Materials & Logistics Manager

PRAB•Kalamazoo, MI

13h

About The Position

The Materials & Logistics Manager is responsible for all material movement into, through, and out of the production facility. This includes oversight of purchasing agents, buyers, vendor relations, receiving, inventory management, internal material handling, and shipping for both manufactured jobs and service parts. This leadership role merges formerly separate functions into a single high-performing team, aligning material flow with production demand. Reporting to the Plant Manager, this position requires proactive change leadership and cross-functional collaboration to drive efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or related discipline
10+ years of manufacturing experience, preferably in an OEM environment
5+ years of supervisory or departmental management experience
Proficiency with ERP systems (Infor Visual preferred), Microsoft Excel, and Zoho CRM/service tools
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and BOMs
Proven success managing cross-functional teams and driving organizational change
Strategic thinker with strong execution and influencing skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills across departments and roles
Highly organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple high-priority functions concurrently

Responsibilities

Promote excellence across all logistics, inventory, and shipping operations
Lead and develop a combined team of office and shop floor employees (10+ total staff)
Oversee purchasing, receiving, inventory control, material handling, and outbound shipping tasks.
Champion change management as this newly created role merges legacy departments
Build alignment and collaboration with engineering, production, and service departments
Establish inventory control measures to improve accuracy and reduce waste
Maintain quality standards in the receiving process and ensure timely issue resolution
Ensure efficient material movement between work cells to avoid production delays
Manage the planning and execution of equipment and parts shipments ($5M/month)
Cultivate and evaluate vendor relationships to support cost, quality, and delivery goals
Use Infor Visual ERP and Excel to manage data accuracy, job flow, and reporting
Drive continuous improvement using data, KPIs, and root cause analysis
Ensure compliance with internal standards and external shipping regulations