You in This Role As a Material Planner at Unusual Machines, you will be responsible for ensuring the right products and materials are available at the right time, in the right quantities, to support both our manufacturing operations and e-commerce/media-driven demand. Sitting at the intersection of purchasing, material planning, and inventory management, you'll play a critical role in keeping our supply chain running smoothly in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
This role is ideal for someone who is analytical, detail-oriented, and highly organized, but also adaptable and proactive. You thrive in a manufacturing environment while collaborating cross-functionally with suppliers, production, engineering, operations, and marketing teams to align inventory and materials with demand—especially around product launches, production schedules, and content-driven spikes.
A Day in the Life
- Reviewing inventory levels and forecasting demand across product lines and production requirements
- Planning and procuring materials to support production schedules and customer demand
- Creating and managing purchase orders with domestic and international suppliers
- Monitoring inbound shipments and adjusting plans based on delays, constraints, or changes
- Communicating with vendors on lead times, pricing, and order status
- Coordinating with production, engineering, quality, warehouse, and logistics teams
- Supporting new product introductions (NPI) by ensuring material readiness
- Updating ERP/MRP systems with accurate purchasing, forecasting, and inventory data
What You'll Do
- Manage demand forecasts based on historical data, sales orders, and production schedules
- Plan and execute purchase orders to maintain optimal inventory and support manufacturing operations
- Analyze material requirements across product lines and ensure alignment with production schedules
- Monitor supplier performance, lead times, quality, and order accuracy
- Track inbound shipments and proactively resolve delays or supply chain disruptions
- Manage supplier relationships including pricing negotiations, delivery schedules, and performance
- Optimize inventory turns while minimizing stockouts, shortages, and excess inventory
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks including long lead times and supplier constraints
- Partner cross-functionally with production, engineering, marketing, and logistics teams
- Identify cost reduction opportunities through supplier negotiation, alternate sourcing, and value engineering
- Provide reporting and analysis on purchasing, inventory levels, and supply chain performance
- Continuously improve purchasing, planning processes, and system utilization
What You'll Bring
Required:
- 5+ years of experience in manufacturing purchasing, materials planning, and/or supply chain roles
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, forecasts, and production requirements
- Experience with inventory planning, forecasting, and purchase order management and building strong supplier relationships
- Proficiency in ERP or MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Epicor, or similar)
- Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis)
- Strong understanding of inventory planning concepts (safety stock, reorder points, demand planning)
- Excellent communication skills, attention to detail and supplier coordination abilities
- Ability to manage multiple SKUs, suppliers, and priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication skills and supplier coordination abilities
Preferred:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- Experience in consumer electronics, hardware, or e-commerce manufacturing environments
- Understanding of international sourcing, logistics, and supplier networks
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing and supply chain best practices
- Experience in high-growth or startup environments
- Interest in drones, robotics, or emerging technology
What You'll Gain
- Direct impact on product availability, production continuity, and revenue performance
- Exposure to a fast-scaling supply chain across manufacturing, hardware, and media-driven business models
- Collaboration with cross-functional teams including production, engineering, operations, marketing, and finance
- Opportunities to improve and scale planning, purchasing, and supplier management processes
- A dynamic environment where data-driven decisions drive real business outcomes
You'll work closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Production, Engineering, Marketing, and Finance teams, ensuring Unusual Machines maintains the right materials and inventory to meet demand, support production schedules, and drive continued growth.
Bottom of Form
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation package
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision
- 401(k)
- Unlimited PTO
- Catered lunches for all employees every day of the week
- Employee product discounts
About Us
Unusual Machines is a U.S.-based drone and drone parts company focused on the small and First-Person View (FPV) segments of the drone market. Our brands - Rotor Riot and Fat Shark - are two of the most respected names in FPV and have helped shape the industry through e-commerce, product development, and a deep connection with the pilot community.
We're expanding into enterprise and defense - bringing our obsessive attention to performance, design, and U.S.-based manufacturing into high-stakes environments like search and rescue, STEM education, and military innovation. With several of our products already approved by the Defense Innovation Unit, we're solving procurement issues for customers who demand speed, agility, and compliance.
If you love working at the intersection of community, content, and cutting-edge technology, you'll feel right at home here.
We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.
Unusual Machines participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.
We unfortunately cannot offer visa sponsorship for this position
