| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Supply Chain |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | General Manager Supply Chain |
| Direct reports | Material Planner, Stores Officer |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in materials management or procurement |
Materials Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Materials Manager
Department: Supply Chain
Reports to: General Manager Supply Chain
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Materials Manager makes sure a manufacturing plant has the right materials, in the right quantity, at the right time, without overstocking. They plan material requirements, manage procurement and vendors, control material inventory and stores, and keep production supplied. The role sits in supply chain or plant operations. A good one keeps production running with no material shortages, controls material cost and inventory, builds reliable vendors, keeps stores accurate and organised, and balances availability against the cash tied up in materials.
Key responsibilities
- Plan material requirements from the production plan and keep production supplied.
- Manage procurement of raw and packing materials on cost, quality and delivery.
- Build and manage vendors, and negotiate rates, terms and reliable supply.
- Control material inventory and stores to avoid both shortages and overstock.
- Set material stock norms, reorder points and safety stock levels.
- Coordinate with production, planning and quality on material needs and issues.
- Manage material receipt, inspection, storage and issue through stores.
- Reduce material cost, wastage and slow-moving stock over the year.
- Handle material shortages, substitutions and urgent purchases to protect production.
- Lead material planners and stores staff and keep records accurate.
Requirements
- Degree in engineering, supply chain or commerce
- Experience in materials or procurement in manufacturing
- An MBA or materials qualification is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in materials management or procurement
KRAs and KPIs for a Materials Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Material availability | Production never stopped for material shortage caused by planning |
| Material cost | Material and procurement cost kept within budget and reduced towards target |
| Inventory control | Material inventory and working capital kept within targets |
| Vendor performance | Vendors deliver on quality, cost and on-time supply to target |
| Stores accuracy | Stores stock accuracy above the agreed level on counts |
| Waste reduction | Material wastage and slow-moving stock reduced towards target |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ERP such as SAP MM, MS Excel, Procurement systems, Stores management systems, Vendor portals.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: General Manager Supply Chain, Procurement Head
Interview questions for a Materials Manager
- How do you make sure production never stops for a material shortage?
- How do you balance material availability against inventory cost?
- How do you handle an urgent material shortage before a production run?
- How do you build and manage reliable vendors?
- How do you reduce material cost without hurting quality or supply?
- How do you keep stores stock accurate and well-organised?
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What does a materials manager do?
A materials manager makes sure a manufacturing plant has the right materials, in the right quantity, at the right time, without overstocking. They plan material requirements, manage procurement and vendors, control material inventory and stores, and keep production supplied. They keep production running with no shortages while controlling material cost and inventory.
What is the difference between a materials manager and a procurement manager?
A materials manager owns end-to-end material availability for production: planning requirements, controlling inventory and stores, and buying materials. A procurement manager focuses specifically on the buying: sourcing, negotiating and managing vendors across categories. In manufacturing the materials manager usually includes procurement of production materials; larger firms split the roles.
What skills does a materials manager need?
A materials manager needs material requirement planning, procurement, vendor management and inventory and stores control skills, plus negotiation and ERP knowledge. Leadership matters, since the role leads planners and stores staff. The core skill is balancing material availability for production against the cost and working capital tied up in stock.