Materials Program ManagerStarting Base Salary Range of $105,000 to $120,000 (DOE)Our benefits package is amazing:- affordable health and dental insurance
- a strong commitment to training and professional development including an internal skills development program for all manufacturing team members
- a generous tuition reimbursement program
- company contributions up to 8.5% of base pay into a 401K retirement account
- profit sharing
- and great product discounts (to name a few)
What You'll Be Doing as a Materials Program Manager:The Materials Program Manager (MPM) is responsible for leading supplier sourcing and materials readiness activities in support of new product introduction (NPI), product development, and strategic cost and growth initiatives. The MPM identifies, evaluates, develops, and qualifies new suppliers and material solutions that align with product performance, cost, scalability, quality, and launch timing objectives. The role owns supplier engagement strategy from concept through production readiness and ensures supplier capabilities are aligned with future product roadmaps. This role is responsible for alignment with Commodity Managers (CM) when transferring from Pilot to Production and working with both CM and Quality in qualifying newly sourced suppliers.
Supplier Sourcing & Development - Identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers to support new product development and strategic technology initiatives
- Lead supplier scouting activities for new materials, components, manufacturing technologies, and capacity solutions
- Conduct supplier capability assessments focused on technical competency, scalability, quality systems, financial stability, and operational readiness
- Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships during early-stage product development
- Partner with Engineering and Product teams to align supplier capabilities with product performance and design requirements
- Drive supplier selection decisions using cost, risk, quality, manufacturability, and schedule considerations
New Product Introduction (NPI) - Serve as the materials and supplier lead within cross-functional product development teams
- Develop and manage supplier readiness plans aligned with product development milestones and launch schedules and in partnership with CM
- Coordinate prototype, pilot, and production material availability for development builds
- Track and mitigate supplier-related risks impacting program timing, cost, or quality
- Support design reviews, engineering change management, and manufacturing transfer activities
- Ensure supplier deliverables meet development and commercialization timelines
Program & Cross-Functional Leadership - Lead alignment between Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and suppliers
- Facilitate issue resolution related to supplier readiness, qualification, capacity, and launch execution
- Develop and communicate program status, risks, mitigation plans, and supplier performance metrics to leadership
- Influence design and sourcing decisions to improve manufacturability, scalability, and total cost
Supplier Qualification & Risk Management - Coordinate supplier qualification and validation activities including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, capability studies, and quality audits
- Develop sourcing contingency and dual-source strategies for critical technologies and materials
- Identify and mitigate supply continuity, geopolitical, capacity, and single-source risks
- Ensure suppliers meet compliance, sustainability, regulatory, and ethical sourcing requirement
Commercial & Strategic Support - Support cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and commercial negotiations in partnership with Procurement or Supply Chain teams
- Provide market intelligence regarding supplier technologies, industry trends, capacity constraints, and emerging risks
- Support make-versus-buy decisions and long-range sourcing strategies for future products
Skills and Experience You'll Need as a Materials Program Manager:Required - Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Optics, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline
- 7+ years of experience in supplier development, sourcing, manufacturing, engineering program management, or NPI
- Experience sourcing and qualifying new suppliers for technically complex products
- Strong program and project management skills
- Experience working with Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, and Quality organizations
- Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skill
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required
Preferred - Experience in optics, aerospace, defense, industrial manufacturing, electronics, semiconductor, automotive, or medical device industries
- Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and supplier quality systems
- Experience supporting products from concept through production launch.
- MBA or advanced technical degree
Work Environment for a Materials Program Manager:Work is performed in a normal office environment with occasional exposure to manufacturing environment. Expected travel will be 20%-30% (domestic and international).
For details on positions and to apply, go to:
www.leupold.com/careers
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.14400 NW Greenbrier Parkway
Beaverton, Oregon 97006
