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What is a director of materials management and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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To be the director of materials management, one has to manage and supervise all the supplies along with maintaining depth knowledge of GPO (group purchasing organization) programs. They need to have at least a bachelor's degree in the business field or related field and five years of experience in a related field because managing and directing materials is not easy.

Being director of materials management is physically demanding and highly stressful. They have to decide a proper course of action in complex situations and prioritize the schedule of work. To maintain clear records in a professional, timely manner, they need to know computer applications. Highly detail-oriented and creative people perform this job most efficiently.

Managing material is not a nine-to-five job; they may need to work any time. Besides directing, they also need to have good positive communicating skills to apply for this post.

ScoreDirector Of Materials ManagementUS Average
Salary
7.1

Avg. Salary $91,206

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.1

Growth Rate -6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 7.44%

Black or African American 9.07%

Hispanic or Latino 12.29%

Unknown 3.82%

White 67.07%

Gender

female 26.97%

male 73.03%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress Level
8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director Of Materials Management career paths

Key steps to become a director of materials management

  1. Explore director of materials management education requirements

    Most common director of materials management degrees

    Bachelor's

    55.3 %

    Associate

    16.6 %

    Master's

    11.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific director of materials management skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Materials Management15.73%
    Supply Chain11.52%
    Patients7.53%
    Logistics5.34%
    Inventory Control4.53%
  3. Complete relevant director of materials management training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of materials management learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of materials management based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of materials management resumes.
  4. Research director of materials management duties and responsibilities

    • Manage selection of all suppliers, vendor consolidation and new SKU creation to include BOMs.
    • Manage GPO and individually negotiate supplier agreements and compliance.
    • Work closely with production planning team (MRP) to insure product availability to the production floor.
    • Plan wafer starts, WIP control.
  5. Get director of materials management experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of materials management. The most common roles before becoming a director of materials management include material manager, purchasing manager team lead and buyer.
  6. Prepare your director of materials management resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of materials management resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of materials management resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Director Of Materials Management Resume templates

    Build a professional Director Of Materials Management resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Director Of Materials Management resume.
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    Director Of Materials Management Resume
    Director Of Materials Management Resume
    Director Of Materials Management Resume
    Director Of Materials Management Resume
  7. Apply for director of materials management jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director of materials management job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Director Of Materials Management Job

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Average director of materials management salary

The average Director Of Materials Management salary in the United States is $91,206 per year or $44 per hour. Director of materials management salaries range between $72,000 and $114,000 per year.

Average Director Of Materials Management Salary
$91,206 Yearly
$43.85 hourly

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Director Of Materials Management reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Have a direct impact of the company bottom targets.

Cons

Works not recognized by upper management!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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