Materials Manager

Title:

Materials Manager

Location:

Wilmington, MA
Duration: 6 months
Compensation: $40 - $45

We are seeking a Warehouse Manager to own all shipping, receiving, inventory management, and warehousing operations for the facility. This is a unique role: you will be building and managing warehouse operations in a dynamic R&D and pre-production environment without a fully mature ERP system, with high part variety, frequent engineering changes, and rapidly evolving inventory needs. You will need to create practical systems for tracking, storing, and staging thousands of unique SKUs while maintaining the speed and flexibility that a development environment demands.

This role requires someone who can build structure from ambiguity and thrive in a fast-paced setting.

• Manage all inbound receiving operations: verify shipments against purchase orders, inspect for damage, and process receiving documentation
• Coordinate outbound shipping for returns, transfers, and supplier exchanges
• Process a high volume of diverse incoming materials — from small electronic components to large machined castings and raw stock
• Work with carriers and freight services to schedule deliveries, manage dock appointments, and resolve shipping discrepancies
• Maintain accurate receiving logs and ensure timely communication to production planning when critical materials arrive

• Establish and maintain inventory tracking systems for a high-variety, low-volume environment with thousands of unique part numbers
• Develop practical inventory management processes that function effectively without a mature ERP — using spreadsheets, barcode systems, or lightweight tools as appropriate
• Conduct cycle counts, reconcile inventory discrepancies, and maintain accuracy targets
• Manage inventory locations, bin assignments, and storage organization to enable rapid retrieval for production kitting
• Track lot/serial numbers for critical components requiring traceability
• Flag aging inventory, excess stock, and obsolete parts for engineering review and disposition
• Adapt inventory processes as engineering changes drive BOM revisions, part number changes, and new material introductions

• Organize warehouse layout for efficient storage, retrieval, and flow of materials to production areas
• Kit and stage materials for upcoming build campaigns in coordination with the production planner
• Manage storage of hazardous materials, ESD-sensitive components, and temperature-sensitive items per applicable requirements
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe warehouse areas following 5S principles
• Optimize space utilization as inventory types and volumes change with evolving product programs
• Manage overflow storage, off-site storage coordination, and material transfers between facilities as needed

• Lead and develop a small team of material handlers and receiving specialists
• Coordinate daily with production planning, supply chain, and engineering to align material availability with build schedules
• Communicate proactively when inventory issues, receiving delays, or space constraints may impact production
• Support production readiness reviews by confirming material availability for upcoming builds
• Drive accountability for inventory accuracy, on-time staging, and receiving throughput

• Build warehouse processes from the ground up in a new facility — define workflows, create SOPs, and establish operating standards
• Evaluate and recommend inventory management tools and systems as the organization scales
• Develop labeling, barcoding, and location management standards
• Support future ERP implementation by establishing clean data practices and process discipline now
• Identify and implement continuous…