Materials Lead

Alexander Dennis

  • Leyland, Lancashire
  • Contract
  • Full-time
  • 16 days ago
  • Apply easily
Materials Lead - initial 9 month fixed term contractLeylandWe're leading the transition to zero-emission mobility.Alexander Dennis is a global leader in the design and manufacture of double deck buses and is the UK’s largest bus manufacturer.At Alexander Dennis, and across NFI and our family of brands, we are helping to save the planet. Through our Sustainability Pledge, which guides our daily actions and long-term planning, we are passionate about creating a better product, a better workplace, and a better world. To learn more about our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) journey check our website. Our diverse, dynamic and resourceful team members embrace challenges every day which makes us the successful international company that we are.Are you ready to embrace the challenge? Come build the future with us and apply directly to your dream job!Join Our Team as a Materials Lead – Drive Supply Chain Excellence!We're looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Materials Lead to join our dynamic Supply Chain team. In this key role, you’ll act as the crucial link between Operations and Supply Chain, ensuring materials are delivered on time, to the right quality, and in line with production schedules. This is a hands-on role, where you'll be actively present in the warehouse—checking stock levels, identifying shortages, and ensuring everything is in place to keep production running smoothly. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love problem solving, and have a passion for continuous improvement, we’d love to hear from you.WHAT YOU WILL DO:
  • Take the lead in identifying material risks and carrying out clean-to-build checks for each contract to keep production on track.
  • Work closely with the Business Unit team to categorise parts using A, B, C indicators, helping to streamline issue resolution and escalation.
  • Be the key connection between the operational team and the wider supply chain, ensuring daily priorities for inbound materials are clear and aligned.
  • Make sure material planners have accurate arrival dates for all current and upcoming builds, keeping information up to date and reliable.
  • Optimise stock levels by understanding and recommending improvements to MRP settings, including safety stock and lead times.
  • Jump in to help resolve supply escalations, bringing a calm, solutions-focused approach.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across the business to improve how materials are presented to the line, driving efficiency and cutting costs.
  • Sign off on commercial specification changes from a supply chain perspective.
  • Represent the Supply Chain team in New Product Development (NPD) meetings and ensure supply readiness for upcoming changes.
  • Review and approve engineering modifications within supply lead time, ensuring minimal disruption.
  • Share accurate updates on material issues at daily Tier 4 meetings and lead cross-functional problem solving.
  • Keep key reports and metrics updated in real-time to support decision making.
  • Support with other tasks and projects as needed, flexibility and teamwork are key!
Key success measures:
  • Weekly "clear to build" reports issued and maintained in real-time.
  • Daily critical shortage lists kept up-to-date with all necessary data for escalation.
  • 100% of material shortages communicated before impacting production.
  • 99.5% OTIF (On Time In Full) material supply to the Business Unit.
  • Year-on-year reduction in learning and development costs within the business unit.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL:
  • Ideally 5+ years’ experience in a fast-paced materials or supply chain environment—but if you’ve got the right attitude and transferable skills, we’d still love to hear from you.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and build strong relationships across a wide range of teams.
  • A proactive mindset and natural problem-solver, always looking for ways to improve processes and overcome challenges.
  • Sharp attention to detail, you’ll spot issues before they become problems.
  • Resilience and tenacity, you keep going until the job’s done right.
  • A continuous improvement mindset with a strong drive to make things better every day.
  • HNC qualification preferred.
  • Professional certifications like CIPS or APICS are desirable, but not essential.
WHY JOIN OUR TEAM:
  • Generous salary package – we reward our people at the level they deserve.
  • A 37-hour working week, with a 1/2 day Friday.
  • Ongoing employee development through a variety of in-house training initiatives along with tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions.
  • Annual leave entitlement which increases with tenure.
  • Pension scheme to help you save for the future.
  • Access to our Employee Assistance Programme which offers practical, impartial support on issues impacting your life.
  • Cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership, as your health and wellbeing is important to us.
OUR WHY:We move people. The world's most precious cargo.We are driven by our purpose: we move people. Our vision is to lead the evolution of sustainable on-road mass transportation and mobility and our mission is to design, deliver, and support market-leading bus and motor coach solutions that are safe, accessible, efficient, and reliable.NEXT STEPS:If this sounds like you, and you’re interested in coming ‘aboard’, then we would love to hear from you. Please complete our online application form and attach your CV!We care deeply about being inclusive and we encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.If you are an internal applicant, you have a responsibility to inform your current line/department manager and local human resources representative before applying for the role.Due to the volume of vacancies and applications, we would prefer that you submit your application online. If however, you require an alternative method of applying, please give us call on +44 1324 621 672 or send an email toIND-M

Alexander Dennis