Post job

How to hire a materials director

Materials director hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring materials directors in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a materials director is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per materials director on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 12,203 materials directors in the US, and there are currently 20,718 job openings in this field.
  • Chicago, IL, has the highest demand for materials directors, with 4 job openings.

How to hire a materials director, step by step

To hire a materials director, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a materials director, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step materials director hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a materials director job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new materials director
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a materials director do?

A materials director oversees daily operations of a purchasing office and storeroom. They oversee an organizations' policies, supervise staff within the purchasing office, distribute supplies, carry out requisitions, coordinate warehouse activities, and maintain relationships with vendors. They also need to keep detailed records of procurement activities and material quantities.

Learn more about the specifics of what a materials director does
jobs
Post a materials director job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your materials director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a materials director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A materials director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, materials directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of materials director salaries for various roles:

    Type of Materials DirectorDescriptionHourly rate
    Materials DirectorPurchasing managers plan, direct, and coordinate the buying of materials, products, or services for wholesalers, retailers, or organizations. They oversee the work of procurement-related occupations including buyers and purchasing agents.$44-83
    Contracts Administration ManagerContracts administration managers are responsible for negotiating and administering government and commercial contracts, preparing proposals, and ensuring that they comply with all company policies and legal requirements. These managers report the progress of their projects to top management during meetings... Show more$22-54
    Procurement OfficerA procurement officer is primarily in charge of overseeing the procurement of supplies and equipment for an organization, prioritizing cost-efficiency and quality. It is their duty to manage the company's supply inventory, compile and analyze procurement requests, develop purchase plans, handle purchase procedures, and maintain records of all transactions, producing reports regularly... Show more$25-48
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Supply Chain
    • Logistics
    • Continuous Improvement
    • Materials Management
    • Inventory Control
    • On-Time Delivery
    • MRP
    • ERP
    • Lean Manufacturing
    • Sigma
    • Cost Reduction
    • Direct Reports
    • Shipping Receiving
    • Production Control
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Stream line and upgrade the planning process improving internal and external service levels in an ISO certify environment.
    • Enhance the functionality of the ERP system by revising all part numbers to conform to standardize part number/description protocols.
    More materials director duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your materials director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A materials director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a materials director in North Dakota may be lower than in California, and an entry-level materials director usually earns less than a senior-level materials director. Additionally, a materials director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average materials director salary

    $127,061yearly

    $61.09 hourly rate

    Entry-level materials director salary
    $92,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 15, 2025

    Average materials director salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$154,177$74
    2Massachusetts$136,829$66
    3New York$124,281$60
    4Pennsylvania$123,894$60
    5Connecticut$123,876$60
    6New Mexico$118,775$57
    7North Carolina$118,197$57
    8Illinois$115,432$56
    9Virginia$114,775$55
    10Ohio$112,133$54
    11Texas$103,314$50
    12Georgia$97,702$47
    13Kansas$94,305$45

    Average materials director salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Koch Industries$143,666$69.071
    2Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.$133,408$64.142
    3Qorvo$129,489$62.25
    4Ernst & Young$125,835$60.50393
    5Xylem$125,750$60.463
    6Sandia National Labs$124,581$59.892
    7Ctl$120,296$57.83
    8Honeywell$117,727$56.606
    9Mc Cormick Co$114,537$55.073
    10CVS Health$113,855$54.7421
    11ITT$113,322$54.48
    12EVRAZ North America$112,681$54.17
    13Mast$112,268$53.98
    14Lennox International$107,795$51.82
    15Cummins$96,579$46.433
  4. Writing a materials director job description

    A materials director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a materials director job description:

    Materials director job description example

    You will lead a team of 3 highly skilled professionals that provide foundational information needed within Autocar and its supply base, including (1) forecasts, (2) supply chain process adherence, (3) sunsetting of parts (excess and obsolescence management), and organizational leading/lagging metrics. The result of this effort will ensure that Autocar has the right products, at the right quantities, in the right place, at all times.

    What Does it Take to Be Part of Our Team?

    You'll Achieve These Key Outcomes:

    Publish a 12-month rolling forecast at the part level for Autocar Supply base

    As a key member of the Inquiry to Order Process, measure and communicate Supply Chains ability to support timelines and deliverables

    Maintain the proper configuration of Autocar Supplier Portal to ensure it accurately reflects firmed and planned orders

    Set up new suppliers and maintain an accurate supplier master file

    Maintain a Plan for Every Part (PFEP) program with periodic review periods

    Sunset parts collaboratively and run an active program to reduce excess and obsolete materials

    Maintain the Autocar Supplier Scorecard Systems and publish results internally and externally on a monthly basis

    Generate key Supply Chain Metrics that ensure monitoring of key leading process metrics and outcomes that support Autocars goals/excellence

    You'll Demonstrate These Competencies for Success:

    • Analytical excellence with ability to see problems well in advance

    • Process driven ability to achieve results in a fast-paced environment

    • Thorough with a logical ability to link actions to effects

    • Focused yet flexible

    • Drive to do what is right, not politically expedient

    Your Background Includes:

    Bachelor's degree

    Operations or Supply Chain Management or Industrial Engineering degrees preferred

    Minimum of 5 years' experience in planning roles, S&OP, and production/inventory management in commodities or manufacturing

    Working knowledge with S&OP process, systems, tools, and methods

    Working knowledge of production/inventory principles and concepts (i.e. S&OP, Master scheduling, inventory management, capacity planning, etc.)

    Experience in materials planning using a Materials Planning (MRP) system; QAD experience is a plus

    Experience with statistical and analytics software (i.e. Power BI, Excel, Word, Power Point, Access, SAS, Minitab, etc.)

    You may have Supply Chain Certification (APICS, CPIM, CSCM)

    You enjoy translating and integrating systems to interpret data analytics and facilitate effective communications with key stakeholders

    You thrive under the challenge to deliver custom solutions for your customers on time, every time - even when customer requirements change

    Where will you work? This role is located at Autocar , LLC, in Hagerstown, Indiana.

    What do we offer in benefits?

    We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package, to include base salary, incentive bonus opportunities, and benefits such as medical/dental/vision options, 401K plan, etc.

    About Autocar

    At Autocar, we are transforming the vocational truck industry, providing the highest quality, safest, and most advanced technology in the severe-duty class 8 vocational truck segment. Every truck we make is custom-engineered, and custom built to the customer's specifications.

    We are a privately US owned and operated company that expects our team members to act with an owner mindset: Relentless about creating value for the end user. Dogged about finding efficiencies and eliminating waste. Standing arm and arm with the rest of the team until the job is done-and ready to do it again the next day, with a smile.

    It is not easy do things differently in this industry. But we do it-because we are passionate about improving the lives of the drivers that use our trucks.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right materials director for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your materials director job on Zippia to find and recruit materials director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting materials directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new materials director

    Once you've decided on a perfect materials director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new materials director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a materials director?

Before you start to hire materials directors, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire materials directors pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $127,061 per year for a materials director, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for materials directors in the US typically range between $44 and $83 an hour.

Find better materials directors in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring materials directors FAQs

Search for materials director jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse executive management jobs