Meet Jaya Pillai, Materials & Trade Compliance Manager for Materion Advanced Materials

 Jaya has been with Materion for eleven years and reports to the Director of Supply Chain, Mark Curran. Discussing his main objectives at Materion, Jaya  stated, “My number one goal is to ensure that our products reach our customers legally, safely, on-time, intact, and in a cost effective manner.”

Jaya’s key role is ensuring Materion transactions (domestic, imports, and exports) are in compliance with all applicable government agencies.  There are multiple US and international regulations that must be adhered to including those from:  the US Dept of Commerce, US Department of State, Homeland Security (DHS), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and hazardous materials regulatory bodies such as the Dept of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as well as other international regulations. 

While based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jaya is responsible for all Advanced Materials facilities and locations.  “I enjoy working at Materion because it allows me to continually be challenged with new projects,” Jaya commented. “I also appreciate the great staff that has supported me as I’ve advanced to my current position. I look around and realize this is the place I want to be.” 

In order to better comprehend myriad government regulations and ensure Materion compliance,  Jaya is certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM ) by the American Production & Inventory Control Society (APICS) as well as a U.S. Export Compliance Officer® (CUSECO) certified by the International Import/Export Institute.

While Jaya currently lives on the Wisconsin side of the WI/IL border, he lived on the Illinois side for most of his life. In fact, his hometown is only about 15 minutes from his new residence where he makes his home with wife Karen and children Maya (8) and Evan (6). Recently, the couple celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary.

When it comes to his activities outside of work, Jaya cites, “Sports. Sports. Sports!”  He enjoys both playing and watching. In the past, he played some semi-pro football but currently sticks with his favorite - baseball. For spectator sports, he is a big fan of the Chicago Cubs. His two favorite football teams are the Chicago Bears and whoever is playing the Packers.

On the flipside, Jaya is also a technology junkie who loves learning and using the latest/newest technology. Along with that, he has become an intermediate level computer programmer based on his desire to solve computer challenges in his professional and personal life.