What does a material lead do?
As a material lead, they must know record-keeping practices, automated system operations, safety/supervisory practices and principles, adopt skills in operating materials handling, automotive and office equipment, and in lifting heavy packages and objects. They are entitled to coordinate the activities of subordinates, design stockroom layout and oversee rearranging processes, examine incoming shipments for shortage or damage and correspond with the shipper to rectify and fill out appropriate documents and forms. They also need to review the complex work procedure to resolve question presentations by workers.
Material lead responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real material lead resumes:
- Manage materials MRP software systems set-up, sourcing, planning and layout for new product introduction of GACB.
- Lead project to establish a Kanban system for hardware to a key station to reduce cycle time and increase efficiency.
- Manage re-establishment of material management ERP system.
- Manage all incoming domestic and overseas products including MRO and consignment materials.
- Manage all raw materials and conduct inventory audits, maintain compliance guidelines, and supervise MRO purchasing to balance material shortage/surplus.
- Utilize multiple databases and MRP systems to identify and resolve inventory issues daily
- Develop receiving materials Kanban process.
- Maintain material certification in accordance with ISO standards.
- Prepare, coordinate, & monitor administrative modifications for ERP & legacy systems & their implementation across organizations.
- Locate pallets of merchandise in different departments using stand up rider jack also loading an operating assemble line processing merchandise
- Review and maintain ASL in accordance with the PCP.
- position that includes sending RFQ's, creating PO's, expediting the shipment of current and past due parts.
- Handle all return disbursements to the warehouse and enter back inventory via the AS400.
- Check the AS400 (inventory system) looking for any issues that will hinder production.
- Coordinate expedites of production material from suppliers as needed in support of establish production requirements in a JIT environment.
Material lead skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Material Leads are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Logistics, and Materials Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Material Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Continuous Improvement, 9%
Contribute to company's continuous improvement processes.
- Logistics, 9%
Provided technical judgments, recommendations, & leadership on hardware/software & for logistics applications.
- Materials Management, 6%
Established Site Materials Management and Site Preservation Plans.
- Lean Manufacturing, 4%
Input & maintain MRP to ensure lean manufacturing and synchronous production flow to level-load the manufacturing facility.
- Purchase Orders, 4%
Work with accounting department to ensure accuracy of purchase order information.
- Sigma, 4%
Gained an extensive knowledge of the DMAIC and 5 S's of Six Sigma processes for improving quality.
"continuous improvement," "logistics," and "materials management" are among the most common skills that material leads use at work. You can find even more material lead responsibilities below, including:
Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a material lead to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." Material leads often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "implemented goal oriented metrics that provided accuracy of material forecast, visibilities to inventory trends and improved cycle counts. "
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling material lead duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." According to a material lead resume, here's how material leads can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "developed and taught a data collection and statistics training course for technical personnel based on six sigma methodology. "
Customer-service skills. material leads are also known for customer-service skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to material lead responsibilities, because "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints." A material lead resume example shows how customer-service skills is used in the workplace: "regulated fda and customer inspections and audits. "
Communication skills. A big part of what material leads do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to material lead responsibilities because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical material lead tasks: "manage customer communication and supply chain processes to ensure optimal customer service standards are met. "
The three companies that hire the most material leads are:
- Gulfstream Aerospace5 material leads jobs
- Eaton4 material leads jobs
- General Electric2 material leads jobs
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Material lead vs. Inventory control coordinator
An inventory control coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of office inventory to ensure that the company has enough supplies to support the employees' needs for business operations. Inventory control coordinators manage supply chain systems, conduct inventory checks regularly, write inventory reports, create purchase requests, and file inventory documents on the database. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in analyzing the chain processes, and strictly adhere to the company's internal guidelines and regulations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a material lead are more likely to require skills like "continuous improvement," "materials management," "lean manufacturing," and "sigma." On the other hand, a job as an inventory control coordinator requires skills like "customer service," "data entry," "inventory control procedures," and "pallets." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Inventory control coordinators earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $38,327. On the other hand, material leads are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $94,706.inventory control coordinators tend to reach lower levels of education than material leads. In fact, inventory control coordinators are 9.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Material lead vs. Inventory coordinator
An inventory coordinator specializes in overseeing the supply flow of materials in a warehouse or similar setting. It is their responsibility to manage and handle the inventory, ensuring that the quantity and quality of materials align with company standards. Moreover, they are also responsible for assessing staff's performance, coordinating with different employees to ensure the accuracy of services, gathering and organizing data, maintaining records of transactions, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. As an inventory coordinator, it is essential to devise strategies for optimal performance, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real material lead resumes. While material lead responsibilities can utilize skills like "continuous improvement," "materials management," "lean manufacturing," and "sigma," inventory coordinators use skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "sales floor," and "patients."
On average, inventory coordinators earn a lower salary than material leads. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, inventory coordinators earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $40,639. Whereas material leads have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $94,706.inventory coordinators earn lower levels of education than material leads in general. They're 9.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Material lead vs. Production controller
A production controller is in charge of overseeing manufacturing operations, ensuring the workflow adheres to the quality standards, budgets, and deadlines. It is their duty to develop production and inventory control techniques, coordinate with managers to establish objectives and guidelines, review production plans and job orders, and supervise the supply chain operations. They also monitor every procedure, implement solutions in problem areas, and produce progress reports as needed. Furthermore, as a production controller, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the production team while implementing the company's protocols and policies.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, material leads are more likely to have skills like "continuous improvement," "materials management," "purchase orders," and "sigma." But a production controller is more likely to have skills like "control procedures," "respirators," "electronic equipment," and "shop space."
Production controllers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $58,093. Material leads earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $94,706.When it comes to education, production controllers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to material leads. In fact, they're 7.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Material lead vs. Expeditor
The role of expeditors is to ensure the timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food. To accomplish this task, they also perform other duties, including managing inventory levels, managing supply requisition, and coordinating with subcontractors. They are also responsible for streamlining interdepartmental communication, monitoring job progress, and collaborating with project managers to collect relevant information about job status. This role requires specific skills and qualifications, including a high school diploma or an associate degree in food service, business management, and hospitality management, relevant work experience, and certifications in CCP, CPSM, or CPPB.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between material leads and expeditors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a material lead might have more use for skills like "continuous improvement," "materials management," "lean manufacturing," and "sigma." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of expeditors require skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "house training," and "team work. "
Expeditors enjoy the best pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $46,040. For comparison, material leads earn the highest salary in the technology industry.expeditors reach lower levels of education compared to material leads, in general. The difference is that they're 10.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of material lead
Updated January 8, 2025











