Materials Manager - Production Floor

About the role

We are hiring an Inventory and Materials Manager - Production Floor who will leverage the Steelcase Materials Strategy and Playbook, Lean Manufacturing principles, and best practices to lead production-floor inventory, warehouse operations, and material flow. This role ensures material availability, inventory accuracy, and efficient movement of materials to support safe, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing operations.

What You Will Be Doing

Lead production-floor inventory and material flow activities to ensure uninterrupted support of manufacturing operations while maintaining lean inventory levels and operational excellence.

Key responsibilities include

• Lead warehouse operations, inventory control, material handling, and production-floor material flow.
• Maintain inventory accuracy across raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods.
• Develop and manage supermarkets, Kanban and pull systems, FIFO controls, safety stock strategies, and point-of-use replenishment.
• Proactively identify and resolve material shortages and supply risks impacting production.
• Oversee cycle counts, bin audits, inventory reconciliation, and material disposition processes.
• Partner with Production, Planning, Purchasing, Logistics, Engineering, and Finance to support schedule attainment and inventory performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on material flow, inventory accuracy, labor productivity, warehouse efficiency, and working capital.
• Establish policies, procedures, standard work, and performance metrics that strengthen material management processes.
• Lead, coach, and develop inventory, warehouse, and material handling team members.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of Materials Management, Inventory Management, Production Logistics, Supply Chain, or Manufacturing Operations experience.
• 3+ years of leadership or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, develop talent, and drive performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, material flow, inventory management, warehouse operations, and ERP/MRP systems.
• Experience with Warehouse Management Systems (WM/IM), preferably SAP ERP.
• Experience utilizing Kanban systems, pull systems, supermarkets, and line-side replenishment methodologies.
• Experience managing inventory accuracy through cycle counts, audits, FIFO controls, safety stock management, reconciliation processes, and corrective actions.
• Financial acumen including budgeting, inventory investment, and project justification.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, engineering methods, capacity analysis, and operational support functions.

Preferred Skills and Competencies

• APICS/ASCM certification or equivalent supply chain credential.
• Experience in a lean manufacturing environment utilizing standard work, visual management, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of environmental, labor, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Understanding of the Steelcase Quality System.
• Proven success improving inventory accuracy, warehouse performance, and material flow.
• Experience supporting make-to-order or mixed-model manufacturing environments.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate will

• Build a high-performing materials organization through coaching, development, and accountability.
• Anticipate and mitigate material-related risks to ensure uninterrupted production.
• Use data and metrics to drive decision-making and operational results.
• Foster strong cross-functional partnerships across Operations, Planning, Purchasing, Logistics, Engineering, and Finance.
• Champion safety, continuous improvement, inventory discipline, and operational excellence.

Role Purpose

The Inventory and Materials Manager - Production Floor leads inventory control, warehouse operations, and production material flow to ensure material availability, inventory accuracy, and efficient manufacturing execution while developing a high-performing materials organization.

Additional Information

#mid_senior_level #LI-Onsite #Engineering #Manufacturing #Project Management

• At Steelcase, we put people at the center of everything we do.
• We understand the role of work and believe that it can bring meaning and purpose to the lives of our customers and our employees.
• We prioritize supporting our employees both in and out of work, in all aspects of their lives.
• When we bring our talents together, we make a positive lasting impact through our work and communities.