
- Ensure obsolete inventory is dispositioned and ultimately consumed, sold, or scrapped.
System Maintenance (20%)
- Ensure the team creates work orders, purchase orders, and material movements in a timely manner and in accordance with customer service and inventory objectives.
- Review all ECOs/ECNs and take appropriate action.
- Ensure the team monitors and maintains the accuracy of system planning and purchasing parameters.
- Maintain integrity and accuracy of Anaplan planning parameters.
Leadership (10%)
- Review procedures and practices to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
- Help mentor and cross-train Planner/Buyers.
- Provide the best experience to all contacts by consistently following our Core Value and Cultural Behaviors.
- Support special projects for senior management as assigned.
The annual base/hourly wage for this position is reasonably expected to be $95-100k/year. Factors which may affect starting pay may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
This position is eligible for an annual bonus as well of up to 5%.
Benefits: The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with up to 5% company match of eligible contributions, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, short-term disability insurance, paid sick time at an amount that meets or exceeds all local requirements, paid vacation time (pro-rated for 2025 based on start date), eleven paid holidays per year, and one paid volunteer day off per year.
Requirements
What We’re Looking For
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
- A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience within supply chain functions in a manufacturing environment
- At least 2 years of people management experience, including planning, receiving, material handling, and inventory control
- Demonstrated leadership capability in a fast‑paced, customer‑centric manufacturing operation
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting assembly and production operations
- Exposure to or hands‑on experience with Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen methodologies
- Solid understanding of PFEP (Plan for Every Part) concepts
- Experience implementing or maintaining material replenishment systems (Kanban, pull systems, or similar)
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong proficiency with ERP/MRP systems
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite products
- Competency with PC‑based networked applications
- Ability to analyze data, prioritize effectively, and make sound, time‑sensitive decisions
- Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills
Cultural Behaviors
- Empowerment – Trust in your people, proactive
- Ownership – Take 100% responsibility for role, actions, and results
- Leadership – Lead by example, direct with respect
- One Team – Promote and be a part of one team
- Customer First – Consider the customers’ needs before every decision
- Continuous Innovation – Constantly learning, innovating, and improving
- Speed – Define priorities and operate with a sense of urgency and agility
