Description
Indirect Material Manager
Vacancy Status
Yes - This posting is for an existing vacancy within the organization and is open to new applications. (Backfill)
AI Disclosure
As part of the application process, Artificial Intelligence will be used in the hiring process for this role
Onsite - This role is categorized as onsite. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to [Location] on a full-time basis.
Indirect Material Manager
Job Description
The Indirect Material Manager is responsible for leading indirect materials operations across three Canadian manufacturing plants while directly managing an Indirect Material Leader at each site as well as overseeing a 3rd Party Team at each site. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for plant indirect materials execution, inventory optimization, production support, safety, cost performance, team development, and cross-functional alignment. The position is expected to operate as an onsite people leader and build a high-performing organization that delivers consistent results across multiple plant locations.
This leader will work closely with plant leadership, maintenance, engineering, facilities, finance at each site as well as purchasing, suppliers, and third-party partners to ensure indirect material availability, minimize risk to production, improve inventory health, and drive continuous improvement. The role also requires strong leadership in change management, standardization, and technology adoption across the Canadian plants, including support for AI-enabled tools, data visibility, and process improvements.
Key responsibilities
- Manage indirect materials operations across three Canadian plants with accountability for safety, people, inventory, cost, quality, responsiveness, and customer support.
- Directly manage and develop 2-3 indirect material leaders, building a culture of accountability, engagement, coaching, and operational excellence.
- Standardize expectations, leader routines, reporting, and problem-solving disciplines across indirect material.
- Ensure plant indirect material requirements are fulfilled to support maintenance, facilities, manufacturing engineering, and production operations.
- Oversee the approval and creation of purchase requests, confirmation of purchase orders, delivery tracking, and indirect material shortage escalation management.
- Partner with plant teams and Master Data Management to support indirect material at each plant.
- Drive inventory optimization through safety stock reviews, min/max alignment, reorder point adjustments, over-max reduction, obsolete material management, and usage-based analysis.
- Manage and lead cross-plant actions to reduce stock-outs, premium freight, excess inventory, and unnecessary new-part purchases through improved planning, repairable parts usage, and Share-the-Spare collaboration.
- Support launch readiness and end-of-life transitions to ensure indirect material strategies align to plant needs and production continuity.
- Work with suppliers to improve lead-time performance, reduce MOQ impacts, and strengthen on-time delivery performance.
- Manage issue resolution for critical plant support needs, including off-shift and weekend escalation planning when required.
- Ensure compliance with internal controls, GMS standards, BPD/scorecard objectives, safety processes, and annual audit requirements at all 3 plants.
- Lead and reinforce strong labor and contractor-management practices, including support of local agreements, employee development, performance management, and training where applicable.
- Use data, dashboards, and digital tools to improve material visibility, decision quality, and operational execution, including Power BI, SAP/Maximo, Glean, Copilot, and related systems.
- Champion continuous improvement and adoption of tools, processes, and problem-solving methods that improve inventory management, material visibility, and execution across the three plants.
Leadership expectations
- Build and sustain a strong safety culture across all three sites.
- Develop leaders and teams through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and talent planning.
- Create strong partnerships with plant stakeholders and serve as a trusted liaison between sites, customers, and corporate partners.
- Drive consistency in execution while balancing local plant needs and business priorities.
- Lead through ambiguity, influence across functions, and elevate performance through clear expectations and disciplined follow-through.
Key Metrics
Success in this role will be measured through a combination of people, operational, and business metrics, including:
- Indirect material inventory accuracy
- Indirect material stock-outs and line-down avoidance
- Supplier on-time performance
- Purchase request and purchase order aging
- Indirect materials inventory reduction
- Premium freight performance versus budget
- Repairable parts and Share-the-Spare performance
- Audit and controls compliance
- Team engagement and leadership effectiveness
Your skills and abilities
Required qualifications
- 7+ years of relevant experience.
- Successful completion of a Four-year degree from college or technical school; or four or more years of experience in indirect material lead role at a GM plant or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Strong knowledge of indirect material policies, inventory processes, operational excellence, and driving results in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience managing contractors and represented hourly employees in a plant environment.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of leadership and plant personnel.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project-management capability.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, along with experience using plant and inventory systems such as SAP and/or Maximo.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience leading indirect materials across multiple plants or large-scale operations.
- Knowledge of Power BI and emerging digital tools to improve visibility, reporting, and action tracking.
- Strong labor-relations judgment and experience partnering within unionized environments.
Additional information
This role is categorized as onsite 5 days a week. The selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.
Compensation
The salary range for this role is $104,000.00 to $154,000.00. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position.
Benefits:
The goal of the General Motors of Canada total rewards program is to support the health and well-being of you and your family. Our comprehensive compensation plan currently includes the following benefits, in addition to many others:
- Paid time off including vacation days, holidays, and supplemental benefits for pregnancy, parental and adoption leave.
- Healthcare, dental and vision benefits including health care spending account and wellness incentive.
- Life insurance plans to cover you and your family.
- Company and matching contributions to a Defined Contribution Pension plan to help you save for retirement.
- GM Vehicle Purchase Plan for you, your family, and friends.
THIS JOB IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RELOCATIONS BENEFITS. ANY RELOCATION COSTS WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED CANDIDATE. GM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need gm immigration sponsorship now or in the future.
This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.
The selected candidate will be required to travel < 25% for this role.
This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate.
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