Materials Manager

Materials Manager Nex. Gen Manufacturing Location: Knightstown, Indiana Employment Type: Full-Time Join the Nex. Gen Manufacturing Team Nex. Gen Manufacturing is seeking an experienced Materials Manager to oversee our materials operations and support the continued growth of our manufacturing organization. This hands-on leadership position is responsible for purchasing, material planning, inventory control, supplier performance, and ERP accuracy.

The Materials Manager will lead the materials team and work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, and other departments to ensure materials and outside services are available when needed to meet production schedules and customer delivery requirements. We are looking for a strong manufacturing leader who can balance day-to-day execution with planning, supplier management, cost control, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

Lead and develop the materials team, including establishing priorities, assigning work, providing coaching and feedback, conducting performance evaluations, and supporting hiring and employee development. Create and maintain material plans based on customer demand, bills of material, lead times, inventory levels, and production schedules.

Ensure work orders are material-ready and proactively identify material shortages, risks, and recovery plans. Manage long-lead materials, safety stock, reorder points, expediting, and changing customer or production requirements. Lead sourcing, supplier negotiations, and purchasing of raw materials, components, packaging, and outside processing within established authorization levels.

Ensure purchase orders accurately reflect current revisions, specifications, quantities, pricing, delivery requirements, and applicable quality requirements. Manage supplier performance related to delivery, quality, cost, responsiveness, and corrective action while developing alternate sources when appropriate. Maintain inventory accuracy through cycle counting, inventory controls, root-cause analysis, and appropriate disposition of excess and obsolete materials.

Oversee receiving, inspection coordination, storage, staging, kitting, material movement, and traceability. Maintain accurate purchasing, supplier, cost, receiving, and inventory information within Global Shop. Work with Engineering and Operations to verify bills of material, routings, revisions, and documented customer changes.

Monitor purchasing spend, open commitments, projected cash requirements, material costs, freight, purchase-price variance, supplier terms, and cost-saving opportunities. Develop and report materials and supplier KPIs and support applicable ISO 9001 purchasing, supplier, traceability, and record-retention requirements.

Communicate material risks and operational issues early and work cross-functionally to develop effective solutions. Travel occasionally to supplier or company locations as business needs require. Perform other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience. Five or more years of experience in materials management, purchasing, production planning, supply chain, or inventory control within a manufacturing environment.

Two or more years of team-lead or management experience preferred. Experience with manufacturing ERP systems; Global Shop experience is preferred. Strong understanding of contract manufacturing, fabrication, engineering drawings, specifications, bills of material, revisions, and outside processing. Strong knowledge of purchasing, production planning, inventory control, and supplier management.

Strong negotiation, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. Ability to use spreadsheets, ERP information, and key performance indicators to identify issues and make sound business decisions. Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to establish accountability while maintaining productive relationships with employees, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.

Physical & Work Environment This position works in both office and manufacturing environments and requires regular movement throughout production, receiving, and inventory areas. The employee may occasionally lift, move, or position items weighing up to 25 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation. The manufacturing environment may include elevated noise levels, dust, moving equipment, and warmer temperatures, particularly during summer months.

Required personal protective equipment must be worn and applicable safety procedures must be followed.

Benefits

Nex. Gen Manufacturing offers competitive pay based on experience and skill level. Eligible employees may receive comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan with company match; paid time off and holidays.

Benefits

are subject to applicable eligibility requirements and plan terms. Equal Employment Opportunity Nex. Gen Manufacturing is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Nex. Gen Manufacturing provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees as required by applicable law. Applicants who require an accommodation during the hiring process should contact Human Resources.