Materials Manager

Position: Materials Manager
Location: Abingdon
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 per annum

Our client is a leading organisation in the engineering sector, dedicated to delivering high-quality products and services with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

The Role:
As a Materials Manager, you will be the vital link between the engineering and quality assurance teams and the supplier base, ensuring that specifications, quality, delivery expectations, and sourcing strategies are effectively communicated, implemented, and maintained.

Main Responsibilities:
* Act as the primary liaison between engineering, quality assurance, and suppliers.
* Understand and interpret specifications, communicating requirements clearly to suppliers.
* Ensure excellent on-time delivery performance within the supply chain.
* Maintain a strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 requirements and act as the link between quality assurance and suppliers.
* Review specifications and recommend design-for-manufacture changes to engineering.
* Negotiate supplier agreements, pricing, and control costs.
* Audit suppliers to ensure compliance with requirements.
* Undertake domestic and international travel as required.

Strategic and Leadership Expectations:
* Define, plan, and implement the sourcing strategy.
* Translate operational, engineering, and quality requirements into a robust sourcing approach.
* Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships.
* Strengthen supply resilience by identifying alternative sources.
* Contribute to value improvement initiatives.
* Establish and monitor supplier KPIs.
* Conduct regular market analysis and benchmarking.
* Align sourcing priorities with wider company goals.
* Set and manage budgets.
* Continuously improve sourcing policies and procedures.
* Champion ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.
* Provide cross-functional support to engineering and quality teams.

About You:
Applicants should have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, extensive mechanical engineering experience, and a good understanding of electronics, quality, and project management principles. Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and networking skills are essential. Experience with SAP and advanced Excel skills are highly desirable. A degree or equivalent experience in a similar role is required, along with the ability to read and interpret engineering drawings.

Required:
* Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
* Extensive mechanical engineering experience.
* Good understanding of electronics, quality, and project management principles.
* Advanced Excel skills.
* Degree level education or equivalent experience.
* Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings.

Commutable Locations:
Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford, Harwell, Oxford, Kennington, Newbury, Reading

Key Words:
Sourcing Manager, Engineering, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, ISO 9001, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Project Management, SAP, Excel, Supplier Management, Negotiation, Market Analysis, Sustainability.

INDWARE

Planet Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. Planet Recruitment is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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