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Materials Manager

Position Overview

Materials managers support the complete material flow cycle — from purchase to planning and control of work in process to the finished product. Organizations depend on effective materials managers to ensure that available goods can satisfy customer demand, minimize waste, manage inventory levels and keep output in line with the company’s balance sheet.

What does a materials manager do?

  • Manage purchase orders, including expediting or e-procurement
  • Plan material requirements
  • Plan production schedules
  • Plan capacity requirements
  • Measure operational performance against the plan
  • Receive and distribute product
  • Develop or maintain reports, analytics and metrics
  • Align demand with sourcing activities
  • Define and execute on physical inventory and/or cycle count policy
  • Align inventory requirements with sales and operations planning and/or the demand schedule
materials manager

Technical skills

  • Business systems, such as enterprise resources and material requirements planning
  • Operational and financial metrics
  • Inventory classification, such as ABC analysis
  • Master scheduling
  • Supplier capabilities
  • Key-performance indicators
  • Reorder strategy
  • Transaction history management
  • Product shelf life and scrapping
Materials manager Technical skills

Leadership skills

  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Flexibility
  • Time management
materials manager Leadership skills

Education

Top 3 Bachelor’s Degrees:

  1. Business administration
  2. Engineering
  3. Supply chain
  4. Operations management

    Salary Ranges for a Materials Manager

    If you’re looking for a way to advance your career and become a certified expert in your field, consider an APICS certification. Based on results from the annual ASCM Supply Chain Salary and Career report, supply chain managers with an APICS certification reported earning more than their counterparts without a certification.

    Earn 27% more with an APICS certification

    It pays to earn an APICS Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) or Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) certification.

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    Salary Ranges for a Materials Manager