Production Materials Manager

Production Materials Manager

The Production Materials Manager is responsible for planning, directing, and optimizing all kitting operations and internal material movement from static inventory to production assembly lines across multiple facilities.

This role ensures material availability aligns with Project Management schedules and production sequencing to support On-Time Delivery (OTD). The position owns JobBOSS material transactions related to kitting to protect inventory accuracy and prevent static inventory discrepancies.

The Production Materials Manager leads the Kitting Supervisor and kitting teams while developing standardized internal material handling strategies that support high-volume, engineered-to-order switch gear manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

1. Production Kit Planning & Scheduling Alignment

• Develop forward-looking kitting plans based on Project Management schedules.

• Sequence kits to align with switch gear build milestones and production priorities.

• Ensure kits are completed and staged ahead of assembly demand.

• Identify material shortages early and escalate to Supply Chain leadership.

• Protect On-Time Delivery performance through proactive planning.

2. Inventory Control & ERP Integrity

• Ensure all kitting-related material movements are accurately transacted in JobBOSS.

• Prevent static inventory inaccuracies caused by improper job transactions.

• Validate Job Requirements and confirm materials are issued to correct job numbers.

• Partner with Inventory Control to investigate and resolve discrepancies.

• Maintain transactional discipline across all kitting personnel.

3. Internal Material Flow & Process Development

• Design and standardize material flow from warehouse inventory to assembly lines.

• Optimize staging areas and kitting zones for efficiency.

• Reduce unnecessary material handling and improve line-side delivery.

• Implement Lean material handling principles (5S, flow optimization, point-of-use delivery).

• Develop scalable processes to support production growth.

4. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead Kitting Supervisor and kitting personnel.

• Establish daily, weekly, and milestone-based kit targets.

• Monitor team productivity and workflow efficiency.

• Conduct training on JobBOSS transaction accuracy and process compliance.

• Drive accountability for kit accuracy and schedule adherence.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Assembly Leadership & Project Managers to align kit completion with Assembly build schedules.

• Coordinate with Procurement & Warehouse Manager to ensure material availability.

• Work with Engineering on BOM accuracy and revisions.

• Support Assembly teams by improving kit completeness and staging.

• Provide operational metrics to Supply Chain leadership.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-Time Kit Availability to Production

• On-Time Delivery (OTD) Support Rate

• JobBOSS Transaction Accuracy

• Inventory Variance Impact from Kitting

• Kit Accuracy Percentage

• Production Downtime Due to Material Shortages

• Labor Productivity of Kitting Team

Qualifications

Required:

• 5–8+ years' experience in material planning, kitting, or production control within manufacturing.

• ERP/MRP system experience (JobBOSS preferred).

• Experience supporting engineered-to-order manufacturing environments.

• Demonstrated leadership of supervisors and shop-floor teams.

• Strong understanding of BOM structures and inventory transactions.

Preferred:

• Experience in switch gear manufacturing or heavy industrial fabrication.

• Lean / Six Sigma training.

• APICS / CPIM certification.

Leadership Competencies

• Forward-planning and schedule-driven

• Strong systems and transactional discipline

• Detail-oriented and process-focused

• Collaborative across departments

• High accountability mindset

• Ability to operate under production pressure

Physical Requirements

• Ability to walk production floors daily.

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

• Ability to operate material handling equipment.

Work Environment

This role operates within a high-volume industrial manufacturing environment supporting engineered-to-order switch gear production across multiple facilities. Exposure includes warehouse operations, fabrication areas, and assembly lines.