A materials management specialist is a professional responsible for the full process management of planning, purchasing, storage, distribution, control of materials required in the production or operation of an enterprise. The core is to ensure timely and reasonable supply of materials, reduce inventory costs, and ensure the smooth progress of production business.

Main job responsibilities:

- Material planning and demand analysis: Analyze material demand based on production plans and sales orders, develop material purchase plans and inventory, balance supply and demand, and avoid material shortages or backlogs.

- Purchase coordination and supplier management: Collaborate with the purchasing department to confirm purchasing needs, follow up on progress, participate in supplier evaluation and selection, maintain good supplier relationships, and ensure materials arrive on time, in good quality, and in the correct quantity.

- Inventory control warehouse coordination: Monitor material inventory levels, set reasonable inventory alert limits, cooperate with the warehouse department to carry out material receiving and acceptance, classified storage, and safety protection, organize stocktaking, and ensure the consistency of accounts and actual inventory.

- Material distribution and use monitoring: Distribute materials according to the process based on production or requisition needs, the use of materials, analyze material consumption data, identify waste or abnormal consumption, and propose improvement measures.

- Process optimization and system application: Participate in the optimization of related such as demand reporting, purchase approval, inventory management, etc., skillfully use management systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), and improve the efficiency and accuracy material management.

Required abilities and qualities:

- Possess professional knowledge in material management, supply chain management, production operations, etc., understand the material characteristics of industries (such as raw materials and components in manufacturing, commodities in retail, etc.).

- Have strong data analysis and logical thinking capabilities, and be able to predict material and optimize inventory structure through data.

- Have good communication and coordination skills, be able to effectively connect with purchasing, production, warehouse departments and suppliers, and ensure smooth information flow

- Work meticulously and rigorously, have a strong sense of cost, and problem-solving ability, and be able to respond to emergencies such as material shortages and inventorylogs.

Career development:

Material management specialists are mainly employed in industries that require a large amount of material circulation, such as manufacturing, retail, logistics companies etc. With the accumulation of experience, they can be promoted to material management supervisor, supply chain manager, production operation manager, etc., or develop in subdivided fields such purchasing management, inventory optimization consulting, etc., and become a composite management talent in the supply chain field.