Materials Manager

Professional Plastics is seeking a proactive, detail-oriented Materials Manager to oversee purchasing, inventory control, material planning, and supplier coordination for our aerospace and plastic fabrication operations.

This position is responsible for ensuring materials and outside services are available to meet production schedules and customer delivery commitments. The Materials Manager will manage inventory planning through Net Stock, oversee long-lead-time purchasing, control shelf-life-sensitive materials, coordinate Outside Service Processing (OSP) orders, and manage Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI).

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in manufacturing purchasing and inventory management, along with a proven ability to anticipate material requirements, prevent shortages, and maintain accurate inventory and purchasing records.

Your work will include the following, as well as other duties that may be assigned:

• Purchasing and Supplier Management
  • Manage the procurement of raw materials, plastic sheet stock, adhesives, coatings, hardware, and production supplies.
  • Review production requirements, inventory levels, and lead times to place purchase orders proactively and prevent material shortages.
  • Obtain and evaluate supplier quotations, negotiate pricing when appropriate, and maintain strong supplier relationships.
  • Monitor open purchase orders, expedite late deliveries, and resolve supplier issues promptly.
  • Communicate material availability, delivery risks, and purchasing priorities clearly to management and production teams.
• Inventory Management and Net Stock
  • Manage inventory planning and replenishment through Net Stock, reviewing demand forecasts, reorder points, safety stock, and purchasing recommendations.
  • Maintain optimal inventory levels to support production while minimizing excess, obsolete, and slow-moving (EOSM) materials.
  • Coordinate purchasing with production schedules, historical usage, and lead times—particularly for long-lead-time items.
  • Maintain inventory accuracy through cycle counts, physical inventories, and thorough discrepancy investigations.
  • Monitor incoming materials, open purchase orders, and potential shortages, adjusting inventory parameters as needed.
• Shelf Life Controlled Materials
  • Track expiration dates, lot numbers, and storage requirements for shelf-life-sensitive materials.
  • Enforce First-Expired, First-Out (FEFO) practices to ensure materials are used within their approved shelf life.
  • Identify and segregate expired or nonconforming materials to prevent unintended use.
  • Coordinate timely replenishment while maintaining required traceability and documentation in collaboration with Quality.
• Outside Processing (OSP)
  • Manage OSP orders from purchase order issuance through supplier processing, return, and receipt.
  • Coordinate requirements, specifications, documentation, and delivery dates with approved OSP vendors and internal departments.
  • Track order status, expedite delayed jobs, and verify that required certifications and processing documentation are received.
  • Communicate OSP delays or supplier issues that could impact production schedules or customer deliveries.
• Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) – BASN
  • Coordinate the Manufacturing BASN Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program and related supplier replenishment activities.
  • Monitor inventory levels, consumption rates, replenishment cycles, and discrepancies to maintain optimal material availability.
  • Collaborate with suppliers and internal departments to resolve stock shortages, delivery issues, and inventory variances.
  • Maintain accurate program records while identifying opportunities to improve replenishment reliability and inventory performance.
• Cross Functional Coordination and Continuous Improvement
  • Collaborate closely with Production, Scheduling, Quality, Engineering, and Shipping and Receiving to ensure total material readiness.
  • Maintain accurate purchasing, inventory, Outside Service Processing (OSP), and material traceability records across Net Stock and other internal systems.
  • Generate comprehensive reports on inventory levels, shortages, supplier delivery performance, open purchase orders, OSP status, and shelf-life expirations.
  • Support all applicable quality system requirements, customer audits, and internal audits.
  • Identify strategic opportunities to improve purchasing processes, inventory accuracy, supplier…