Maintenance Materials Manager

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands—Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Maintenance Materials Manager is responsible for the strategy, control, and execution of all maintenance spare parts, MRO inventory, and materials management processes supporting a highly automated, 24/7 food manufacturing facility.

This role ensures maximum equipment uptime, optimal inventory levels, and cost control by delivering the right parts, at the right time, at the right cost—while supporting a multi-million-dollar repairs and maintenance (R&M) budget.

This position is a critical enabler of maintenance efficiency, reliability performance, and overall plant OEE.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Strategy & Control

• Define and maintain optimal inventory levels for all MRO and critical spare parts
• Classify and manage critical spares to prevent production downtime
• Balance inventory investment against service level and uptime requirements
• Establish reorder points, safety stock, and stocking strategies

Material Availability & Uptime Support

• Ensure required parts are available to support planned and unplanned maintenance work
• Eliminate downtime caused by parts shortages or incorrect inventory
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Reliability on critical equipment needs
• Prioritize parts availability for high-impact production assets

Maintenance Planning Integration

• Partner with the Maintenance Planner to align inventory with scheduled work
• Ensure all parts are kitted and available prior to planned maintenance execution
• Support shutdown and outage planning with accurate materials readiness
• Eliminate delays in maintenance execution due to materials issues

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Source and procure maintenance parts, components, and services
• Manage vendor relationships for cost, quality, and lead time performance
• Negotiate pricing and contracts to control R&M spend
• Develop alternate sourcing strategies for critical components

Storeroom Operations & Accuracy

• Lead day-to-day storeroom operations, including receiving, issuing, and cycle counting
• Ensure high inventory accuracy and system integrity within CMMS/ERP
• Standardize storage, labeling, and organization of all materials
• Eliminate obsolete, excess, and duplicate inventory

Cost Management & Budget Control

• Manage and track maintenance materials spending against the R&M budget
• Identify and execute cost reduction opportunities without increasing risk
• Analyze usage trends, consumption, and inventory turns
• Reduce waste, emergency purchases, and expediting costs

CMMS & Data Integrity

• Ensure accurate setup and maintenance of parts data in CMMS
• Standardize naming