Materials Manager
Kimball Electronics
Remote
USD 90k-120k / year
Posted on Mar 13, 2026
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*Note: There is no Visa sponsorship being offered for this position.
Kimball Electronics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to any recruiting alias or employee. Kimball Electronics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
EVP (Employee Value Proposition)
This is a highly impactful role within the supply chain organization, responsible for leading the development and execution of material strategies that directly influence cost, quality, schedule, and delivery performance. The role operates across supply chain teams and relies on strong cross-functional partnership to remove roadblocks, strengthen supplier/customer relationships, and drive process improvements.
The position requires the ability to work effectively across locations—including manufacturing operations in Thailand and customers in the USA—with flexibility for remote and on-premise support as needed. Opportunities exist for domestic and international travel to collaborate with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing facilities.
Success in this role is defined by measurable improvements in material performance, stronger operational stability, and disciplined execution that supports Kimball Electronics’ Vision and Guiding Principles and KEI business plans.
Key Performance Objectives
Within 0–6 months
- Establish credibility and operating rhythm across sites and stakeholders by building strong working relationships with supply chain teams, manufacturing, and key partners in the customer and supplier base.
- Assess and baseline current materials performance (planning accuracy, material requirements effectiveness, supplier performance trends) to identify near-term opportunities for stabilization and improvement.
- Launch initial process transformation efforts focused on supply chain planning, material requirements, and supplier performance—prioritizing the most urgent constraints affecting schedule/delivery.
- Strengthen KPI discipline and corrective action closure by analyzing variances, interpreting KPIs, providing feedback, and ensuring corrective actions are driven to completion.
- Improve supply continuity and data precision by reinforcing standards and adherence practices that protect stability while balancing risk and cost constraints.
- Support near-term cost reduction efforts by partnering in negotiation of price/terms to reduce total material cost while protecting quality and continuity.
- Align ways of working across a diverse, multilingual group by establishing clear communication expectations, consistent handoffs, and standards that work across varying levels of English proficiency.
- Build operational fluency in plant manufacturing processes/value streams and confirm strong working use of the ERP environment (preferably SAP) to support execution and analysis.
Within 6–12 months
- Expand and scale process improvements by leading broader deployment of supply chain process changes and measurable improvements across planning/material requirements and supplier performance.
- Advance supplier evaluation and material strategy rigor by applying strong data analysis, cost modeling, and supplier evaluation methods to drive better sourcing and qualification decisions.
- Drive total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements through contracting and disciplined trade-off decisions that balance risk and cost while enabling growth and meeting budget constraints.
- Improve cross-functional execution velocity by facilitating collaboration, proactively identifying constraints, and resolving roadblocks with stakeholders across the value stream.
- Deepen customer and supplier partnerships to strengthen performance outcomes and ensure shared understanding of expectations and requirements.
- Sustain performance governance by embedding KPI review, variance response, and corrective action discipline as “how we operate,” ensuring improvements hold over time.
- Demonstrate leadership impact and presence through evidence-based decision making under tight deadlines and fluctuating demand, with clear, candid, respectful feedback practices.
Key Knowledge / Experience Required
- Experience leading deployment of supply chain processes and improvements.
- Strong grasp of data, cost modeling, and supplier evaluation.
- Demonstrated understanding of plant manufacturing processes and operations value streams.
- Experience with ERP business systems, preferably SAP, and supply chain systems analysis tools.
- Ability to manage tasks across various locations (plants, warehouses, customer sites).
- Ability to communicate clear direction, accurate handoffs, and consistent standards to a diverse, multilingual group with varying English proficiency.
- Flexibility to support Thailand manufacturing facility hours and USA customer needs; remote and on-premise attendance as necessary.
- Domestic and international travel as needed to work with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing facilities.
Core Capability Areas
Technical
- Material sourcing and qualification
- Requirements planning
- Performance management
- Contracting and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Electro-mechanical and medical device manufacturing
Interpersonal / Leadership / Communication
- Team-oriented; strong drive for success; customer-centric; integrity; relationship building; positive attitude
- Executive presence; proactive leadership style; strong decision making; adaptability and change management; visionary skills
- Strong verbal/written communication; ability to communicate at all levels; strong listening and presentation skills; ability to provide candid feedback respectfully
Business Skills
Sound financial competence; prioritization; deadline execution; ability to manage multiple tasks; results focused
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Kimball Electronics we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition or disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
We will consider for employment qualified candidates with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable law (including, for example, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance for roles based in San Francisco).
The typical pay range for this role is: $90000 - $120000 the actual wages offered will vary based on multiple factors, including experience, education, geography, and other relevant factors.