Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Materials Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

As a Materials Supervisor, you will be the cornerstone of our supply chain operations, responsible for overseeing the entire lifecycle of materials within our facility—from receiving and warehousing to inventory control and final shipment. You will lead a dedicated team of material handlers, fostering a culture of safety, accuracy, and continuous improvement. Your primary objective is to ensure that our production lines have the right materials, in the right quantity, at the right time, while optimizing inventory levels and minimizing costs. This is a hands-on leadership role that requires a strategic mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Materials Handler / Team Lead
Inventory Control Analyst
Production Planner / Scheduler

Advancement To:

Materials Manager
Supply Chain Manager
Plant Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Production Supervisor
Logistics Supervisor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Supervise, lead, and mentor a team of material handlers, assigning daily tasks, monitoring performance, and providing coaching and development to ensure departmental goals are met.
Oversee the receiving of all inbound materials, ensuring accurate verification against purchase orders, proper documentation, and timely put-away into designated warehouse locations.
Manage and maintain the physical organization of the warehouse and storage areas, implementing 5S principles to ensure a safe, clean, and efficient working environment.
Direct the flow of materials from the warehouse to the production floor, ensuring timely and accurate delivery to point-of-use locations to support manufacturing schedules without interruption.
Implement and manage a robust cycle counting program and physical inventory counts to maintain a high level of inventory accuracy and investigate discrepancies to identify root causes.
Analyze inventory levels, usage trends, and lead times to identify opportunities for optimization, reduce carrying costs, and prevent stock-outs or excess inventory.
Coordinate and oversee all outbound shipping activities, including picking, packing, and staging of finished goods, to ensure on-time and accurate delivery to customers.
Serve as the primary point of contact for resolving material-related issues, such as shortages, quality defects, or delivery delays, by collaborating with purchasing, planning, and quality teams.
Develop, document, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all material handling processes, including receiving, storage, and material movement.
Champion a strong safety culture by ensuring all team members adhere to safety protocols, properly use material handling equipment (MHE), and participate in safety training.
Utilize the company's ERP/MRP system to manage inventory transactions, track material movements, and generate reports to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs).
Conduct regular team meetings to communicate company updates, performance metrics, safety alerts, and to gather feedback for process improvements.
Monitor and manage the condition of all material handling equipment, scheduling preventative maintenance and repairs to ensure operational readiness and safety.
Collaborate with the Production Planning department to understand future material requirements and proactively plan for resource and space allocation.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the materials department, using lean manufacturing tools to eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and reduce operational costs.
Manage departmental labor, scheduling shifts, approving timecards, and coordinating overtime as needed to meet operational demands.
Prepare and present regular performance reports to management on key metrics such as inventory accuracy, on-time delivery, receiving efficiency, and team productivity.
Interface with freight carriers and logistics providers to coordinate inbound and outbound shipments, troubleshoot issues, and ensure compliance with shipping regulations.
Lead the investigation and resolution of any shipping or receiving errors, implementing corrective and preventative actions to improve accuracy.
Assess and manage space utilization within the warehouse, reconfiguring racking and storage layouts as needed to accommodate changing inventory profiles and volumes.

Secondary Functions

Champion and participate in plant-wide safety initiatives and committees, ensuring all material handling activities comply with OSHA and company safety standards.
Collaborate with continuous improvement teams to identify and implement lean manufacturing principles (e.g., Kanban, JIT) within the materials department.
Develop and deliver training programs for new and existing materials handlers on equipment operation, safety procedures, and inventory management systems.
Support cross-functional projects related to new product introductions, facility changes, or system upgrades by providing materials and logistics expertise.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

ERP/MRP Systems: High proficiency with enterprise resource planning and material requirements planning systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Epicor).
Inventory Management: Deep understanding of inventory control principles, including cycle counting, physical inventories, FIFO/LIFO, and ABC analysis.
Warehouse Management Systems (WMS): Experience using WMS software to manage receiving, put-away, picking, and shipping functions.
Microsoft Office Suite: Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, formulas) for data analysis and reporting, as well as proficiency in Word and Outlook.
Lean Manufacturing: Knowledge of lean principles such as 5S, Kanban, Just-In-Time (JIT), and Value Stream Mapping.
Material Handling Equipment (MHE): Comprehensive knowledge of the safe operation of forklifts, pallet jacks, and other warehouse equipment.
Supply Chain Principles: Solid understanding of end-to-end supply chain and logistics processes.

Soft Skills

Leadership & Supervision: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a diverse team in a fast-paced environment.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with team members, management, and other departments.
Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to identify root causes of issues and implement effective solutions.
Organization & Time Management: Exceptional ability to prioritize multiple tasks, manage time effectively, and maintain an organized workspace.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous and detail-oriented approach to ensure accuracy in inventory records, shipping documents, and all transactions.
Adaptability: Ability to adapt to changing priorities, production schedules, and business needs.
Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to build positive working relationships and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED equivalent. An Associate's Degree is often preferred.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Business Administration
Logistics or Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5 years of experience in a materials, inventory, or supply chain role within a manufacturing or distribution environment, with at least 1-2 years in a supervisory or team lead capacity.

Preferred:

Experience in a high-volume manufacturing setting (e.g., automotive, electronics, consumer goods).
APICS (e.g., CPIM, CSCP) or other supply chain certification is a significant plus.
Demonstrated success in implementing continuous improvement projects that resulted in measurable gains in safety, quality, or efficiency.