What does a director of materials management do?
A director of materials management is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's purchasing and supply departments. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, supervise the procurement programs and procedures, manage purchasing staff, review documentation and requests, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. They must also address issues and concerns, resolving them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a director of materials management must lead teams while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Director of materials management responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of materials management resumes:
- 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.
- Schedule time phase finish goods purchases from an MPS software system and production material purchases from an MRP system.
- Conduct thorough business case evaluation of legacy ERP software in support of management decision to upgrade or purchase new.
- Utilize the ERP to purchase material for assign commodities, rescheduling material as required, ensuring supply and reducing excess inventory.
- Monitor GPO contracts and negotiate non-GPO/local hospital agreements.
- Reduce WIP inventory, level load manufacturing and shipping schedules
- Formulate designed and facilitate procedures for purchasing, logistics, receiving and inventory to increase efficiency, accuracy and reduce cost.
- Utilize extensive mastery of all aspects of military logistics in conducting various operations in both the wholesale and retail logistics systems.
- Communicate with other Cameron facilities worldwide and outside vendors to obtain materials and services require to fulfill customer projects and orders.
- Design the supply chain, develop production and manufacturing readiness plans and coordinate purchasing activities across multiple commodities.
Director of materials management skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Directors Of Materials Management are proficient in Materials Management, Supply Chain, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Math skills, and Negotiating skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Materials Management that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Materials Management, 16%
Championed integration of materials management functions including systems interface, on-line order entry, vendor consolidation and point of service delivery/replenishment.
- Supply Chain, 12%
Trained and mentored excellence in operations and supply chain through lean manufacturing and continuous process improvement (Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing).
- Patients, 8%
Specialized in administering nursing services to acute and critically ill patients.
- Logistics, 5%
Formulated designed and facilitated procedures for purchasing, logistics, receiving and inventory to increase efficiency, accuracy and reduce cost.
- Inventory Control, 5%
Designed and implemented inventory control system to track inventories, allowing significant annual savings by minimizing duplication of stock and ordering.
- Value Analysis, 4%
Key resource to senior management in matters related to purchasing procedures, expense reduction initiatives, value analysis and contract negotiations.
Most directors of materials management use their skills in "materials management," "supply chain," and "patients" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of materials management responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a director of materials management to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "when evaluating suppliers, purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must analyze their options and choose a supplier with the best combination of price, quality, delivery, or service." Directors of materials management often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "directed the new data management procedures and standards for erp system. "
Math skills. Another essential skill to perform director of materials management duties is math skills. Directors of materials management responsibilities require that "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must possess math skills." Directors of materials management also use math skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "refined the materials management and financial accountability through performing detailed quantitative cost analysis and budgetary/statistical managerial reporting, forecasting and controls. "
Negotiating skills. This is an important skill for directors of materials management to perform their duties. For an example of how director of materials management responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents often must negotiate the terms of a contract with a supplier." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of materials management: "achieved cost reduction of $250,000 per year by negotiating price reductions on products and services and improving processes and procedures. ".
See the full list of director of materials management skills
The three companies that hire the most director of materials managements are:
- Honeywell17 directors of materials management jobs
- Fluor Corporation9 directors of materials management jobs
- Applied Materials5 directors of materials management jobs
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Compare different directors of materials management
Director of materials management vs. Supply chain consultant
A supply chain consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to develop strategies for optimal services. Typically working in the manufacturing industry, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the inventory and supply flow of materials, liaising with vendors and suppliers, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the operations, and suggesting actions on areas needing improvement. Furthermore, as a supply chain consultant, it is essential to create and recommend business plans, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director of materials management are more likely to require skills like "patients," "value analysis," "purchase orders," and "patient care." On the other hand, a job as a supply chain consultant requires skills like "strong problem-solving," "order management," "prototyping," and "business development." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Supply chain consultants earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $88,578. On the other hand, directors of materials management are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $88,094.The education levels that supply chain consultants earn slightly differ from directors of materials management. In particular, supply chain consultants are 10.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a director of materials management. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of materials management vs. Supply officer
A supply chain director is primarily in charge of the overall supply chain operations in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to improve processes, creating business plans and sales forecasts, delegating tasks, coordinating and selecting suppliers and vendors, creating new supply chain policies when necessary, and spearheading the inventory and delivery processes. There are also instances when a supply chain director must report to higher-ranking officials, produce progress reports, and craft presentations. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead the workforce while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real director of materials management resumes. While director of materials management responsibilities can utilize skills like "materials management," "supply chain," "patients," and "logistics," supply officers use skills like "logistics support," "financial management," "food service," and "property accountability."
In general, supply officers achieve similar levels of education than directors of materials management. They're 0.8% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of materials management vs. Supply chain director
A supply chain manager is an individual who takes responsibility for managing hardware, equipment, and any other logistical details of an organization. Supply chain managers work alongside the external partners for parts and raw material procurement. They make sure that global companies coordinate with their sources of goods. These professionals also assess their suppliers and negotiate corporate contracts with vendors. The skills they needed include technical understanding, project management, cost accounting skills, and business ethics.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of materials management resumes include skills like "patients," "value analysis," "purchase orders," and "shipping receiving," whereas a supply chain director is more likely to list skills in "continuous improvement," "business processes," "lean six sigma," and "kpis. "
Supply chain directors make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $134,920. On the other hand, directors of materials management are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $88,094.supply chain directors typically earn higher educational levels compared to directors of materials management. Specifically, they're 8.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of materials management vs. Supply chain manager
Types of director of materials management
Updated January 8, 2025
