Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Item Officer

💰 $ - $

OperationsInventory ManagementSupply Chain

🎯 Role Definition

An Item Officer (also called Inventory or Stock Officer in many organizations) is responsible for accurate receipt, storage, issuance and control of materials and finished goods. The Item Officer ensures inventory integrity through cycle counts and reconciliations, enforces stock control procedures and coordinates with procurement, warehousing, quality and operations teams to maintain optimal stock levels, prevent stock-outs and reduce excess and obsolete inventory. This role requires strong analytical capability, hands-on experience with ERP/WMS systems and a disciplined approach to compliance, documentation and process improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Clerk / Stock Clerk
  • Warehouse Assistant / Storekeeper
  • Logistics Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Item Officer / Inventory Analyst
  • Inventory Manager / Stores Manager
  • Supply Chain Manager / Materials Manager
  • Procurement or Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Procurement Specialist
  • Warehouse Supervisor / Logistics Planner
  • Quality Assurance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Maintain end-to-end control of item master data, including creation, classification, SKU descriptions, units of measure, BOM links and location assignments to ensure accurate inventory records in the ERP/WMS.
  • Execute daily receipt, inspection, put-away and bin/location allocation for incoming goods while enforcing receiving SOPs and documenting any supplier non-conformances.
  • Prepare, validate and process accurate stock issues and transfers to production, branches or customers, ensuring correct consumption coding and approval workflows.
  • Plan and conduct systematic cycle counts and periodic physical inventories; investigate and reconcile variances, document root causes, and implement corrective actions to reduce recurring discrepancies.
  • Monitor safety stock, reorder levels and lead times; trigger replenishment requests to procurement and collaborate on demand-driven adjustments to prevent stock-outs and overstock situations.
  • Reconcile perpetual inventory ledgers with physical counts and financial records; prepare variance reports and support month-end, quarter-end and year-end inventory audits.
  • Manage returns, damaged goods and quarantine processes; coordinate with Quality, Procurement and Finance to disposition items (repair, return to vendor, write-off) and update inventory records.
  • Optimize warehouse storage allocation and slotting strategies by analyzing item velocity, cube utilization and pick cycles to reduce handling time and improve picking accuracy.
  • Maintain accurate documentation for lot/batch and serial-numbered items, ensuring traceability and compliance with regulatory and internal requirements (e.g., expiry date management for pharmaceuticals/food).
  • Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for stock handling, labeling, barcoding/RFID, picking, packing and dispatch to ensure consistent execution across shifts and sites.
  • Operate and configure barcode scanners, label printers and RFID systems; ensure scanned transactions reconcile with the ERP/WMS and escalate system exceptions for IT resolution.
  • Prepare detailed inventory reports and KPIs (inventory turnover, days of inventory, shrinkage rate, cycle count accuracy) for operations, finance and senior management review.
  • Coordinate cross-functional investigations into inventory variances, liaise with suppliers, production and logistics to close gaps and implement preventive controls.
  • Manage vendor return authorizations (RMA), receiving of replacement stock and validation of corrective supplier actions to prevent recurrence of material quality issues.
  • Control issuance of controlled or high-value items through pre-authorized requisitions, two-person checks, and maintained custody logs to minimize pilferage and fraud risk.
  • Support demand forecasting and monthly planning meetings by feeding accurate on-hand and in-transit data, anticipated receipts and historical consumption patterns into planning tools.
  • Implement continuous improvement initiatives (5S, Kaizen, Lean inventory techniques) to increase accuracy, reduce cycle times and lower carrying costs.
  • Ensure compliance with safety, environmental and regulatory requirements in material handling and storage; enforce proper use of PPE and safe lifting/stacking practices.
  • Provide on-the-job training and oversight of junior store staff, temporary workers and shift teams to maintain consistent compliance with procedures and performance standards.
  • Manage inter-branch transfers and logistics coordination for urgent replenishments, ensuring timely documentation and reconciliation of stock movement.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to inform inventory decisions and supplier negotiations.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by highlighting opportunities for inventory automation and integration.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for ERP/WMS enhancements and reporting.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team when implementing inventory-related system improvements.
  • Assist Finance with audit responses, fixed asset tagging related to inventory tooling and accurate capitalization of warehouse assets.
  • Support supplier performance reviews by providing accurate lead-time, fill-rate and quality defect data to Procurement.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Inventory management and stock control best practices (cycle counts, physical inventory, FIFO/LIFO)
  • Proficient with ERP/WMS systems (examples: SAP MM/WM, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Odoo)
  • Barcode/RFID systems and handheld scanner operations and troubleshooting
  • Strong Excel skills: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, advanced formulas, data cleaning and basic macros
  • SKU/item master data governance and classification (ABC/XYZ analysis)
  • Experience with demand planning inputs, safety stock calculations and reorder point optimization
  • Inventory reconciliation, variance analysis and root cause investigation techniques
  • Knowledge of warehouse layout optimization, slotting and pick-path design
  • Familiarity with procurement processes, GRNs, RMAs and supplier corrective action workflows
  • Knowledge of regulatory/quality requirements for controlled inventory (lot/serial traceability, expiry management)
  • Basic SQL or reporting tool experience (Power BI, Tableau, Crystal Reports) for ad-hoc inventory analytics
  • Experience with Lean/Continuous Improvement methodologies (5S, Kaizen, Kanban)
  • Understanding of logistics, freight in-transit accounting and inter-company transfer processes

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy
  • Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable inventory strategies
  • Clear, stakeholder-focused communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
  • Problem-solving orientation and ability to manage investigations to closure
  • Time management and ability to prioritize under competing operational demands
  • Integrity and strong ethics in handling high-value or sensitive inventory
  • Adaptability to changing business requirements and evolving systems
  • Coaching and team development capability for training junior staff and temporary teams
  • Customer-service orientation when supporting internal and external stakeholders
  • Negotiation skills when coordinating returns, credits and supplier corrections

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; diploma in logistics/commerce acceptable for entry.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, Industrial Engineering or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics and Transportation
  • Business Administration / Commerce
  • Industrial or Systems Engineering
  • Inventory/Materials Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of hands-on inventory, stores or warehouse experience for Item Officer roles; larger operations or regulated industries may require 3–7 years.

Preferred:

  • Prior experience working with ERP/WMS platforms and large SKU environments (FMCG, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail).
  • Demonstrated track record reducing inventory variances, improving cycle count accuracy and implementing inventory control improvements.
  • Certifications (desirable): APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP, CIPS, Certified in Inventory Management (IIMM) or equivalent.
Explore More Careers