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Materials Manager |
Career OverviewInventory control, ordering, distributing and tracking all the supplies and equipment used in a hospital or healthcare facility is the role of the materials manager. These individuals are entrusted with ensuring that there will always be significant supplies to meet all requirements of the hospital or healthcare facility. The materials manager may also work closely with the purchasing department to find the best possible prices and quality of materials.
A materials manager needs to have above average organizational skills, excellent communication skills and be able to read, manipulate and record data on spreadsheets and inventory control forms. The materials manager may be responsible for training new employees on data entry methods for inventory control including using barcodes and other inventory tracking programs.
A materials manager should be an effective communicator both in written and verbal forms. He or she should be able to work both independently and in a team setting, but should be capable of making decisions based on information without support or assistance from others.
Most materials managers work standard hours however some larger facilities may have a materials manager on staff at all times. Weekend shifts or overtime may occur depending on the needs of the hospital or healthcare facility. Materials managers are often very hands-on managers and may work closely with employees to keep supplies and inventories at acceptable levels at all times.
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Career RequirementsMaterials managers are usually required to have a Bachelors level education in business or healthcare management, as well as having experience with purchasing, inventory control and management, as well as computers and data analysis.
Some materials managers may have extensive experience in the purchasing or inventory control department and may be promoted from within if they worked as an assistant to a previous materials manager.
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Job OutlookThere is a steady demand for managers that are trained in purchasing and inventory control. Even though some of these processes have become more automated with barcode readers and other tracking tools there is still a demand for managers to troubleshoot and verify information and data. It is estimated that the demand for materials managers in hospitals or healthcare facilities will continue to increase at an average rate due to the increasing number of facilities opening and expanding.
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Career TrackMaterials managers can move into other management roles, especially purchasing and facilities type departments. In addition some equipment sales companies hire materials manager to act as sales representatives for their inventory tracking systems. This is an excellent opportunity for those materials managers that like to travel and enjoy working on a commission type salary.
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CompensationMost materials managers are considered mid-management and earn between $30,000 and $50,000 per year. The top ten percent of mid-level managers in hospitals or healthcare facilities earns more that $68,000. These are the materials managers that work in very large hospitals or have significant years of experience.
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