Supply Chain Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Supply Chain Manager, Ballinger Campus

Department

Operations — Logistics / Supply Chain

Reports To

Director of Operations, Ballinger Campus

Location

Ballinger Campus, Texas — on-site

FLSA Status

Exempt

Employment Type

Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

The Supply Chain Manager owns the entire Logistics and Supply Chain function for CMG's Ballinger Campus — procurement, inventory control, receiving, shipping, planning and scheduling, order management, and trade compliance. This is a single-person function at hire; the org chart contemplates this pillar eventually splitting into a Buyer/Procurement Specialist and two Logistics Specialists, but until that headcount is approved and filled, one person carries all of it — someone genuinely comfortable moving between the loading dock and the negotiating table in the same day, who will build the processes and systems their eventual team inherits. The campus is in active buildout while production ramps, so this role simultaneously supports two material streams — capital and construction materials for site development, and production materials for a regulated manufacturing operation — both landing on the same dock and running through the same inventory system.

Key Responsibilities

• Scope of ownership: purchasing/procurement, inventory control (receiving and raw material/finished goods storage), inbound and outbound shipping, production planning and scheduling, order management and customer service, and customs/trade/export compliance.

• Key interfaces: Production (material availability and schedule adherence), Site Operations (construction and capital material flow), Health/Safety/Security (hazardous material storage and handling), IT/InfoSec (ERP/MRP implementation), and Finance/Accounting (purchase authority, inventory valuation, cost tracking).

• Own all purchasing activity for the campus — production materials, MRO, capital equipment, construction materials, and services; source, qualify, and onboard suppliers with a documented approved vendor list.

• Negotiate pricing, terms, and delivery commitments; ensure correct flow-down of DFARS clauses, quality requirements, and export control obligations; manage DPAS-rated orders; implement counterfeit/suspect-part avoidance controls.

• Manage long-lead item identification and buy-ahead strategy — critical during buildout, where a missed long-lead item can idle a milestone by months.

• Own inventory accuracy end to end (receiving, put-away, issue, cycle counting, reconciliation); establish min/max levels, reorder points, and safety stock; ensure regulated/hazardous material storage meets requirements.

• Own all inbound/outbound freight (carrier selection, rate negotiation, performance management); ensure DOT hazmat compliance (49 CFR) for regulated outbound shipments, including classification, packaging, marking, labeling, placarding, and shipping papers.

• Own production planning and master scheduling in partnership with Production; translate demand/forecast into material requirements and purchase actions; maintain a rolling material and production schedule.

• Own customer order entry, acknowledgment, and status communication; serve as operational point of contact for delivery inquiries and expedites.

• Ensure ITAR/EAR export compliance for international shipments (classification, license determination, screening); screen suppliers/customers/freight parties against restricted-party lists; escalate classification/licensing questions to Legal and the Director of Operations rather than resolving independently.

• Serve as primary functional owner for ERP/MRP selection, configuration, and implementation with IT/InfoSec; document SOPs for every process in this pillar as future team training material.

• Define roles, scope, and hiring sequence for the Phase 2 team; recruit, hire, train, and lead the Buyer/Procurement Specialist and Logistics Specialist roles as headcount is approved, progressively handing off transactional work while retaining functional ownership.

Recommended First-Year Sequencing

1. Receiving and inventory control — material is already flowing in for buildout; inventory accuracy is nearly impossible to retrofit.

2. Procurement and long-lead identification — a missed long-lead item is the single failure most capable of moving a milestone by a quarter or more.

3. Outbound shipping and export/hazmat compliance — a hard gate before the first regulated or international shipment, not a ramp.

4. ERP/MRP implementation — enables the above to scale, but implementing before processes are understood encodes the wrong workflow.

5. Planning and scheduling — increases in importance as production volume and mix grow.

6. Order management and customer service — can run manually at low volume; formalize as volume grows.

Success Measures

First 30 Days

Complete physical inventory and reconciliation of all material on site; documented assessment of the supply base, open POs, and inbound commitments; identify and escalate long-lead gaps threatening milestones.

First 90 Days

Receiving/inventory control operating to a documented process; approved vendor list established; export control and hazmat shipping compliance framework in place with required training complete; ERP/MRP requirements defined and vendor selection underway.

First 12 Months

Inventory accuracy at or above 95% by cycle count; on-time delivery/material availability tracked and trending to target; zero export control or hazmat findings; SOPs documented for all six functional areas; Phase 2 hiring plan defined with first specialist hired and productive.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered in lieu of degree.

• Minimum 7 years in supply chain, procurement, or logistics, including at least 3 years with multi-function ownership (not a single-lane specialist background).

• Hands-on experience with inventory control and receiving operations — this role will personally work the dock in early phase.

• Demonstrated procurement experience including supplier qualification, negotiation, and performance management.

• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, including implementation or major configuration experience.

• Familiarity with U.S. export control regulations (ITAR/EAR) and the discipline to escalate rather than guess.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; U.S. person status as required by ITAR/EAR.

• Ability to reside within commuting distance of the Ballinger Campus.

Preferred

• Experience in defense manufacturing or as a DoD supplier, including DFARS flow-down, DPAS ratings, and DCMA audit exposure.

• DOT hazardous materials shipping certification (49 CFR 172 Subpart H), or demonstrated experience shipping regulated hazardous or energetic materials.

• Experience supporting a site in active construction or startup, where procurement spans both capital and production material.

• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP) or equivalent.

• Experience building a supply chain function from scratch rather than inheriting a mature one.

• Prior military logistics or supply background.

Core Competencies

• Willing to do the work personally — in Phase 1 there is no one to delegate to; a purely managerial background for the last decade will struggle here.

• Breadth over depth — competent across procurement, logistics, planning, and compliance rather than expert in one.

• Process builder — documents as they go, since SOPs written now train the Phase 2 team.

• Compliance discipline — treats export and hazmat requirements as hard gates, and escalates uncertainty rather than interpreting it.

• Early escalation — surfaces material and schedule risk while there is still time to act on it.

• Comfort with ambiguity — builds the system rather than waiting to be handed one.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

• On-site presence at a rural Texas campus in active construction and buildout; regular work in warehouse, dock, manufacturing, and outdoor environments with PPE required in designated areas.

• Physical requirements consistent with receiving/warehouse operations, including material handling equipment operation.

• Occasional travel for supplier visits and audits; availability outside standard business hours for inbound/outbound shipping windows and emergent material issues.

Clearance & Compensation

• Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; U.S. person status required per ITAR/EAR.

This job description reflects the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Critical Materials Group reserves the right to amend this description at any time.