Materials Manager

Location: Laurel

Company Overview

ARA is a leading C5

ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests and installs innovative technologies that provide the national security community with unparalleled situational awareness, threat detection, and communications capabilities.

Our disruptive, integrated solutions, assemblies and subsystems rise to the challenging demands of discerning, mission-critical customers.

We leverage our capabilities to meet and exceed the requirements of our customers and empower them to remain ahead of evolving threats and complexities in a dynamic security landscape.

Job Summary

The Materials Manager will lead a team of planners and inventory personnel responsible for material planning, inventory control, forecasting, stockroom operations, and supply chain activities supporting manufacturing. This role ensures material availability, inventory accuracy, supplier performance, and compliance with applicable regulations while driving operational efficiency and cost control. The role partners closely with production, procurement, program management, finance, engineering, and quality to ensure efficient material flow, cost control, and on-time delivery.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lead and develop a team of planners and inventory personnel.
• Manage material planning, demand forecasting, inventory control, and stockroom operations.
• Oversee inventory management of raw materials, components, and production supplies to support manufacturing schedules and government contract requirements.
• Develop and maintain inventory control processes that optimize stock levels, minimize excess inventory, and reduce material costs while ensuring material availability.
• Coordinate Production, Procurement, and Program Management to ensure materials are available to meet production schedules and customer commitments.
• Monitor inventory levels, supplier performance, and material lead time to prevent shortages and production disruptions.
• Maintain accurate records of material purchases, inventory transactions, stock levels, and supplier performance to support operational and audit requirements.
• Oversee annual physical inventories, cycle count programs, and inventory audits; investigate discrepancies and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Implement and manage material requisition processes to ensure proper tracking and accountability of material usage throughout production.
• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, DCAA, and other applicable government contract requirements.
• Track and report key performance indicators including inventory accuracy, inventory turns, forecast accuracy, stock levels, lead times, and material costs.
• Other duties as assigned by the executive management team.

Position Qualifications

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Competency Statements

• Adaptability - Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilities
• Communication - Ability to communicate thoughts clearly, both oral and written in an honest, open and timely manner
• Job Knowledge - Understands facets of job, aware of duties and responsibilities, keeps job knowledge current
• Technical Skill - Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to perform a job or role effectively
• Dependability - Meets deadlines, works independently or in a team environment, is accountable, maintains focus, good attendance record
• Quality - Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve products
• Ethics - Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality
• Initiative / Take Ownership - Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion, meaning own your job and see it through
• Customer Focus - Understands and can meet the needs in a customer-centric (Internal and External) environment and build strong relationships. Promotes a positive image of the company and strives to solve issues raised by customers
• Employee Management & Development - Manage day to day performance, guides, motives, coaches and develops employees to reach their potential, provides and requests employee feedback
• Leadership - Provides strong leadership, sets a good example, skilled decision maker, motivator and encourager

Experience and Skills

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in materials management, supply chain management, inventory control, or production planning within a manufacturing environment; defense, aerospace, electronics, antenna manufacturing, or government contracting experience preferred.
• Previous leadership experience managing planners, inventory personnel, stockroom operations, or supply chain teams.
• Proven experience supporting government contracts and compliance requirements, including FAR, DFARS, and DCAA regulations.
• Strong experience with material planning, demand forecasting, procurement…