Materials Manager

We are looking for a talented Materials Manager to join our team for our Upfit site in Ankeny, IA.

In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways: 

• Drive the daily execution of a critical segment of the supply chain by ensuring customer requirements are met, proactively managing operational priorities, and maintaining continuity of supply.
• Identify and eliminate potential supply chain disruptions through effective planning, risk assessment, and preventative actions that reduce the need for reactive expediting.
• Lead cross-functional teams to develop and implement short- and mid-term improvement initiatives that enhance operational performance, responsiveness, and overall supply chain effectiveness.
• Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), identify trends and improvement opportunities, and develop action plans that deliver measurable results and support business objectives.
• Optimize supply chain planning processes by leveraging common tools, systems, and best practices while recommending and approving planning parameter changes that improve performance and accuracy.
• Collaborate with suppliers, customers, and internal stakeholders to mitigate capacity, material, and demand constraints, ensuring continuity of operations and minimizing business impact.
• Champion continuous improvement by leading Six Sigma and process improvement projects that increase efficiency, strengthen controls, and drive sustainable operational excellence.
• Mentor and develop supply chain planners while reinforcing standard processes, governance, and internal controls to build organizational capability and ensure consistent execution across the function.

• Lead and develop the Materials Planning team (6) by establishing standardized processes, providing cross-training, conducting regular one-on-ones and team meetings, and ensuring clear supplier and planner ownership.
• Ensure material availability and purchasing execution by overseeing ordering activity, approving purchase orders in SAP, monitoring team progress, and addressing gaps that could affect production.
• Manage supplier performance and escalations by resolving past-due orders, missing confirmations, drawing or resourcing issues, and other supplier-related constraints in partnership with Sourcing and Scheduling.
• Optimize inventory and minimize operational risk by managing stocking levels, identifying excess and obsolete inventory, supporting inventory-reduction initiatives, and leading root-cause analysis of material shortages.
• Drive performance visibility and continuous improvement by tracking key materials KPIs, reviewing SAP and exception reports, maintaining accurate inventory and open-PO reporting, and working with leadership to improve processes across sites.
• Ankeny is the only Upfit site currently on SAP.

Compensation: 

Please note that the salary range provided is a good faith estimate on the applicable range. The final salary offer will be determined after considering relevant factors, including a candidate’s qualifications and experience, where appropriate.

To be successful in this role you will need the following: 

• Success in this role requires a strong combination of supply chain planning expertise, analytical problem-solving, leadership, and stakeholder engagement. You will be most effective when you balance operational execution with strategic thinking while ensuring customer needs remain at the center of decision-making.

• Build strong partnerships across planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, suppliers, and customer-facing teams to resolve constraints, align priorities, and achieve shared supply chain objectives.

• Communicate proactively and effectively with stakeholders at all levels, translating complex planning challenges, risks, and performance metrics into clear actions and recommendations.

• Maintain a strong customer focus by ensuring material availability, minimizing supply disruptions, and making decisions that support delivery performance and customer satisfaction.

• Lead and develop others by coaching planners, sharing best practices, fostering continuous learning, and building team capability to improve overall supply chain performance.

• Drive accountability by establishing clear expectations, monitoring commitments, following through on action plans, and ensuring operational targets and business objectives are achieved.

• Leverage materials planning systems and advanced planning tools to manage supply and demand, resolve exception messages, identify root causes, and make data-driven decisions that improve planning effectiveness.

• Apply Plan for Every Part (PFEP) principles and master scheduling expertise to optimize material flow, inventory levels, production alignment, and end-to-end supply chain efficiency.

• Analyze supply chain KPIs, inventory trends, and operational performance data to identify improvement opportunities, balance competing priorities, and implement sustainable solutions that drive measurable business results.
  
  Education, Licenses, Certifications: 
  College, university, or equivalent degree required.
  This position may require licensing for compliance with export controls or sanctions regulations. 
  
  Experience: 
  Intermediate level of experience required. 3-5 years of relevant work experience preferred.