Materials Manager

Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Work Arrangement: Fully On-Site

A leading manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Materials Manager to lead material flow, inventory strategy, and warehouse operations in a high-performance production environment. This role plays a critical part in ensuring materials are efficiently received, stored, staged, and delivered to support uninterrupted manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in lean manufacturing, materials management, and supply chain operations, with hands-on experience implementing pull-based systems and optimizing inventory control in fast-paced production environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee material flow from receiving and inspection through line-side delivery and finished goods shipping to ensure production readiness.

• Develop and maintain a Plan for Every Part (PFEP) database to support daily operations and material planning.

• Design and implement lean, pull-based material systems including Kanban, supermarkets, tugger routes, and point-of-use delivery.

• Manage work-in-process (WIP) markets and pull-based replenishment aligned with production scheduling practices such as heijunka and changeover optimization.

• Lead inventory management and control processes, ensuring high levels of accuracy and compliance with established procedures.

• Oversee daily warehouse operations including receiving, storage, cycle counting, staging, and shipping.

• Develop and mentor material handling teams, including forklift drivers and supervisors, ensuring strong performance and operational alignment.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to material flow and operational efficiency.

• Collaborate with internal teams, suppliers, and customers to resolve manufacturing or supply chain issues.

• Participate in Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and operational improvement forums.

• Serve as a functional SAP super user and support ERP-driven materials processes.

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in operations or materials management within a manufacturing environment.

• Experience implementing lean manufacturing principles, including pull systems and PFEP strategies.

• Demonstrated success managing material flow, warehouse operations, and inventory control.

• Experience working with ERP systems such as SAP.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to make data-driven operational decisions.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in international logistics or multi-site manufacturing operations

• Background in continuous improvement initiatives and lean transformations

• Experience operating in both high-mix/low-volume and high-volume production environments

Key Skills:

• Lean manufacturing and materials flow optimization

• Inventory management and warehouse operations

• ERP and materials planning systems

• Data analysis and operational performance management

• Cross-functional collaboration and communication

• Continuous improvement leadership

Why Join:

This organization offers a collaborative manufacturing culture focused on innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Employees benefit from a strong team environment and the opportunity to contribute directly to mission-critical production operations.

If you are an experienced materials management professional with a passion for lean operations and supply chain optimization, we encourage you to apply.