Materials Manager Jobs

Cyclone Steel is seeking an experienced Materials Manager with demonstrated proficiency in procurement, inventory planning and allocation of material to operations in a metals business. Specific experience in the steel plate, bar and tube industry is desirable. This position oversees the company’s inventory by assessing supply needs, maintaining vendor relationships, advising the organization regarding material costs, and managing both inbound and in-house material movement. In conjunction with the company’s Manufacturing VP, the position co-manages a Material Coordinator who helps allocate specific inventory to shop orders while maximizing processing efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Manage existing steel suppliers and develop new vendors, including local stocking centers, domestic steel mills, international steel mills and brokers
• Qualify new suppliers based on product offering, quality, service level, best price and demonstrated reliability in the industry
• The Materials Manager also assists the organization with the identification and management of certain outside processing subcontractors
• Work with the company’s manufacturing VP to manage physical inventory in the warehouse/shop, including stock locations, material identification and staging for upcoming jobs
• Work with the company CFO to accurately value inventory on the company’s financial books and make annual valuation adjustments if necessary
• Combines historical usage and forecast data to develop a forward-looking inventory plan with management team input that satisfies future business requirements
• Closely monitor price trends for all regularly used steel products and advise the sales team and management regarding these trends
• Extract, analyze and report on material usage data
• Maintain a close “partner” type relationship with suppliers who are strategic to the company
• Advise the sales team regarding current material availability, lead time and cost for quotation purposes and final order confirmation
• Develop and negotiate comprehensive supply contracts with certain vendors as appropriate, including associated terms and conditions
• Utilize and manage the inventory control module of the company’s business system to administer the company’s part numbering system, assure accurate inventory stock information, maintain material cost data, and produce usage reports
• Manage material logistics, including transportation methods and schedules for incoming service center and mill deliveries via truck, rail, or ocean cargo thru the Port of Houston
• Work regularly with sales management to obtain forecast detail for company’s product offering
• Meet with company staff and suppliers to address and correct vendor quality problems as needed
• Develop and issue detailed material purchase orders as needed for specific customer orders
• Meet regularly with the company’s accounts payable organization to coordinate vendor payments
• Develops and issue purchase orders for stock material buys from steel mills
• Work routinely with the inside sales organization to understand everyday material requirements, examine company stock and inquire with suppliers regarding material availability
• Oversees critical maintenance of material certification data in the company’s inventory records

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills to facilitate review of usage data, development of inventory planning tools and work with inventory valuation models
• Successful history of developing and managing supplier contracts and relationships
• Must have strong sense of business integrity and commitment to ethical behavior
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution, supply management, general business or similar discipline preferred
• Professional certification in supply chain management or inventory control is a significant benefit
• Strong negotiating skills
• 5+ years of related experience in metals distribution, manufacturing, or fabrication
• Familiarity with personal computing applications to enable use of a personal computer for analysis and reporting
• Experience with use of an enterprise business system to enable quick familiarization with the company’s central business software
• Familiarity with the steel market and pricing behavior