What does a materials specialist do?
A materials specialist is responsible for researching efficient and high-quality materials for production and manufacturing processes, following the designs and specifications of the engineering team and design analysts. Materials specialists identify cost-reduction materials by coordinating with trusted suppliers and vendors and determine the suitability of these items in the supply chain. They conduct data and statistical analysis to develop strategic techniques that would minimize the company's expenditures and cost. A materials specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing expense reports and discuss findings to the senior management.
Materials specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real materials specialist resumes:
- Manage the receiving of all HAZMAT items and issuing those items out as needed by aircraft maintenance.
- Utilize hand hold computerized RF or PC to accomplish daily order pulling of materials to be package and ship.
- Manage ISO documentation for corporate purchasing.
- Call vendors to expedite orders.
- Enter data regarding transactiom movements in computer (AS400 system).
- File all documentation and BOL's from shipments that have been receive.
- Work closely with material drivers to ensure FIFO are understood and being adhere to.
- Develop and implement LIFO, FIFO, GMP management systems conforming to standard warehouse practice.
- Process material movements in ERP system including: PO receipts, inventory transfers, sales order shipments.
- Train to maintain OSHA standards, guidelines and regulations and ensure the safe operation of all equipment.
- Process outgoing shipments, including parcel, LTL, truck load, international, domestic, etc.
- Evaluate and monitor supply chain activities to maintain a JIT environment, accurate planning, and inventory control.
- Apply logistic management to everything from UPS/FEDEX to coordinating major LTL tractor trailer shipments to customers during shortages.
- Test construction material (concrete, asphalt, air percentage and soil) to ensure compliance with TxDOT specifications.
- Examine shipment contents and compare material receive with BOL's and invoices to ensure accuracy of the shipment send.
Materials specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Materials Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Logistics, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Materials Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 9%
Provided customer service, reconciling hand-receipts, cataloging property and maintaining property book records.
- Logistics, 8%
Maintained inventory for production line* Collaborated with Logistics Planning Analyst on material shortages* Participated in RIW for Yard Storage utilization improvement
- Data Entry, 6%
Fulfilled a variety of material functions including stocking/distribution of materials, inventory accuracy, and data entry within the applicable stockroom/warehouse.
- Purchase Orders, 6%
United States Reviewed all project purchase orders to determine inspection criteria and prepared Quality and Certification Requirements Plan including inspection schedule.
- Inventory Control, 5%
Coordinate interdepartmental activity with Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Engineering, Inventory Control, Traffic, and Contract Administration.
- Shipping Receiving, 4%
Maintain warehouse inventory, shipping receiving and repacking of all good for shipment.
"customer service," "logistics," and "data entry" are among the most common skills that materials specialists use at work. You can find even more materials specialist responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a materials specialist to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "production, planning, and expediting clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, and production managers and need to communicate the firm’s scheduling needs effectively." Materials specialists often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "experienced material planning, customer service, oral and written communication skills along with strong computer skills. "
Customer-service skills. Many materials specialist duties rely on customer-service skills. "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom.," so a materials specialist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways materials specialist responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "processed customer sale orders and picked required material from stock with the assistance of company erp. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of materials specialists is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday materials specialist duties, as "material and product inspecting clerks check items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "ship aircraft parts, hazmat parts, and non-hazmat parts all over the world, with detail to customs paperwork. "
Math skills. A big part of what materials specialists do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to materials specialist responsibilities because "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical materials specialist tasks: "managed the k-12 mathematics discipline bom process within the company. "
The three companies that hire the most materials specialists are:
- Celestica20 materials specialists jobs
- Fuchs Petrolub13 materials specialists jobs
- L3Harris12 materials specialists jobs
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Compare different materials specialists
Materials specialist vs. Inventory control clerk
An inventory control clerk is responsible for managing the stock inventory, recording incoming and outgoing deliveries, and inspecting proper labeling before moving the products to the storage areas. Inventory control clerks resolve inventory discrepancies, checking and reviewing product details and reports from the warehouse software database. They also monitor shipment details, confirm orders, and process payments. An inventory control clerk must have excellent knowledge of data processing since this job requires them to perform various administrative and clerical tasks as needed to ensure the smooth operations within the department.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between materials specialists and inventory control clerk. For instance, materials specialist responsibilities require skills such as "logistics," "on-time delivery," "cycle counts," and "hazardous materials." Whereas a inventory control clerk is skilled in "math," "management system," "ex," and "third-party logistics." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Inventory control clerks earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,946. On the other hand, materials specialists are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $59,746.inventory control clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than materials specialists. In fact, inventory control clerks are 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Materials specialist vs. Warehouse coordinator
A warehouse coordinator is responsible for monitoring the supply and distribution operations of a warehouse, loading and unloading merchandise from the delivery trucks, and storing items appropriately on the facility. Warehouse coordinators assist in packing and labeling items, pulling out products from delivery, and ensuring the correct quantity and quality of the items before release. They also inspect the efficiency and performance of warehouse tools and equipment, especially on schedule for regular maintenance, and call for repairs as needed.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real materials specialist resumes. While materials specialist responsibilities can utilize skills like "on-time delivery," "mrp," "production schedules," and "compassion," warehouse coordinators use skills like "math," "warehouse functions," "wms," and "warehouse equipment."
On average, warehouse coordinators earn a lower salary than materials specialists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, warehouse coordinators earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $36,509. Whereas materials specialists have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $59,746.warehouse coordinators earn similar levels of education than materials specialists in general. They're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials specialist vs. Inventory controller
An inventory controller is responsible for performing duties for the inventory department of an organization. Inventory controllers ensure the adequacy of the product and materials needed for daily operations. They maintain inventory reports, manage stock supplies, negotiate with third-party vendors for orders of quality products, monitor deliveries, verifying orders for shipment, handling the employee and customers' requests for supplies, and receiving orders efficiently. Inventory controllers keep receipts of all inventory transactions, as well as inspecting the quality of the inventory items, requiring them to have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a materials specialist is likely to be skilled in "shipping receiving," "on-time delivery," "cycle counts," and "hazardous materials," while a typical inventory controller is skilled in "math," "perishables," "warehouse inventory," and "management system."
Inventory controllers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $35,671. Comparatively, materials specialists have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $59,746.inventory controllers typically earn similar educational levels compared to materials specialists. Specifically, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials specialist vs. Warehouse worker
Warehouse workers are employees assigned to handle tasks inside the company's warehouse. They are in charge of managing the entry and exit of goods inside the warehouse, ensure that the inventory is up-to-date, and check the quality of the goods that are stored. Warehouse workers receive the items that are delivered to the warehouse, ensure that the items are complete using the delivery list, and keep the items safe in the designated area in the warehouse. They also clear any items that will exit the warehouse by ensuring that only the items that are on the list will be removed from the warehouse, and checking if these items are safely packed before leaving.
Types of materials specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
