Director of Materials Management

Job Purpose

As the Director of Materials Management, you will spearhead the end-to-end materials management function, encompassing procurement, material planning, inventory control, and warehouse operations. Your primary responsibility is to ensure the seamless and cost-effective availability of raw materials, production consumables, spare parts, and operational supplies essential for uninterrupted steel manufacturing operations. This pivotal role demands a strategic approach to optimize procurement costs, inventory levels, supplier performance, warehouse efficiency, and working capital while strictly adhering to approved policies, technical specifications, quality requirements, and Saudi regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a comprehensive Materials Management strategy that aligns with the company’s production plans and overarching business objectives.
• Operational Oversight: Lead and manage all aspects of Procurement, Warehousing, Inventory Control, and Materials Planning to ensure operational excellence.
• Supply Assurance: Guarantee the continuous availability of raw materials, production consumables, maintenance spare parts, safety stock, and critical operational supplies to prevent production disruptions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Planning teams to accurately forecast material requirements and mitigate potential production interruptions.
• Sourcing & Procurement: Oversee local and international sourcing initiatives, including supplier qualification, tendering, commercial evaluation, negotiations, and purchase-order execution to secure competitive contracts and long-term supply agreements.
• Inventory Optimization: Establish and maintain material requirement planning, reorder levels, safety-stock parameters, and critical-spares classifications to optimize inventory levels and reduce shortages, excess inventory, slow-moving items, and obsolete stock.
• Warehouse Excellence: Ensure warehouse efficiency through proper material handling, preservation, storage conditions, stock accuracy, and compliance with health and safety requirements.
• Quality & Compliance: Monitor supplier quality, delivery performance, lead times, commercial compliance, and supply-chain risks while ensuring all purchased materials meet approved technical specifications and quality standards in coordination with relevant departments.
• Financial Stewardship: Prepare and manage the annual procurement and materials budget, ensuring adherence to financial targets and governance frameworks.
• Technology & Systems: Drive the effective utilization of ERP and material management systems, particularly SAP, including MRP, purchasing, inventory, and warehouse modules, to enhance operational efficiency.
• Performance Management: Develop departmental KPIs and submit regular performance and risk reports to the Chief Executive Officer to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop the Materials Management team, fostering a culture of accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• Ensure uninterrupted material supply to production and maintenance operations.
• Achieve procurement cost optimization while maintaining budget compliance.
• Maintain inventory accuracy and stock availability to support production demands.
• Reduce excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory to enhance working capital efficiency.
• Efficiently manage critical spare parts to minimize downtime and maintenance delays.
• Enhance supplier performance and mitigate supply-chain risks through proactive management.
• Optimize warehouse productivity, safety protocols, and material preservation practices.
• Uphold compliance with procurement policies, approval authorities, and regulatory requirements.
• Optimize inventory-related working capital to drive financial performance.

Qualifications & Experience

To excel in this role, you must possess the following:

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. A master’s degree is highly preferred.
• Certifications: Professional certifications such as CIPS, CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent are advantageous.
• Experience: Minimum of 12–15 years of progressive experience in materials management, industrial procurement, warehousing, or supply-chain operations, with at least 5 years in a senior managerial or leadership role.
• Industry Expertise: Proven experience in managing industrial materials within steel, metals, heavy manufacturing, mining, cement, petrochemicals, or comparable process-manufacturing environments.