How To Become A Materials Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a materials director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A Materials Director is in charge of overseeing the supply and management of supplies needed for an organization. The responsibilities of a materials director include the purchase of needed raw materials, equipment, and other supplies needed for the production process. You are also in charge of the storage and monitors the usage of these materials. Material directors may also take part in the process of creating functional strategies for continuous management of supplies based on the objectives of the organization. The creation of budgets for materials supply may also be part of the responsibilities of a materials director.

To work as a Materials Director, you will need a bachelor's degree in business administration, management, and other related fields. Years of experience in a similar role may also be required for this role. This position requires good planning and organizational skills. Materials directors may also make use of inventory management software; hence, you should be proficient with them as well. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are also needed for this position.

The average income of a Materials Director is $141,000 yearly.

ScoreMaterials DirectorUS Average

Salary

8.3

Avg. Salary $127,061

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 7.47%

Black or African American 9.11%

Hispanic or Latino 12.35%

Unknown 3.82%

White 66.94%

Gender

female 12.02%

male 87.98%

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

Key steps to become a materials director

Explore materials director education requirements

Most common materials director degrees

Bachelor's

72.3 %

Master's

14.9 %

Associate

9.2 %

Start to develop specific materials director skills

Skills	Percentages
Supply Chain	16.66%
Logistics	8.67%
Continuous Improvement	6.00%
Materials Management	5.18%
Inventory Control	5.10%

Complete relevant materials director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New materials directors 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 materials director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real materials director resumes.

Research materials director duties and responsibilities

Manage cross-functional teams during the implementation of an ERP system that are successfully install and maintain without affecting the revenue stream.
Lead assembly operations and materials during major line reconfiguration and ISO certification.
Manage supplier performance base on identify KPIs and implement supplier-sourcing strategies to improve performance.
Implement and enhance use of MRP system, allowing use of accurate inventory reporting for fiscal year end.

Get materials director experience

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

Prepare your materials director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your materials director 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 materials director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable materials director resume templates

Build a professional materials director 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 materials director resume.