Materials Manager

Location:

New Jersey

Schedule:

Full-Time | Onsite, Monday–Friday

Industry: Manufacturing

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Materials Manager to oversee procurement, supplier relationships, and supply chain operations for a manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

This position plays a critical role in ensuring the timely and cost-effective availability of materials, equipment, and services necessary to support production demands and overall plant efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing procurement, supplier negotiations, inventory management, and strategic sourcing. Experience in plastics injection molding, packaging, or high-volume manufacturing environments is highly preferred.

• Manage purchasing activities for raw materials, resins, additives, colorants, packaging materials, MRO supplies, spare parts, equipment, and outside services.
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies that optimize cost, quality, delivery, and supplier reliability.
• Negotiate supplier pricing, contracts, payment terms, and purchasing agreements.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, and supplier negotiations.
• Ensure timely procurement of materials and services to support production schedules and operational requirements.

• Establish, develop, and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international suppliers as applicable.
• Evaluate supplier performance based on quality, pricing, delivery, responsiveness, and reliability.
• Identify, qualify, and develop alternative suppliers to minimize supply chain disruptions.
• Resolve supplier-related issues involving material shortages, delivery delays, pricing discrepancies, and quality concerns.
• Monitor market conditions, material availability, and pricing trends to support informed purchasing decisions.

• Partner with Production, Scheduling, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Finance to align purchasing activities with operational needs.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess stock, shortages, and carrying costs.
• Support production planning, new product introductions, engineering changes, and changing material requirements.
• Identify potential supply chain risks and implement contingency plans to ensure business continuity.
• Improve purchasing processes, supplier accountability, and overall supply chain efficiency.

• Analyze purchasing trends, supplier costs, and material expenditures to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop strategies to reduce procurement costs without compromising product quality or production schedules.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier documentation, and pricing agreements.
• Collaborate with plant leadership to improve procurement practices, inventory accuracy, and operational performance.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing operation.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, materials management, or supply chain operations within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success in supplier management, contract negotiations, strategic sourcing, and cost reduction.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, inventory control, material planning, and production requirements.
• Experience managing multiple suppliers, purchasing priorities, and competing operational demands.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and respond quickly to changing business needs.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience in plastics, packaging, or high-volume manufacturing.
• Knowledge of resin markets, colorants, packaging components, tooling, MRO procurement, and outside processing.
• Experience with supplier qualification, inventory optimization, and supply chain risk management.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and purchasing analytics.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, CPM, or APP are a plus.

The successful…