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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Inventory Control Coordinator

💰 $45,000 - $70,000

OperationsSupply ChainInventory ManagementLogistics

🎯 Role Definition

The Inventory Control Coordinator is responsible for the accuracy, integrity and optimization of inventory across warehouses and distribution centers. This role drives daily inventory operations including cycle counts, stock reconciliations, discrepancy resolution, process improvements, and system maintenance in ERP/WMS platforms. The Coordinator partners with procurement, warehouse operations, finance and demand planning to minimize stock variances, reduce carrying costs, and ensure on-time fulfillment while maintaining compliance with internal controls and audit requirements.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Warehouse Associate or Inventory Clerk with demonstrated accuracy and process knowledge
  • Purchasing Assistant or Logistics Coordinator transitioning into inventory control
  • Data/Operations Analyst focused on supply chain or materials management

Advancement To:

  • Senior Inventory Control Analyst
  • Inventory Control Manager / Supervisor
  • Supply Chain Analyst / Demand Planner
  • Operations Manager or Distribution Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Procurement Specialist / Buyer
  • Warehouse Operations Lead
  • Quality or Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead and execute daily and cyclical inventory control activities, including planning and performing cycle counts, full physical inventories, and ad-hoc recounts to maintain SKU-level accuracy and integrity across multiple warehouse locations and DCs.
  • Reconcile inventory variances between physical counts and system quantities in the ERP/WMS (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Manhattan) and investigate root causes by collaborating with warehouse, receiving, shipping, and procurement teams.
  • Analyze inventory variance trends and produce detailed variance reports and dashboards for operations and finance stakeholders, identifying recurring issues and recommending corrective actions that reduce shrink and improve inventory turns.
  • Implement and maintain inventory control procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and best practices to improve inventory accuracy, reduce write-offs, and support ISO/internal audit requirements.
  • Manage SKU-level master data integrity, including unit of measure, lot and serial control, cycle count frequency assignments, replenishment parameters, and location attributes within ERP/WMS systems.
  • Coordinate and validate inbound receiving accuracy, conducting random checks and reconciliation of purchase orders, ASN (Advance Shipping Notices), and receiving records to prevent mis-shipments and over/under-receipts.
  • Support outbound operations by monitoring picking accuracy, resolving order discrepancies, and implementing controls (such as QA checks and scan-based verification) to improve order fulfillment metrics and OTIF (On Time In Full).
  • Maintain and monitor safety stock levels and reorder points in coordination with demand planning and procurement teams to balance service levels and inventory carrying costs.
  • Drive continuous improvement projects (Lean, 5S, Kaizen) to optimize storage utilization, reduce travel and handling time, and minimize damage and obsolescence.
  • Prepare and support internal and external inventory audits, including month-end and year-end close activities, providing documentation, reconciliation work papers, and explanations for inventory adjustments.
  • Investigate and resolve complex inventory discrepancies involving lot/serial number traceability, quarantined stock, returns, and consigned inventory, ensuring compliance with product traceability and recall procedures.
  • Develop and maintain KPIs and metrics for inventory performance including accuracy, cycle count completion rate, shrink percentage, days of inventory on hand (DOH), and inventory turns, and present results to leadership with actionable insights.
  • Partner with IT and system administrators to configure, test and deploy WMS/ERP enhancements, barcode/RFID implementations, and scanning hardware to automate inventory transactions and reduce manual errors.
  • Oversee scrap, obsolete, and excess inventory management activities, collaborating with finance to process write-offs, identify disposition paths (return, refurbish, donate), and implement mitigation strategies to avoid repeat occurrences.
  • Train and mentor warehouse and inventory personnel on inventory control processes, system usage, count procedures, and loss prevention techniques to strengthen organizational capability and compliance.
  • Manage cycle count schedules and priorities based on ABC/XYZ analysis and critical customer SKUs, adjusting frequency to reflect risk, value and movement profiles.
  • Execute root cause analyses for repeat discrepancies, partnering with cross-functional teams to implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), update SOPs, and close out audit findings.
  • Coordinate with carriers, 3PLs and vendors on inventory-related exceptions (shortages, overages, damaged goods) and negotiate resolution timelines and claims support to protect company inventory value.
  • Support product returns processing and reverse logistics workflows to accurately reconcile returned inventory and update system quantities and financial records.
  • Prepare and deliver training materials, job aids and user guides for inventory-related processes and system functions to increase adoption and reduce procedural variance.
  • Maintain compliance with regulatory, safety and internal control frameworks (SOX, FDA, GMP where applicable) as they relate to inventory handling, storage and recordkeeping.

Secondary Functions

  • Support cross-functional projects such as ERP upgrades, WMS rollouts, barcode/RFID pilots, and expansion activities by providing inventory control subject matter expertise and test validation.
  • Serve as the inventory point-of-contact for finance, providing month-end support, reconciliation schedules, and explanations for inventory adjustments impacting COGS and balance sheet.
  • Contribute to supplier performance reviews by reporting on receiving accuracy, lead-time variability and claims data to support continuous improvement with vendors.
  • Assist demand planning and procurement teams with short-term inventory forecasting, safety stock calculations and replenishment recommendations during periods of supply disruption or promotional activity.
  • Participate in incident investigations for warehouse accidents or product losses and implement controls to minimize recurrence.
  • Support ad-hoc analytics requests, building pivot reports and data extracts to answer business questions about SKU behavior, seasonal trends and inventory lifecycle.
  • Coordinate with quality assurance for quarantined goods handling, sampling, and disposition to ensure defective material is properly accounted for and does not re-enter available inventory.
  • Assist in vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and consignment program administration as needed, ensuring visibility and reconciliation of off-site inventory.
  • Facilitate continuous training sessions and change management communications when inventory processes or systems are updated.
  • Maintain and update cycle count plans and ABC classifications to reflect SKU velocity changes and to optimize audit coverage and operational workload.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Inventory management and control expertise, including cycle counting, physical inventory, reconciliation, and shrink reduction strategies.
  • Strong proficiency with ERP and WMS systems (examples: SAP MM/WM, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Manhattan, HighJump); ability to execute inventory transactions and adjust master data.
  • Experience with barcode/RFID technology, warehouse scanning hardware, and mobile data collection tools to improve transaction accuracy and traceability.
  • Data analysis and reporting skills: advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Query), experience with BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) for KPI dashboards and variance analysis.
  • Understanding of inventory costing methods and financial impacts (FIFO, LIFO, weighted average) and ability to coordinate with accounting for inventory valuation and write-offs.
  • Knowledge of replenishment logic, safety stock calculations, reorder point optimization and basic demand planning principles.
  • Familiarity with quality and compliance frameworks (SOX controls, ISO, FDA/GMP if applicable) and experience supporting audits.
  • Experience performing root cause analysis and applying continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, 5S) to reduce errors and increase efficiency.
  • Ability to manage SKU master data, ABC/XYZ classification, lot and serial control, and traceability requirements.
  • Competence in handling returns, reverse logistics, quarantined inventory and disposition processes.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail and a data-driven mindset.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities; able to translate technical inventory issues into business impact for finance, operations and procurement.
  • Organizational skills and the ability to prioritize competing tasks in a fast-paced warehouse environment.
  • Collaborative team player who builds cross-functional relationships to resolve complex inventory issues.
  • Proactive ownership and accountability for results; drives continuous improvement and operational excellence.
  • Adaptability to change and ability to train others and lead process adoption across multiple sites.
  • Time management and project coordination skills for managing audits, cycle count schedules and improvement initiatives.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation abilities when handling vendor claims, 3PL disputes, and internal discrepancies.
  • Customer-focused mindset with an orientation toward on-time fulfillment and service-level targets.
  • Integrity and compliance orientation with strong ethical standards when dealing with financial and inventory controls.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; technical certification in supply chain, logistics, or inventory management preferred.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field.
  • Certifications such as CPIM, CSCP, APICS, Six Sigma, or Certified in Production and Inventory Management are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics and Distribution
  • Business Administration
  • Operations Management
  • Industrial Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of experience in inventory control, warehouse operations, or supply chain roles for mid-level positions; entry-level openings may accept 1–2 years with strong systems aptitude.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of progressive inventory control experience managing multi-location inventories, ERP/WMS transactions, and cycle count programs; proven track record reducing variances and improving inventory accuracy.
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