Senior Materials Manager

The Senior Materials Manager is the primary point of coordination and interface within the supply chain and overall operations organizations located at the Auburn, AL site. This senior-level role is responsible for providing comprehensive supply chain strategic, process, and tactical leadership to optimize inventory levels while meeting customer shipment expectations. Primary focus spans across inventory optimization, materials planning & scheduling, strategic sourcing, supplier management, SIOP and forecasting duties.

• Leads a team of Planning and/or Purchasing professionals to define and execute a materials strategy from materials requirement planning and PO through receipt and production/shipment readiness.
• Manages and is responsible for all aspects of the plant’s inventory performance metrics, including availability, inventory value, Excess & Obsolete, and Days on Hand.
• Sets and manages the inventory strategy, plan for every part & monitors performance.
• Key contributor to the SIOP process for materials availability, inventory forecast, and scenario planning. Supports the process of translating demand forecast into supply and SKU-based forecast.
• Supports Plant Manager in achieving plant targets by assessing material risk and implementing countermeasures to close gaps.
• Improves SAP effectiveness by ensuring master data accuracy and correct planning parameters set to enable automation of planning & scheduling process.
• Improves data/process to improve accuracy of customer commit/ATP dates.
• Responsible for supplier strategic initiatives, OTD and performance monitoring, and cost‑out execution. Ensures corrective actions are in place to increase supplier OTD and quality.
• Works with the site and business leadership to develop strategic roadmaps, forecasts, and action plans to support annual KPI improvements and Policy Deployment.
• Implements, manages, and improves all processes related to the materials department including procurement, material handling, scheduling, inventory management, receiving, shipping, production scheduling, forecasting, demand management.
• Engages and leads active problem solving, driving the team to true root cause and corrective action. Facilitates and coaches to build a culture of problem solving.
• Leads physical inventory counts and cycle count, responsible for overall inventory accuracy.
• Establishes, deploys, and monitors standard processes, policies & procedures, taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance.
• Develops and leads a team of Planners & Buyers towards best‑in‑class materials management by performing full range of managerial responsibilities, including hiring, coaching, developing employees, planning, assigning, directing work, and performance management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required in a business/industrial related field.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in indirect material inventory planning and strategy development, including 3 years of team leadership and supervisory experience. Experience in industrial manufacturing with mix of MTS/ATO/MTO models preferred.
• Functional knowledge of ERP system logic, especially Materials Requirement Planning (MRP), Scheduling, and Purchasing. SAP experience preferred.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop teams.
• Strong financial acumen, especially in P&L and cash‑flow modeling, scenario building, and comparative analysis.
• Expert analytical skills with the ability to use a structured approach to understand, analyze, and solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions with imperfect information. Rationalize calculated risks and adapt quickly as new information is available.
• Strong written communication and excellent oral presentation skills, and the ability to present convincingly at senior levels.
• Highly committed team player, flexible, and able to work tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time for supplier visits or other business needs.
• Previous experience working with SAP and/or Oracle Planning modules preferred.
• APICS, CPIM, CPM, ISM or ASQ Supply Chain Certification preferred.
• Six Sigma or LEAN certification preferred.

• Medica…