Job description

Job Summary:

The Inventory Controller is responsible for maintaining accurate inventory records, ensuring stock integrity, controlling inventory movements, and supporting efficient warehouse and distribution operations across the business.

The role ensures proper inventory governance through cycle counts, reconciliations, system accuracy, batch and expiry tracking, return controls, and coordination with warehouse, sales, procurement, finance, and logistics teams.

The Inventory Controller plays a critical role in minimizing stock losses, reducing inventory discrepancies, improving stock availability, and ensuring compliance with company policies and operational controls.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate inventory records in the ERP/WMS system.
• Monitor all stock movements including receipts, transfers, returns, adjustments, and dispatches.
• Ensure physical inventory matches system inventory.
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies promptly.
• Perform daily, weekly, and monthly stock reconciliations.
• Monitor negative stock situations and resolve variances.
• Plan and execute cycle count programs.
• Conduct periodic physical inventory counts as well as coordinating annual stock counts and audit activities.
• Analyze count variances and identify root causes and prepare variance reports and corrective action recommendations.
• Monitor batch-controlled and expiry-sensitive inventory.
• Implement FEFO (First Expiry First Out) inventory practices.
• Track near-expiry products and escalate risks proactively. Also ensure expired or damaged inventory is properly segregated.
• Coordinate stock rotation activities with warehouse and sales teams and maintain traceability of products across the supply chain.
• Monitor inventory receiving and put-away processes. Also verify inbound and outbound inventory documentation.
• Ensure proper storage practices and inventory labeling as well maintaining inventory location accuracy.
• Coordinate stock transfers between warehouses or retail branches and monitor quarantine, blocked, damaged, and return inventory.
• Verify returned inventory against approved return authorizations and as per Sales Return Policy.
• Ensure returned stock is inspected and correctly classified.
• Ensure no unauthorized inventory is returned to active stock.
• Key reports will include (but not be limited to) below and provide recommendations to improve inventory efficiency and reduce losses: (inventory aging reports - slow-moving and obsolete inventory reports - stock discrepancy reports - expiry analysis reports - inventory valuation reports - daily stock movement reports - inventory adjustment reports - return and damage analysis).
• Ensure all inventory transactions are accurately recorded in ERP/WMS and maintain inventory master data integrity and monitor system transaction accuracy.
• Assist in ERP inventory module improvements and testing including supporting barcode scanning and inventory automation processes.
• Ensure compliance with system controls and authorization protocols.
• Enforce inventory policies and SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with audit and financial controls and support internal and external audits.
• Maintain proper inventory documentation and audit trails.
• Monitor inventory shrinkage and stock loss risks and escalate control weaknesses and operational risks.

Skills

Educational and Experience

·    Proven experience in managing inventory (3-5 years minimum) and related operations is required to fulfill the current operational requirement

·    Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.

·    Proficiency in ERP software for real-time data integration and daily transaction recording.

·    Strong analytical skills for data collection, report generation, and determining order quantities.

·    Familiarity with inventory management systems and procedures. Any inventory or supply chain certifications preferred

Skills & Competencies:

·    Attention to Detail: Meticulous in maintaining accurate inventory records and performing audits.

·    Communication: Excellent communication and coordination skills to work effectively with logistics and warehouse teams.

·    Problem-Solving: Ability to reconcile stock discrepancies and initiate necessary adjustments.

·    Proactiveness: The ability to develop and implement efficient inventory management procedures.

·    Technical: Inventory management principles, Stock reconciliation, Batch and expiry management, ERP/WMS operation, Microsoft Excel (advanced preferred), Inventory reporting and analytics, Barcode scanning systems, Cycle count procedures, FEFO/FIFO inventory methods