Materials Analyst Jobs
Materials Analyst jobs are open across manufacturing, aerospace, defense, automotive, and electronics, from entry-level to senior and principal, with specializations in raw materials sourcing, supplier qualification, and failure analysis. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 65+ Materials Analyst jobs
Position Purpose:
The Procurement Analyst plays a critical role in optimizing purchasing activities, reducing inventory levels, and improving working capital across the organization. This position will focus on analyzing inventory trends, identifying excess and obsolete materials, optimizing purchasing quantities, and developing strategies to improve inventory turns while maintaining uninterrupted production. Working closely with Procurement, Production Planning, Operations, Warehouse, and Finance, the Procurement Analyst will use data analytics and supplier collaboration to establish appropriate inventory levels, improve material availability, reduce purchasing costs, and drive continuous improvement throughout the supply chain.
Key responsibilities include:
- Inventory Reduction & Optimization
- Develop and execute strategies to reduce raw material, packaging, finished goods, and MRO inventory.
- Analyze inventory levels, usage patterns, demand forecasts, and purchasing history to identify opportunities for inventory reduction.
- Identify and manage excess, obsolete, slow-moving, and non-moving inventory.
- Establish and maintain appropriate safety stock, reorder points, and minimum/maximum inventory levels.
- Review material purchasing practices to eliminate unnecessary purchases and excess inventory accumulation.
- Improve inventory turns and reduce days inventory outstanding while protecting production requirements.
- Partner with Production Planning to align purchasing decisions with actual production schedules and demand.
- Procurement & Purchasing Analysis
- Analyze purchase orders, supplier lead times, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and pricing structures.
- Identify opportunities to consolidate purchases, reduce order quantities, and optimize purchasing frequency.
- Evaluate supplier performance, delivery reliability, pricing, and payment terms.
- Sourcing resin, components and packaging for potential new programs from existing and new suppliers.
- Identify opportunities to reduce material costs without compromising quality or production requirements.
- Support supplier negotiations using purchasing data, spend analysis, and market intelligence.
- Monitor open purchase orders and expedite or adjust orders based on changing production needs.
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Develop and maintain reports and dashboards to monitor key procurement and inventory metrics.
- Track inventory turns, inventory value, excess and obsolete inventory, supplier performance, and purchasing trends.
- Analyze material consumption patterns and identify discrepancies between forecasted and actual usage.
- Provide regular reporting to management on inventory reduction initiatives and cost-saving opportunities.
- Utilize ERP/MRP systems to improve purchasing accuracy and inventory visibility.
- Identify root causes of inventory growth and recommend corrective actions.
- Supplier & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work with suppliers to improve delivery schedules, lead times, order flexibility, and minimum order quantities.
- Explore vendor-managed inventory (VMI), blanket purchase orders, scheduled releases, and consignment inventory programs.
- Collaborate with Production, Scheduling, Warehouse, Quality, and Finance to improve material planning.
- Work with suppliers to establish more frequent deliveries and smaller order quantities where economically feasible.
- Communicate potential material shortages, excess inventory risks, and supply chain constraints.
- Continuous Improvement
- Identify and implement process improvements to reduce purchasing inefficiencies and excess inventory.
- Develop and implement standardized procurement procedures and inventory management practices.
- Support lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Evaluate opportunities to reduce working capital tied up in inventory.
- Monitor the effectiveness of inventory reduction initiatives and ensure improvements are sustained.
Position Purpose:
The Procurement Analyst plays a critical role in optimizing purchasing activities, reducing inventory levels, and improving working capital across the organization. This position will focus on analyzing inventory trends, identifying excess and obsolete materials, optimizing purchasing quantities, and developing strategies to improve inventory turns while maintaining uninterrupted production. Working closely with Procurement, Production Planning, Operations, Warehouse, and Finance, the Procurement Analyst will use data analytics and supplier collaboration to establish appropriate inventory levels, improve material availability, reduce purchasing costs, and drive continuous improvement throughout the supply chain.
Key responsibilities include:
- Inventory Reduction & Optimization
- Develop and execute strategies to reduce raw material, packaging, finished goods, and MRO inventory.
- Analyze inventory levels, usage patterns, demand forecasts, and purchasing history to identify opportunities for inventory reduction.
- Identify and manage excess, obsolete, slow-moving, and non-moving inventory.
- Establish and maintain appropriate safety stock, reorder points, and minimum/maximum inventory levels.
- Review material purchasing practices to eliminate unnecessary purchases and excess inventory accumulation.
- Improve inventory turns and reduce days inventory outstanding while protecting production requirements.
- Partner with Production Planning to align purchasing decisions with actual production schedules and demand.
- Procurement & Purchasing Analysis
- Analyze purchase orders, supplier lead times, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and pricing structures.
- Identify opportunities to consolidate purchases, reduce order quantities, and optimize purchasing frequency.
- Evaluate supplier performance, delivery reliability, pricing, and payment terms.
- Sourcing resin, components and packaging for potential new programs from existing and new suppliers.
- Identify opportunities to reduce material costs without compromising quality or production requirements.
- Support supplier negotiations using purchasing data, spend analysis, and market intelligence.
- Monitor open purchase orders and expedite or adjust orders based on changing production needs.
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Develop and maintain reports and dashboards to monitor key procurement and inventory metrics.
- Track inventory turns, inventory value, excess and obsolete inventory, supplier performance, and purchasing trends.
- Analyze material consumption patterns and identify discrepancies between forecasted and actual usage.
- Provide regular reporting to management on inventory reduction initiatives and cost-saving opportunities.
- Utilize ERP/MRP systems to improve purchasing accuracy and inventory visibility.
- Identify root causes of inventory growth and recommend corrective actions.
- Supplier & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work with suppliers to improve delivery schedules, lead times, order flexibility, and minimum order quantities.
- Explore vendor-managed inventory (VMI), blanket purchase orders, scheduled releases, and consignment inventory programs.
- Collaborate with Production, Scheduling, Warehouse, Quality, and Finance to improve material planning.
- Work with suppliers to establish more frequent deliveries and smaller order quantities where economically feasible.
- Communicate potential material shortages, excess inventory risks, and supply chain constraints.
- Continuous Improvement
- Identify and implement process improvements to reduce purchasing inefficiencies and excess inventory.
- Develop and implement standardized procurement procedures and inventory management practices.
- Support lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Evaluate opportunities to reduce working capital tied up in inventory.
- Monitor the effectiveness of inventory reduction initiatives and ensure improvements are sustained.
See All 65 Materials Analyst Jobs
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Find Materials Analyst JobsMaterials Analyst Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Automotive
- Food & Beverage
- Chemicals & Materials
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in materials analyst jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry, or a closely related field
- Experience with materials characterization techniques such as SEM, XRF, FTIR, or tensile testing
- Familiarity with industry standards including ASTM, ISO, or MIL-SPEC specifications
- Proficiency with ERP or PLM systems for materials data management and supplier documentation
- Knowledge of failure analysis methodologies and root cause investigation processes
- Experience supporting supplier qualification, incoming inspection, or materials approval workflows
Tips for Your Materials Analyst Job Search
Tailor your resume to materials systems
Hiring managers look for specific materials families you've worked with, whether polymers, metals, composites, or ceramics. Name them explicitly on your resume alongside the testing standards you've applied, such as ASTM or ISO methods, so your experience maps directly to their requirements.
Highlight failure analysis and root cause work
Many materials analyst postings screen for hands-on failure analysis experience. If you've used SEM, EDS, or cross-sectional microscopy to trace a defect back to its source, describe that process and the outcome it produced, not just the tools you touched.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists materials analyst openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by industry segment
Materials analyst roles in aerospace operate under different qualification frameworks than those in consumer electronics or medical devices. Filter your search by industry and read the posted requirements carefully, since certifications like AS9100 or FDA 21 CFR Part 820 experience can be hard gates for certain openings.
Prepare a data-driven case study for interviews
Interviewers in this field routinely ask you to walk through a materials decision you made, end to end. Have one concise example ready that covers the problem, the testing or analysis you ran, the material you selected or rejected, and the measurable result that followed.
Negotiate against the full compensation picture
Materials analyst offers often include lab access, professional development budgets, or conference attendance that vary widely between employers. Before accepting, ask specifically what materials testing resources and training budget come with the role, since these affect your growth as much as base pay.
Materials Analyst Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most materials analysts?
The companies hiring the most materials analysts right now include CLYDE COMPANIES, Vertiv, and Yanfeng, with the largest share of openings in Illinois, Virginia, and Utah, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing employers account for a significant portion of active postings.
How many materials analyst jobs are remote?
About 47% of materials analyst openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most roles. Sub-disciplines focused on data review, supplier documentation, or specification writing tend to offer the most remote flexibility, while positions requiring laboratory access or on-site incoming inspection are predominantly on-site.
How do you become a materials analyst?
Start with a bachelor's degree in materials science, metallurgy, chemistry, or a related engineering field. Build hands-on experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level lab roles where you work directly with characterization equipment and testing standards. Develop familiarity with at least one industry specification framework, such as ASTM or aerospace quality standards, and practice documenting materials decisions clearly, since written analysis is central to the job.
Can you get a materials analyst job with little experience?
Yes, entry-level materials analyst roles exist, but they typically require demonstrated lab or testing experience even without full-time history. Coursework projects involving materials characterization, undergraduate research using SEM or mechanical testing equipment, or a co-op in a manufacturing quality or R&D environment can substitute for direct work experience when you're applying to junior openings.
What does the materials analyst interview process look like?
Most processes run three to four stages. An initial screening call covers your background and the role's scope. A technical interview follows, where you're asked to walk through a materials selection or failure investigation you've handled. Some employers add a written or practical exercise involving data interpretation or a specification review. Final rounds typically involve the hiring manager and a cross-functional stakeholder such as a design or quality engineer.
Where can I find and apply to materials analyst jobs?
You can find and apply to materials analyst jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your materials background, industry focus, and experience level, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 65 Materials Analyst Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Materials Analyst Jobs